3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

Magnetic vs PLA Matte

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

Magnetic filament guideMatte PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Magnetic comparisonsMore PLA Matte comparisons
Magnetic vs PLA Matte — documented properties and sources
PropertyMagnetic filamentSPECIALTYMatte PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$64.99/kg median; $64.99–$64.99/kg across 1 dated product listings$19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA loaded with ferromagnetic iron powder, so printed parts respond to magnets[1]PLA compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[2][3]
Densityg/cm³About 1.85 (Proto-pasta manufacturer figure) — 1.5× standard PLA[1]1.31 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183) to 1.38 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral, method not stated) — above plain PLA from the filler[3][2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 65[4]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[5][6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg64–70 across formats; 1 kg spool 65, 500 g 70, 2 kg 70[4]11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[8][6][9]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4]Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][7][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[4]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[5][10]
Typical applicationsSensor targets, magnetic fixtures, and props that need to stick to a magnet or rust deliberately[1]Display models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[11]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C192 (Proto-pasta)[1]190–230 (Bambu Lab); 190–210 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral)[3][2]
Bed temperature°C60 (Proto-pasta)[1]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 60 (Fiberlogy)[3][2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[3][2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on; Fiberlogy specifies 75–100 %[3][2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedCool plate, high-temperature plate or textured PEI with glue (Bambu Lab); smooth PEI, textured PEI or glass (Fiberlogy)[3][2]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s1.6–2.4 at Proto-pasta's 20–30 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[12]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; slow, and brittle in filament form[1]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3][2]
Extruder requirementProto-pasta advises an extrusion width 0.05 mm larger than the nozzle and warns feeding is inconsistent below 0.4 mm and on Bowden machines[1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[1]Brass fine indefinitely[13][3][2]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — metal fill[1]Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[2][3][14]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists metal-filled composites as a higher clogging risk and recommends a 0.6 mm nozzle minimum[15]Very low[13]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[16]
Hotend requirementProto-pasta recommends a wear-resistant or larger nozzle for longer service intervals[1]No special hot-end required[12]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented50 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 60–70 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed; Fiberlogy specifies 50 °C for 6 h[3][2][17]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[18]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[18]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[14][12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented30 (printed XY, ISO 527, Bambu Lab); 35.1 on My Tech Fun bars for PolyTerra PLA[3][19]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[3][2]
Elongation at break%Not documented14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[3][14]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented6.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 19.2[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 6.1 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars for PolyTerra PLA[19]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented22 (printed Z, ISO 527); flexural Z falls to 29 against 53 in XY; 12.9 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars[3][19]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — Proto-pasta describes the filament as more brittle than standard PLA and needing extra care in handling[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[19]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[20][16]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented73 by tensile, 55 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented58 (Bambu Lab) and 48 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented61 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented163 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 63 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented54 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[19]
Annealing responseNot documented50–60 °C for 6–12 h; some prints deform or warp, and a forced-air oven is required[3]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[14][21]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[16][22]
Outdoor durabilityDeliberately rustable — Proto-pasta markets the iron content as oxidising when exposed to moisture[1]Not documented
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[21][16]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[14]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[16]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[23][16]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[23]
Electrical & ESD propertiesFerromagnetic: Proto-pasta states it responds to magnets and behaves similarly to pure iron[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[24]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]None needed in a normal room[24]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningPolishing and deliberate rusting are the intended finishes[1]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[22][16]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[16][25]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[16]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix and leaves the iron powder behind; laboratory reagent, not workshop stock.[26][1]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[26]
Softened or crazed byAcetone and ethyl acetate plasticise the matrix rather than dissolving it; water attacks the exposed iron.[26][1]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[26][27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — PLA has no workshop-safe solvent, and the iron loading blocks the surface flow smoothing needs.[26]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[28][27]

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. Magnetic Iron PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
  2. PLA Mineral — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Overture Matte PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Matte PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Matte PLA filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Fiberlogy PLA Mineral — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Extrudr PLA NX2 Matt — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  15. Composite materials with metal or wood particles Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  21. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  23. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  27. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  28. 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