3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ABS vs PLA-GF

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

PC/ABS blend guideGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ABS comparisonsMore PLA-GF comparisons
PC-ABS vs PLA-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPC/ABS blendPCGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$44.99/kg median; $29.99–$59.99/kg across 2 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[1][2]PLA filled with chopped glass fibre — 12 wt% (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF), 15–20 wt% (eSUN PLA-GF). Bambu Lab PLA Galaxy uses glass microspheres, not fibre, and is not equivalent[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[1][2][6]1.31 (eSUN) to 1.337 (Polymaker), ISO 1183 / GB/T 1033[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[7][8]1 kg spools cluster near 30[9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[7][8][11][12]30–60 across brands; Polymaker 30, Proto-pasta 60[9][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[9][10][4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[7][8]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[10][7]
Typical applicationsAutomotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[1]Stiff brackets and fixtures; the Polymaker grade is aimed at parts annealed for heat resistance[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker)[1]210–230 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Bed temperature°C90–105 (Polymaker)[1]25–60 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C90–100 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanOff (Polymaker)[1]Fan on — eSUN specifies 100 %[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[13]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s20 at Polymaker's 250 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][14]28 at Polymaker's stated 350 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; eSUN prints its specimens at 60 mm/s[3][4][14]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[1][15]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13][16]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[16]Not documented
Shrinkage%Not documented0.05 in X-Y and Z, 0.10 diagonal (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][15]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[15]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry of 4 h or more[17]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[13]Hardened steel or ruby nozzle; Polymaker's own slicer preset sets a minimum nozzle hardness of 40 HRC[3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h or more pre-dry[19][20][17]Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[21][22]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]60 °C for 6 h (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[16][23]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[23]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[16]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa39.9 ± 1.0 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 60 at break for its FR PC/ABS[1][2]50.1 as printed and 50.2 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 59.3 by GB/T 1040[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[1][2]3794 as printed, 4207 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[3]
Elongation at break%4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[1][2]2.77 as printed, 2.3 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 7.99[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]86.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[1][2]3685 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 4415 flexural modulus by GB/T 9341[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[1]5.31 ± 0.46 as printed and 4.92 ± 0.50 annealed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); Z 4.28 ± 0.18[3]
Other impact dataNotched Charpy still 13 ± 2 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA), against 1.5 in Z. Stratasys prints Izod notched at 241 J/m XZ against 34.0 J/m ZX, and unnotched 655 against 101 J/m (ASTM D256, F900 T16).[1][6]Izod 10.16 kJ/m² (eSUN, GB/T 1843)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa25.9-30.2 at break printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the F900 and Fortus 450mc); 22.9 +/- 1.2 printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[1][6]23.7 as printed, 22.5 annealed, printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Very brittle — elongation at break 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a PC/ABS filament[24]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC/ABS was still running unbroken at 30 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window at 39-47 MPa (ASTM D638)[25]Poor — no GF-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[26][27][28]
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 elongation at break falls to 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[29][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%75-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638) against 57 (Polymaker, printed Z against XY tensile)[1][6]47 as printed (23.7 Z against 50.1 XY), printed[3]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedeSUN describes high wear resistance and positions the grade for wear parts[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C112 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 117.9 in XY and 126.1 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi), against 125.0 moulded[1][6]75.5 as printed, 114.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the point of the material[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 107.5 in XY and 112.0 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi), against 102.9 moulded[1][6]59.7 as printed, 84 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[1][2][6]59.8 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[1]174.9 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 148.9 as printed, 148.3 annealed[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[20]Not documented
Annealing response90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[1]Annealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 75.5 to 114.7 °C and modulus from 3794 to 4207 MPa[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K59.9 over -50 to 35 °C and 73.0 over -50 to 95 °C (printed XY, ASTM E831)[6]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[16]Degrades within weeks outdoors[30]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[16]Not documented
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[16]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[16]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[31]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[31]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[31]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[31][15]None needed in a normal room[31]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[32]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[13]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[13]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone attacks the ABS phase, so surface smoothing is partial rather than full[1]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[13]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedNear-zero shrinkage — 0.05 % in X-Y and Z (Polymaker)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[33][34]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[35]
Softened or crazed byPetrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[33][34]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[35][36]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[1][37]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[38][36]

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. Polymaker PC-ABS Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. eSUN ePLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.0 (Nov 2023) eSUN (copy hosted on 3d.nice-cdn.com) · 2023-11 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Galaxy Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Reli3D PC-ABS Filament, Black, 1000 g spool Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. SUNLU PC-ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  26. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  30. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  31. 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
  32. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  33. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  34. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  36. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  37. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  38. 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