3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PETG-ESD

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

HIPS guideESD-safe PETG guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PETG-ESD comparisons
HIPS vs PETG-ESD — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSESD-safe PETGPETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$102.99/kg median; $65.98–$140.00/kg across 2 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]PETG compounded with a conductive filler to bring surface resistivity into the static-dissipative range[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24 (Fiberon) and 1.28 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools span 66–140; the middle of the market is about 103[7][5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][8]66–140 across brands; Fiberon PETG-ESD 66, 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG 140[7][5]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 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]Electronics fixtures, trays and jigs handled around static-sensitive components[3][4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[9]250–290 (Fiberon)[3]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[9]70–80 (Fiberon); 70 (3DXTech)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[10]Open frame is fine — Fiberon specifies room-temperature chamber[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[9]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[9]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[11][12]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documentedFiberon rates the material to 500 mm/s, equivalent to 40 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — a machine-limited headline rather than a measured melt rate[3][13]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[10]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[11][12]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[9][14]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[12]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; resistivity depends on getting the nozzle temperature right[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[10]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[10]Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[9][15][2]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-PETG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[9]Slightly sensitive[17]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[9]No special hot-end required[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[9]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 65 °C, 4 h pre-dry[11][16]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.41 equilibrium water absorption (Fiberon PETG-ESD)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented65 °C for 3 h (Fiberon)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[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[18]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[18]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[18][12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]36.1 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 50 at break[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]1983 ± 75 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[3]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]7.3 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 13 at break[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]54.0 ± 2.5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1651 ± 141 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 29.3 ± 2.2 printed XY (Fiberon, ISO 179)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented20.7 ± 0.6 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][9]Below average — no ESD-grade creep test; unfilled PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[19][20][21][22]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Moderate — no ESD-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented57 (Fiberon, printed Z against XY tensile)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented76 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Fiberon)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented72 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Fiberon)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]77 (Fiberon) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 86 (Fiberon, ISO 306)[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[24]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[25]Not documented
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[12]
Food contactNot food safe[25]Not certified for food contact as filament[12]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[25]Not biodegradable[12]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[25]Not accepted in household plastic collection[12]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Surface resistivity falls with nozzle temperature: 7.0×10⁶–1.6×10⁷ ohm at 250 °C, 3.2×10⁵–4.7×10⁵ at 270 °C and below 1×10⁴ at 290 °C (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq[3][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]Not documented
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]Open a window / occasional ventilation[26]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[25]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[17]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[9][2]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[17]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][9]No practical vapour smoothing[17]
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[17]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedNozzle temperature has to be held steady — it moves surface resistivity by three orders of magnitude[3]
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]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[30][31]
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.[32]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[27][32]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[31]

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. Fiberon PETG-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG 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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  10. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  12. PETG — material basics Polymaker 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. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  24. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc