3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

Conductive vs PLA Silk

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

Conductive filament guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Conductive comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
Conductive vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyConductive filamentSPECIALTYSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$170.36/kg median; $89.99–$796.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryA carbon-filled compound conductive by volume rather than merely dissipative; Proto-pasta's is PLA-based, Recreus's and NinjaTek's are TPU, and add:north's Koltron G1 does not state its base polymer[1][2][3][4]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[5]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.27 (ISO 1183)[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 90–181 for the carbon-filled grades; add:north's Koltron G1 sits far above at 796 because it is sold only in 100 and 250 g coils[6][7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg90–796 across brands; Proto-pasta conductive PLA 90 at 1 kg, Recreus Conductive Filaflex 160 at 500 g, NinjaTek Eel 181 at 1 kg, add:north Koltron G1 796 at 250 g[6][2][7][8]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[12][13][14][15][16]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][2]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][12][17]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[6][2][7][8]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[18][19]
Typical applicationsCapacitive touch surfaces, low-current traces, EMI shielding and static-safe fixtures[1]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[5]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[20]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[5]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[5][21]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[5]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[22]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[1]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Non-abrasive[23][21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — Proto-pasta states the carbon-filled grade prints on standard PLA settings with no special nozzle required[1]Very low[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[24]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[22]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[5][25]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[26]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[26]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[26]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[27][22]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[5][28]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[5]
Elongation at break%Not documented2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[5][27]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[5]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[5][28][29]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; carbon-black loading at conductive levels embrittles PLA[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[5]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[30][31]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[32][24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[5]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented57 (DSC)[5]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[5]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[29]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[5]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[27][33]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[24][34]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[33][24]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[27]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[24]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[35][24]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[35]
Electrical & ESD propertiesConductive rather than dissipative — Proto-pasta sells the grade as electrically conductive composite PLA[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[36]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[36]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[36]None needed in a normal room[36]
Dust & fibre handling hazardConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[34][24]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[24][37]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[24]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[5]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves PLA-based grades, leaving the carbon black; TPU-based grades need DMF, NMP or THF. Laboratory reagents.[38][39]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[38]
Softened or crazed byAcetone and ethyl acetate plasticise a PLA-based grade; a TPU-based grade swells in toluene, esters and alcohols.[38][39]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[38][40]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — neither PLA nor TPU has a workshop-safe welding or smoothing solvent.[38][39]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[41][40]

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. Electrically Conductive Composite PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Eel 3D Printing Filament Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Koltron G1 Technical Data Sheet add:north · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Eel product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. add:north Koltron G1 product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  28. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  29. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  34. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  35. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  36. 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
  37. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  38. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  39. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper