3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PA blend

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

HIPS guidePA6/66 copolymer blends guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PA blend comparisons
HIPS vs PA blend — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSPA6/66 copolymer blendsPA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]PA6/66 copolymer — a nylon alloy that lowers the melting point and improves printability against straight PA6[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][10]62–113 across brands; add:north Adura 62, PrimaCreator NylonPower PA6/66 65 at 500 g, Polymaker CoPA 67, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 6-66 113[7][5][8][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[7][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[7][5][8][9]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]General-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[11]250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[11]25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[12]Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[11]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[11]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented16 at Polymaker's 200 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][13]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[12]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[11][14]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[12]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[3][15]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[12]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[16]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[12]Non-abrasive when unfilled[16]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[11][17][2]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[18][15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[11]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[11]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[11]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker's own wet-state specimens reached 6.16 % moisture content after 48 h immersion at 60 °C[3][15]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15]Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[18]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[15]Measured dry against wet on printed specimens at 6.16 % moisture (Polymaker CoPA): tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa, Young's modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, flexural strength 109.8 → 22.6 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m² and elongation 12.7 → 13.2 %[3][18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[15]Polymaker states CoPA must always be stored and used below 20 % relative humidity[3]
Hydrolysis at melt temperatureNot documentedPolymaker requires a 100 °C dry for 8 h and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the published wet data is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[3][19]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]78.0 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 34.3 ± 2.5 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented6.9 ± 1.4 printed XY dry and 27.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker CoPA) — impact quadruples when conditioned[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785)[20]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][11]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Excellent — living hinges viable[16]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[18]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented59 dry (45.8 Z against 78.0 XY) and 40 wet, printed[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]Not documented
Annealing responseNot documented80 °C for 6 h (Polymaker CoPA)[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F) — the same chemistry as a PA6/66 copolymer[20]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[21]Not documented
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift — 6.16 % uptake cost 56 % of tensile strength and 73 % of modulus[3]
Food contactNot food safe[21]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[21]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[21]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[22]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[22]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[22]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[22]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10⁹ median for the HIPS filament tested, an order of magnitude below ABS but forty times PLA[22]≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[22]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[22]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[22]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[22]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[22]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[21]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[11][2]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][11]Not documented
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]CoPA can support itself, but Polymaker warns the support bonds permanently if it absorbs moisture before removal[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[23][24][25]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[26]
Softened or crazed byLimonene also disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades, so an ABS model can flake apart in the same bath.[27]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[23][27]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[26]

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. 3DXMAX HIPS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. 3DXMAX HIPS — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. AmideX Nylon 6-66 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. add:north Adura product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower PA6/66 product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  20. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. 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
  23. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  24. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  26. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc