3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

Magnetic vs PLA Stone

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

Magnetic filament guideStone-filled PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Magnetic comparisonsMore PLA Stone comparisons
Magnetic vs PLA Stone — documented properties and sources
PropertyMagnetic filamentSPECIALTYStone-filled PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$64.99/kg median; $64.99–$64.99/kg across 1 dated product listings$22.99/kg median; $15.99–$49.16/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA loaded with ferromagnetic iron powder, so printed parts respond to magnets[1]PLA filled with stone or mineral powder — Formfutura StoneFil declares 40–50 wt% stone powder[2][3]
Densityg/cm³About 1.85 (Proto-pasta manufacturer figure) — 1.5× standard PLA[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab PLA Marble) and 1.50–1.70 (Formfutura StoneFil), ISO 1183[3][2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 65[4]1 kg spools cluster near 21[5][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg64–70 across formats; 1 kg spool 65, 500 g 70, 2 kg 70[4]16–49 across brands; SUNLU 16, ELEGOO 19, Polymaker 21, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 38, Filament PM MarbleJet 49 on 0.5 kg spools[7][6][5][8][9][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4]Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][6][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[4]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools plus refills[6][2]
Typical applicationsSensor targets, magnetic fixtures, and props that need to stick to a magnet or rust deliberately[1]Architectural models, sculpture and props with a matte mineral surface[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C192 (Proto-pasta)[1]190–230 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed temperature°C60 (Proto-pasta)[1]35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[3]
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
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; slow, and brittle in filament form[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[11]
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]Nozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[11]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[1]Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's compatibility table says no hardened nozzle is needed while the note under the same table groups PLA Marble with particle-filled materials that should always use one[11]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — metal fill[1]Moderately abrasive — stone fill[11][2]
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[12]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[11]
Hotend requirementProto-pasta recommends a wear-resistant or larger nozzle for longer service intervals[1]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.44 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.44 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
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[13]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[13]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented33 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2330 ± 240 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Elongation at break%Not documented6.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented75 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2920 ± 180 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented9.5 ± 2.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 24.0 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
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 — no stone-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[14][15][16]
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 and the mineral filler leaves a brittle compound[17][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented91 by tensile, 73 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented56 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented56 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented156 peak melt (DSC); Formfutura gives a 120–170 melting range for StoneFil[3][2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[18]
Outdoor durabilityDeliberately rustable — Proto-pasta markets the iron content as oxidising when exposed to moisture[1]Not documented
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[19]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[19]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[19]None needed in a normal room[19]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedFormfutura's SDS sets an occupational limit of 1 mg/m³ for the stone powder and lists it as both a fibre and a particulate — do not dry-sand without extraction[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningPolishing and deliberate rusting are the intended finishes[1]Sands to a stone-like matte surface[2]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte mineral 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.[20][1]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[20]
Softened or crazed byAcetone and ethyl acetate plasticise the matrix rather than dissolving it; water attacks the exposed iron.[20][1]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[20][21]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — PLA has no workshop-safe solvent, and the iron loading blocks the surface flow smoothing needs.[20]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[22][21]

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. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Marble Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. PLA Marble — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. SUNLU High Speed PLA Marble 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Filament PM PLA MarbleJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  11. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Composite materials with metal or wood particles Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  15. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  16. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  18. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 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. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  21. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  22. 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