3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PVA

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

HIPS guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
HIPS vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[5][7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][10]42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[5][7][8][11][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][7][8][11][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5][7]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[12]215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[12]25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[13]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[12]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[14]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[12]PEI sheet or painter's tape[14]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[13]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Sticks to most surfaces[14]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[12][15]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[14]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[13]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[16][4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Brass fine indefinitely[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[13]Non-abrasive[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[12][17][2]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[14]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[14]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[12]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[16]
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]Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[16]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[16]Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[16][4]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][12]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Poor — fails after a few cycles[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[3]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[3]
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]Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[3]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[18]Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[4]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[4][14]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedDissolves or disintegrates — by design[4][3]
Food contactNot food safe[18]Not offered as a food-contact material[3]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[18]PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[14]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[18]Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[14]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[19]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[19]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[19]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[19]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[19]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[19]Open a window / occasional ventilation[19]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[18]Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[14]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[12][2]Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[14]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][12]Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[4]
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[20][21][22]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[23][24]
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.[25]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[20][25]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[23]

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. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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 PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 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. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. 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
  20. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  21. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  23. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  24. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds