3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
BVOH vs PE
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | BVOH (soluble support)SUPPORT | Polyethylene (PE)POLYOLEFIN |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings | $87.72/kg median; $87.72–$87.72/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Butenediol vinyl alcohol copolymer — a vinyl alcohol copolymer that dissolves faster and in cooler water than straight PVA[1] | Polyethylene — the simplest polyolefin, non-polar and highly crystalline. The one retailed filament grade, Spectrum HDPE, uses what Spectrum calls Low Warp technology and is denser and stiffer than plain HDPE[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | Not documented | 1.10 (Spectrum HDPE filament, ISO 1183) against 0.95 for extruded HDPE stock — the filament is a modified formulation[2][3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[1] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 88[4] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[1] | 87.72 — Spectrum's 500 g spools at 3DJAKE are the only PE filament listing found[4] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Spectrum HDPE in six colours is the only PE filament in the 3DJAKE and igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid, but it is a normal stocked item rather than a special order[5][6][7][4] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[1] | 1.75 mm; 500 g spools in six colours[4][5] |
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[1] | Chemically resistant containers, packaging prototypes and consumer goods where HDPE is the production material[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 240-290 (Spectrum HDPE)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 80-100 (Spectrum HDPE)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[8] | Enclosure recommended — Spectrum recommends a closed chamber for larger prints[2] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0-50 % part cooling (Spectrum HDPE)[2] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary for its low-warp HDPE, depending on geometry[2] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield. Spectrum's low-warp grade is sold as printable on desktop machines, which is not true of plain polyethylene[2] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive; Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary but recommends a closed chamber for large parts[2] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[9] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; Spectrum sells the grade as desktop-printable with no dry box and no hardened nozzle[2] |
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer[8] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[8] | Brass fine indefinitely — Spectrum states a ruby or hardened nozzle is not required[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[8] | Non-abrasive[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[9] | Low — Spectrum lists no drybox and no ruby or hardened nozzle for HDPE, and very low moisture absorption[2] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[9][8] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no dry box[2] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | No drying step published; Spectrum lists a dry box as not required[2] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[9] | Not applicable in practice — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no drybox requirement for HDPE[2] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times[9] | Store dry at 18-25 °C out of sunlight; Spectrum quotes a 24-month shelf life[2] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | Not documented | 29 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527; specimen type not stated) against 25.5 at yield on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 3700 psi)[2][3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 3500 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against 965 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 140,000 psi) — the filament grade is nearly four times stiffer than plain polyethylene[2][3] |
| Elongation at break% | Not documented | 18 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against above 100 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 27.6 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4000 psi)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 3200 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 178) against 965 on extruded stock (ASTM D790, from 140,000 psi)[2][3] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy 10 kJ/m2 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 179-1; notch condition not stated); Izod 104 J/m on extruded stock, converted from 1.94 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[2][3] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; 18 % elongation at break on the filament and above 100 % on extruded stock[2][3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Shore D 67 and Rockwell R54 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D2240, D785); Spectrum quotes Rockwell 80 HRM for its filament (ISO 2039-2)[3][2] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Good — Spectrum lists outstanding abrasion and crack resistance for its HDPE, but no repeated-flex or fatigue test data was found for any PE filament[2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Not documented | Slightly flexible in thin sections — Spectrum's low-warp grade has a 3.5 GPa tensile modulus; plain extruded HDPE at 965 MPa is genuinely semi-flexible[2][3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 75 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 167 °F)[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 110 stated as heat resistance by Spectrum with no test standard given; extruded stock is rated 120 long-term maximum (converted from 248 °F) and brittle below -76[2][3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 117 (extruded HDPE stock, ASTM D696; source states 6.5e-5 in/in/°F)[3] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — a season or two. Spectrum describes its HDPE as UV-stable and weather-resistant but publishes no exposure data[2] |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Excellent chemical resistance to acids, bases, oils and solvents (Spectrum); Ensinger lists broad chemical compatibility for HDPE stock[2][3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[1] | Excellent — essentially unaffected; Ensinger lists low moisture absorption for HDPE stock and Spectrum very low absorption for the filament[2][3] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Spectrum states the filament is fully recyclable; HDPE is resin code 2[2] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[10] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[10] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of HDPE stock[3] |
| Support material pairing | This is the support material[1] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Spectrum lists a shiny surface finish and no adhesive requirement; shrinkage remains the limit on large flat parts[2] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Water: about 1 g of BVOH per 20 g of water, several hours; warmer water is faster but must not be too hot.[11][1] | None at room temperature; xylene dissolves HDPE at about 105 °C and LDPE at 75 °C. Hot decalin does the same.[12][13] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[14] | Toluene, xylene, styrene, chloroform, dichloromethane, MEK and trichloroethylene are all unsatisfactory at 21 °C.[13] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[11] | None — polyethylene has no room-temperature solvent, so joints are made by heat welding.[13][12] |
Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.
Sources for this comparison
- Fiberlogy BVOH Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- Spectrum HDPE Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2025-10 · tds
- TECAFINE HDPE natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Spectrum HDPE Traffic Black, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
- Water soluble (BVOH/PVA) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
- HDPE Chemical Resistance Guide (21 °C and 60 °C) INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA · 2026-08 · tds
- Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds