3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

BVOH vs PEEK

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

BVOH (soluble support) guidePEEK guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore BVOH comparisonsMore PEEK comparisons
BVOH vs PEEK — documented properties and sources
PropertyBVOH (soluble support)SUPPORTPEEKHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings$531.87/kg median; $296.14–$770.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryButenediol vinyl alcohol copolymer — a vinyl alcohol copolymer that dissolves faster and in cooler water than straight PVA[1]Polyether ether ketone — a semi-crystalline polyaryletherketone[2]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.30 (ISO 1183)[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[1]1 kg-equivalent spools span 296–770; the middle of the market is about 532[4][5][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[1]296-770 across brands and spool sizes; 3D4Makers recycled R-PEEK 296 at 750 g, IEMAI 3D 420 at 1 kg, LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PEEK 9581 532 at 2 kg, 3DXTech ThermaX PEEK 770 at 500 g[4][5][6]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][5][3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[4][5][3]
Typical applicationsDissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[1]Aerospace brackets, semiconductor handling, sterilisable medical tooling and downhole parts[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented380-400 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); Victrex quotes a 340-450 melt range for AM 450 FIL[2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented130–140 (3DXTech)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[7]Actively heated chamber required[8][9]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documentedNot less than 150 for semi-crystalline printing (Victrex AM 450 FIL); bed above 150[3]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSevere — heated chamber needed[8]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedVery difficult — special plates or slurry required[8]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10]Expert / industrial hardware only[8][9]
Extruder requirementA second extruder or a tool changer[7]An all-metal hot end rated above 400 °C and a heated chamber; 3DXTech tests at 0.25 mm layer height on a 0.4 mm nozzle[2][8]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[7]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[8]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[7]Non-abrasive when unfilled[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[10]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[11]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[10][7]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.45 at saturation, 23 °C (ISO 62); 0.55 at 100 °C[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented120 °C for 5 h, target below 0.020 % moisture (Victrex AM 450 FIL)[3]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[10]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[11]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant at all times[10]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented60-100 (printed XY): Victrex AM 450 FIL 60-80 at yield and 3DXTech 100, both ISO 527; 98 at yield injection-moulded[2][3]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented3000-4000 (printed XY, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 3720 (3DXTech); 4000 injection-moulded[2][3]
Elongation at break%Not documented28 (printed XY, ISO 527) — remarkably ductile for a high-temperature polymer[2]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented130 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2700 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented6.0 (injection-moulded, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 7.0 kJ/m2 injection-moulded (ISO 180/A). Printed anisotropy is extreme: VICTREX AM 200 on a Stratasys F900 gives Izod notched 1380-1530 J/m XZ against 30-62 J/m ZX (ASTM D256)[3][12]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented20-85 at yield (printed ZX, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); the spread is set by chamber temperature and weld quality[3]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedTough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 84.5 (injection-moulded, ISO 868); Rockwell M100 / R125 on extruded PEEK stock (ASTM D785)[3][13]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedExcellent — holds load for years. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term creep; injection-moulded flexural stress at 3.5 % strain falls only from 125 MPa at 23 °C to 85 MPa at 125 °C, and extruded stock is rated to 249 °C continuous[14][3][13]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep[14]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedRigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented71-84 (VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK printed on the Stratasys F900 and Fortus 450mc, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); unfilled PEEK's own ZX spread is wider[12]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented140 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented152 (unannealed, ISO 75-2/Af, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 160 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[3][13]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented143 (DSC, 3DXTech); Victrex gives onset 143 and midpoint 150 (ISO 11357-2)[2][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented343 melting (ISO 11357-3, Victrex); VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK melts at 303[3][12]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented240 UL 746B relative thermal index, strength (RTI electrical 260, impact 180); Ensinger rates extruded PEEK stock at 249 long term[3][13]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented37.8 (extruded PEEK stock, 23-60 °C, ASTM E831; source states 2.1e-5 in/in/°F), rising to 41.9 at 60-100 °C and 55.8 at 100-150 °C[13]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin; glow-wire flammability index 960 °C at 2.0 mm (IEC 60695-2-12)[2][3]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceNot documentedOutstanding — resistant to almost all solvents and to steam sterilisation[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[1]Excellent — essentially unaffected; 0.45 % water at saturation and resistant to steam sterilisation[3][2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[15]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[15]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[15]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[15]
Post-Processing
Support material pairingThis is the support material[1]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inWater: about 1 g of BVOH per 20 g of water, several hours; warmer water is faster but must not be too hot.[16][1]95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves it — 10 g per 100 mL at 40–70 °C gives a dark red solution. Laboratory route only.[17][18]
Softened or crazed byNothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[19]Concentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[20][18]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[16]None — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[20][18]

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

  1. Fiberlogy BVOH Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. VICTREX AM 450 FIL — datasheet Victrex · 2025-12 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. IEMAI 3D PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  8. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  9. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. ThermaX PEEK — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. VICTREX AM 200 — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-04 · tds
  13. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  14. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  15. 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
  16. Water soluble (BVOH/PVA) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  17. The Effects of Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Ion Exchange Preparation Conditions on Membrane Properties Yee, Zhang & Ladewig, Membranes 3(3) 182–195 · 2013-07 · paper
  18. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  20. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc