3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
BVOH vs PVA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | BVOH (soluble support)SUPPORT | PVA (soluble support)SUPPORT |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings | $65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 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] | Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | Not documented | 0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2][3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[1] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[4][5][6][7] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[1] | 42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[4][5][6][8][7] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][5][6][8][7] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[1] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[4][5] |
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[1] | Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[3] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[9] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | PEI sheet or painter's tape[9] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Sticks to most surfaces[9] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[9] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[10][3] |
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer[3] | A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[3] | Brass fine indefinitely[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[3] | Non-abrasive[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[10] | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[10] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Not documented | High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[9] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[9] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[10][3] | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[10] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[10] | Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[10] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times[10] | Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[10][3] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[2] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Poor — fails after a few cycles[2] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | 3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[2] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[2] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[3] |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[3][9] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[1] | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[3][2] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not offered as a food-contact material[2] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[9] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[9] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[2] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[11] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[11] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[11] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[11] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[9] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[9] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[3] |
| Support material pairing | This is the support material[1] | This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[3] |
| 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.[12][1] | Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[13][14] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[15] | Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[15] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[12] | None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[13] |
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
- AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds