3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
BVOH vs PETG-ESD
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | BVOH (soluble support)SUPPORT | ESD-safe PETGPETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings | $102.99/kg median; $65.98–$140.00/kg across 2 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] | PETG compounded with a conductive filler to bring surface resistivity into the static-dissipative range[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | Not documented | 1.24 (Fiberon) and 1.28 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[1] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 66–140; the middle of the market is about 103[4][5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[1] | 66–140 across brands; Fiberon PETG-ESD 66, 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG 140[4][5] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[1] | 1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[4][5] |
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[1] | Electronics fixtures, trays and jigs handled around static-sensitive components[2][3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 250–290 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 70–80 (Fiberon); 70 (3DXTech)[2][3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[6] | Open frame is fine — Fiberon specifies room-temperature chamber[2] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[7][8] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | Fiberon rates the material to 500 mm/s, equivalent to 40 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — a machine-limited headline rather than a measured melt rate[2][9] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[7][8] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[8] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; resistivity depends on getting the nozzle temperature right[2] |
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer[6] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[6] | Hardened steel required[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[6] | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[10] | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-PETG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[11] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Not documented | Slightly sensitive[12] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required[12] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[10][6] | Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 65 °C, 4 h pre-dry[7][11] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.41 equilibrium water absorption (Fiberon PETG-ESD)[2] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 65 °C for 3 h (Fiberon)[2] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[10] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[10] | Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[10] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times[10] | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[10][8] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | Not documented | 36.1 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 50 at break[2][3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 1983 ± 75 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | Not documented | 7.3 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 13 at break[2][3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 54.0 ± 2.5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 1651 ± 141 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon)[2] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy unnotched 29.3 ± 2.2 printed XY (Fiberon, ISO 179)[2] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 20.7 ± 0.6 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Moderate[2] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Below average — no ESD-grade creep test; unfilled PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[13][14][15][16] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — no ESD-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[17] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Not documented | Slightly flexible in thin sections[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 57 (Fiberon, printed Z against XY tensile)[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 76 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Fiberon)[2] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 72 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Fiberon)[2] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 77 (Fiberon) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[2][3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 86 (Fiberon, ISO 306)[2] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[18] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[8] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[1] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not certified for food contact as filament[8] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[8] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Not accepted in household plastic collection[8] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistivity falls with nozzle temperature: 7.0×10⁶–1.6×10⁷ ohm at 250 °C, 3.2×10⁵–4.7×10⁵ at 270 °C and below 1×10⁴ at 290 °C (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq[2][3] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[19] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[19] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[19] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[2] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[12] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[12] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[12] |
| Support material pairing | This is the support material[1] | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[12] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Nozzle temperature has to be held steady — it moves surface resistivity by three orders of magnitude[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.[20][1] | No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[21][22] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[23] | Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[21] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[20] | Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[22] |
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
- Fiberon PETG-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds