3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
Magnetic vs PLA-PHA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Magnetic filamentSPECIALTY | PLA/PHA blendPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $64.99/kg median; $64.99–$64.99/kg across 1 dated product listings | $76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PLA loaded with ferromagnetic iron powder, so printed parts respond to magnets[1] | PLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[2] |
| Densityg/cm³ | About 1.85 (Proto-pasta manufacturer figure) — 1.5× standard PLA[1] | 1.2 (ISO 1183)[2] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 65[3] | Not documented |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 64–70 across formats; 1 kg spool 65, 500 g 70, 2 kg 70[3] | Not documented |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][4] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[3] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[2] |
| Typical applications | Sensor targets, magnetic fixtures, and props that need to stick to a magnet or rust deliberately[1] | General-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 192 (Proto-pasta)[1] | 195–220 (colorFabb)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | 60 (Proto-pasta)[1] | 50–60 (colorFabb)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[1] | Open frame is fine[2] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0–100 %; colorFabb states the blend runs on both heated and unheated beds[2][5] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 1.6–2.4 at Proto-pasta's 20–30 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1] | 3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[5][6] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; slow, and brittle in filament form[1] | Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2] |
| Extruder requirement | Proto-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 required1–4 | Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — metal fill[1] | Non-abrasive[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — 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[7] | Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[8] |
| Hotend requirement | Proto-pasta recommends a wear-resistant or larger nozzle for longer service intervals[1] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[9][10] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[11] | Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[11] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | Not documented | 62–64 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[2] |
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | Not documented | 4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 2500–3300 flexural modulus (ISO 178, colorFabb)[2] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 2.8–3.7 (ISO 179, notched, colorFabb)[2] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — Proto-pasta describes the filament as more brittle than standard PLA and needing extra care in handling[1] | Moderate — colorFabb positions the blend as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA grades[2] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Poor — no PLA/PHA creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[12][13][14] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Below average — no S-N curve for the blend; colorFabb positions it as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA, which ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[15][2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | Above 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Degrades within weeks outdoors[16] |
| Outdoor durability | Deliberately rustable — Proto-pasta markets the iron content as oxidising when exposed to moisture[1] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | colorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[2] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Ferromagnetic: Proto-pasta states it responds to magnets and behaves similarly to pure iron[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[17] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[17] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[17] | None needed in a normal room[17] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Polishing and deliberate rusting are the intended finishes[1] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix and leaves the iron powder behind; laboratory reagent, not workshop stock.[18][1] | Chloroform dissolves the PLA phase (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C); THF and DMF need 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[18] |
| Softened or crazed by | Acetone and ethyl acetate plasticise the matrix rather than dissolving it; water attacks the exposed iron.[18][1] | Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[18][19] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — PLA has no workshop-safe solvent, and the iron loading blocks the surface flow smoothing needs.[18] | Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[20][19] |
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
- Magnetic Iron PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
- PLA/PHA technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
- glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials with metal or wood particles Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- 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