3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PC-CF

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

HIPS guideCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PC-CF comparisons
HIPS vs PC-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]Polycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools span 35–117; the middle of the market is about 63[7][8][5][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][11]35–117 across brands; Ambrosia 35, IEMAI 39, YXPOLYER 55, Spectrum PC CF 70, Prusament 94, 3DXTech 117[7][8][5][9][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[7][5][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[7][5]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Stiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[13]285 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[13]110 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[14]Enclosure required (passive)[3][14]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[13]Off — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[13]PEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[15]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[14]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[3][14]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[15][16]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[13][17]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[16]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[14]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[14][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[14]Hardened steel required[14]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[14]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[14]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[13][18][2]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle, 0.25 mm layers and a 120 °C pre-dry[19][15][20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]Slightly sensitive[15]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[13]All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[15]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[13]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry[21][22][19]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]
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[23]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[16][23]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[23]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]64 ± 3 printed horizontal and 70 ± 3 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 73 at break[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[3][4]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[3][4]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[3][22]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[3][22]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][13]Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped; short carbon fibre raises the flexural modulus from about 2.1 to 3.5-6.5 GPa, which reduces creep strain further[24][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Good. No fatigue test data was found for a carbon-fibre PC filament; the unfilled polymer is rated Good on the same scale[24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[3][22]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]127 (3DXTech, DSC)[4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[22]
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[25]Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[16]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[16]
Food contactNot food safe[25]Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[16]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[25]Not biodegradable[16]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[25]Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[26]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[26]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[26]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10⁹ median for the HIPS filament tested, an order of magnitude below ABS but forty times PLA[26]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[26]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[26]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[26]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[26][14]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[25]Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[15]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[13][2]Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[15]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][13]No practical vapour smoothing[15]
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[15]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[27][28][29]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[30]
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.[31]Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[27][31]Dichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[32]

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. Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v2.0 Prusa Polymers · 2023-04 · tds
  4. CarbonX Carbon Fiber ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Spectrum PC CF Carbon Black, 1.75 mm / 250 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI CF-PC 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PC CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  25. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. 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
  27. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  28. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  29. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  30. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  31. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds