3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
Conductive vs PVA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Conductive filamentSPECIALTY | PVA (soluble support)SUPPORT |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $170.36/kg median; $89.99–$796.00/kg across 4 dated product listings | $65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | A 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] | Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[5][6] |
| Densityg/cm³ | Not documented | 0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[5][6] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 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[7][8][9] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[10][11][12][13] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 90–796 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[7][2][8][9] | 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[10][11][12][14][13] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][2] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][11][12][14][13] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[7][2][8][9] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[10][11] |
| Typical applications | Capacitive touch surfaces, low-current traces, EMI shielding and static-safe fixtures[1] | Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[6] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[6] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[6] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[1] | Open frame is fine[6] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[15] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | PEI sheet or painter's tape[15] |
| 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[6] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Sticks to most surfaces[15] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[15] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[1] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[16][6] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[6] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[6] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1] | Non-abrasive[6] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low — Proto-pasta states the carbon-filled grade prints on standard PLA settings with no special nozzle required[1] | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[16] |
| 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[15] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[15] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Not documented | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[6] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[6] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[16] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[16] | 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[16] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[16][6] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; carbon-black loading at conductive levels embrittles PLA[1] | Not documented |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[5] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Poor — fails after a few cycles[5] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Not documented |
| 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[5] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[5] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[5] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[5] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[6] |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[6][15] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[6][5] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not offered as a food-contact material[5] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[15] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[15] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Conductive rather than dissipative — Proto-pasta sells the grade as electrically conductive composite PLA[1] | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[5] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[17] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[17] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[17] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[17] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[15] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[15] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[6] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[6] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Chloroform dissolves PLA-based grades, leaving the carbon black; TPU-based grades need DMF, NMP or THF. Laboratory reagents.[18][19] | Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[20][21] |
| Softened or crazed by | Acetone and ethyl acetate plasticise a PLA-based grade; a TPU-based grade swells in toluene, esters and alcohols.[18][19] | Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[22] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — neither PLA nor TPU has a workshop-safe welding or smoothing solvent.[18][19] | None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[20] |
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
- Electrically Conductive Composite PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
- Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Eel 3D Printing Filament Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
- Koltron G1 Technical Data Sheet add:north · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- Eel product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
- add:north Koltron G1 product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
- 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
- Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- 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