3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PETG-GF

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

HIPS guideGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PETG-GF comparisons
HIPS vs PETG-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$27.38/kg median; $18.99–$29.99/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]Glass-fibre reinforced polyester. Polymaker's Fiberon PET-GF15 uses a PET rather than a PETG matrix and carries 15 wt% glass fibre[3]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.43 (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[4][5]1 kg spools cluster near 25[6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[5][4][8]19–30 across brands; ELEGOO 19, Polymaker Fiberon 30[6][7]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[5][4]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[7]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Stiff, dimensionally stable fixtures; the Fiberon grade is designed to be annealed for heat resistance[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[9]Not documented
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[9]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[10]Not documented
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]
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][13]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[12]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[10]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[10]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[9][14][2]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[9]Slightly sensitive[16]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[9]No special hot-end required[16]
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; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[11]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[17]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[17]
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[17]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[17]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[17]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[17][12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]59.9 ± 0.8 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]4144 ± 133 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]4.0 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]104.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]3705 ± 85 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented8.7 ± 0.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.0 printed XY (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 179)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented48.2 ± 0.3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 4.0 % in XY and 2.6 % in Z[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 GF-grade creep test; the CF grades sagged to 14.8–16.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg against 17.1–20.4 mm unfilled[18][19][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 4.0 % in XY against 5.2–9.3 % unfilled[3][21]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented80 (Fiberon PET-GF15, printed Z against XY tensile)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented81.6 as printed, 133.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented71.8 as printed, 87.3 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]59.5 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]231.6 melting (DSC); Vicat 232.6 (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
Annealing responseNot documentedAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 81.6 to 133.7 °C[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented20 along the print bead and 63–74 in the build direction at 30 °C (30 wt% GF, large-format printed, TMA)[22]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]UL 94 HB at 1.5 mm (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[23]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[23]Not certified for food contact as filament[12]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[23]Not biodegradable[12]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[23]Not accepted in household plastic collection[12]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-GF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[24]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[24]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[24]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[24]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[24]Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[23]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[16]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[9][2]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[16]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][9]No practical vapour smoothing[16]
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[16]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[25][26][27]No common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[28][29]
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.[30]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[25][30]Dichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[29]

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 PET-GF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 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. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  22. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  23. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. 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
  25. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  26. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  28. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  30. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc