3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

BVOH vs PETG

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

BVOH (soluble support) guidePETG guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore BVOH comparisonsMore PETG comparisons
BVOH vs PETG — documented properties and sources
PropertyBVOH (soluble support)SUPPORTPETGPETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 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]Polyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[2][3]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[2][3][4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[1]1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[1]12–70 across brands; IEMAI 12, ELEGOO 14, CHCKX 14, Bambu Lab 18–20, Hatchbox 26, Prusament 38, Prusament PETG V0 70[6][7][9][8][10][11]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[6][7][12][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[7][8]
Typical applicationsDissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[1]Functional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[2][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament)[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented230–260 across brands; Prusament 250 ± 10, Polymaker 240–260[2][3][5]
Bed temperature°CNot documented60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[2][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[13]Open frame is fine[5]
Part cooling fanNot documentedAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[2][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets. On smooth PEI a glue stick is used as a release agent, not an adhesive — PETG bonds to bare PEI hard enough to tear the sheet[2][5]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented8–15 (PrusaSlicer guidance); My Tech Fun ran Bambu Lab PETG Basic at 13 mm³/s[14][15]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — corner lift on large flat parts[2][5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[2]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[2][5]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[16]Easy — minor profile tuning[5]
Extruder requirementA second extruder or a tool changer[13]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Brass fine indefinitely[14]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[13]Non-abrasive[5]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[16]Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[17][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[17]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[16][13]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — Bambu Lab reports 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; Prusa measures only 0.07 % in 24 h and 0.10 % in 7 days at the drier 22 % RH[2][19]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers); 0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2][19]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60–65 °C for 6–8 h[5][19]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[2]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[16]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic and shows a before-and-after-drying comparison; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers rather than a published dry-versus-conditioned figure[16]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant at all times[16]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[16][20]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented38–51 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 47 ± 2 at yield; 62 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[2][3][4][21]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][3][4][5]
Elongation at break%Not documented5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[3][4][5][2]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[2][3][4][5]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2][3][4][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[3][4][2]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's 4 J pendulum (ISO 179-1); Izod 3.37 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars[2][21]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[2][3][21]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedModerate[2][3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method); measured on printed bars at 68.2 for Extrudr PETG, 72 for Fiberlogy PETG and 72.8 for Prusament PETG[2][21][22][23]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedBelow average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 18.2 mm (Fiberlogy) and 19.4 mm (Bambu Lab Basic) over 5 days at 1.25 kg[21][15]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedModerate — 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, about three times printed PLA (R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedSlightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[2][3][5]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented71–81 (DSC)[3][4][5]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[3][4][5]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented61–66 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across six grades from four brands; Prusa publishes 68 for Prusament PETG[21][22][23][15][25]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[26]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[27][20]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedModerate — a season or two[2]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure — Polymaker names outdoor use as a result[20]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[1]Good — minor absorption[2]
Food contactNot documentedPET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[20]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[20]
RecyclabilityNot documentedPET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[20]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[28]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈5 × 10⁹ median for the PET-based T-Glase filament in the same chamber study, against ≈1 × 10⁸ for PLA[28]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[28]Open a window / occasional ventilation[28]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[17]
Painting & finishingNot documentedPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[2]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[17]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[2]
Support material pairingThis is the support material[1]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[17]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedStringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[2][5]
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.[29][1]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[30][31]
Softened or crazed byNothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[32]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[29]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[31]

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. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  3. PolyLite PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  27. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  28. 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
  29. Water soluble (BVOH/PVA) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds