3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PE

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

HIPS guidePolyethylene (PE) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PE comparisons
HIPS vs PE — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSPolyethylene (PE)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$87.72/kg median; $87.72–$87.72/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]Polyethylene — the simplest polyolefin, non-polar and highly crystalline. The one retailed filament grade, Spectrum HDPE, uses what Spectrum calls Low Warp technology and is denser and stiffer than plain HDPE[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.10 (Spectrum HDPE filament, ISO 1183) against 0.95 for extruded HDPE stock — the filament is a modified formulation[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 88[7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][8]87.72 — Spectrum's 500 g spools at 3DJAKE are the only PE filament listing found[7]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Spectrum HDPE in six colours is the only PE filament in the 3DJAKE and igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid, but it is a normal stocked item rather than a special order[9][10][11][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 mm; 500 g spools in six colours[7][9]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Chemically resistant containers, packaging prototypes and consumer goods where HDPE is the production material[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[12]240-290 (Spectrum HDPE)[3]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[12]80-100 (Spectrum HDPE)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[13]Enclosure recommended — Spectrum recommends a closed chamber for larger prints[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[12]0-50 % part cooling (Spectrum HDPE)[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[12]Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary for its low-warp HDPE, depending on geometry[3]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[13]Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield. Spectrum's low-warp grade is sold as printable on desktop machines, which is not true of plain polyethylene[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive; Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary but recommends a closed chamber for large parts[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[12][14]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[13]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; Spectrum sells the grade as desktop-printable with no dry box and no hardened nozzle[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Brass fine indefinitely — Spectrum states a ruby or hardened nozzle is not required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[13]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[12][15][2]Low — Spectrum lists no drybox and no ruby or hardened nozzle for HDPE, and very low moisture absorption[3]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[12]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no dry box[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedNo drying step published; Spectrum lists a dry box as not required[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]Not documented
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[16]Not applicable in practice — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no drybox requirement for HDPE[3]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[16]Store dry at 18-25 °C out of sunlight; Spectrum quotes a 24-month shelf life[3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]29 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527; specimen type not stated) against 25.5 at yield on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 3700 psi)[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]3500 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against 965 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 140,000 psi) — the filament grade is nearly four times stiffer than plain polyethylene[3][4]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]18 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against above 100 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]27.6 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4000 psi)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]3200 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 178) against 965 on extruded stock (ASTM D790, from 140,000 psi)[3][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy 10 kJ/m2 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 179-1; notch condition not stated); Izod 104 J/m on extruded stock, converted from 1.94 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[3][4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; 18 % elongation at break on the filament and above 100 % on extruded stock[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 67 and Rockwell R54 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D2240, D785); Spectrum quotes Rockwell 80 HRM for its filament (ISO 2039-2)[4][3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][12]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Good — Spectrum lists outstanding abrasion and crack resistance for its HDPE, but no repeated-flex or fatigue test data was found for any PE filament[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections — Spectrum's low-warp grade has a 3.5 GPa tensile modulus; plain extruded HDPE at 965 MPa is genuinely semi-flexible[3][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented75 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 167 °F)[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]Not documented
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]110 stated as heat resistance by Spectrum with no test standard given; extruded stock is rated 120 long-term maximum (converted from 248 °F) and brittle below -76[3][4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented117 (extruded HDPE stock, ASTM D696; source states 6.5e-5 in/in/°F)[4]
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[17]Moderate — a season or two. Spectrum describes its HDPE as UV-stable and weather-resistant but publishes no exposure data[3]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Excellent chemical resistance to acids, bases, oils and solvents (Spectrum); Ensinger lists broad chemical compatibility for HDPE stock[3][4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected; Ensinger lists low moisture absorption for HDPE stock and Spectrum very low absorption for the filament[3][4]
Food contactNot food safe[17]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[17]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[17]Spectrum states the filament is fully recyclable; HDPE is resin code 2[3]
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[18]Not documented
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[18]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[18]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[18]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[18]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[17]Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of HDPE stock[4]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[12][2]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][12]Not documented
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedSpectrum lists a shiny surface finish and no adhesive requirement; shrinkage remains the limit on large flat parts[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[19][20][21]None at room temperature; xylene dissolves HDPE at about 105 °C and LDPE at 75 °C. Hot decalin does the same.[21][22]
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.[23]Toluene, xylene, styrene, chloroform, dichloromethane, MEK and trichloroethylene are all unsatisfactory at 21 °C.[22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[19][23]None — polyethylene has no room-temperature solvent, so joints are made by heat welding.[22][21]

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. Spectrum HDPE Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2025-10 · tds
  4. TECAFINE HDPE natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Spectrum HDPE Traffic Black, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. 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
  19. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  20. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  22. HDPE Chemical Resistance Guide (21 °C and 60 °C) INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA · 2026-08 · tds
  23. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc