3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs rPLA

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

HIPS guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
HIPS vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]PLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[6][7]1 kg spools run 20–22[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[7][6][11]16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[12][13]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Available from several mainstream brands[4][5][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[7][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[14][12][4]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]General-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[4][5]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[4][3][15]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[16]210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[3][5]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[16]40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[3][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[17]Open frame is fine[3][18]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[16]100 %[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[16]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[17]None — brim not generally needed[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16]Sticks to anything[19]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[16][20]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[17]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3][18]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[17]Brass fine indefinitely[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[17]Non-abrasive[21][18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[16][18][2]Very low[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[16]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[22]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[16]No special hot-end required[19]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[16]Moderate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[3][15]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[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]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[23]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[23]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[24][19]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[3][15]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[3][15]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[3][15]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[3][15]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[3][15]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[3][15]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[3][15]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[22][21]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[3][15]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][16]Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[25][26]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[27][22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[21]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[3][15]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[3][15]
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]55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[28]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[24][29]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[30]Degrades within weeks outdoors[22][31]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[29][22]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[24]
Food contactNot food safe[30]Filamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[5][22]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[30]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[5]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[30]The feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[5][13]
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[32]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[32]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[32]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[32]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[32]Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[4]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[32]None needed in a normal room[32]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[30]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[31][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[16][2]Superglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[4]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][16]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[33][34][35]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[36]
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.[37]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[36][38]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[33][37]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[39][38]

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 PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  4. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  16. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  28. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  29. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  32. 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
  33. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  34. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  35. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  36. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  37. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  39. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper