3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ABS vs PLA Silk

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

PC/ABS blend guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ABS comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PC-ABS vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyPC/ABS blendPCSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[1][2]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[1][2][4]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[5][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[5][6][10][11]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[12][13][14][15][16]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][12][17]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5][6]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[18][19]
Typical applicationsAutomotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[1]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[20]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker)[1]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C90–105 (Polymaker)[1]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[3][21]
Recommended chamber temperature°C90–100 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanOff (Polymaker)[1]Fan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[22]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[3]
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][23]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[1][24]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[22][25]Sticks to anything[26]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[25]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][24]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[24]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[27][21]
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[28]Very low[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[22]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[29]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[22]No special hot-end required[26]
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[30][31][28]Moderate — 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 & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][32]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[33]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[33]
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[25][33]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[33]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[25]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[34][26]
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]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][35]
Young's modulusMPa1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[1][2]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[1][2]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][34]
Flexural strengthMPa66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[1][2]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[1]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[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][4]Not documented
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][4]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[3][35][36]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[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[37]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)[38]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[39][40]
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)[41][29]
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][4]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
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][4]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[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][4]56 (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][4]57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[1]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[31]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[36]
Annealing response90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[1]50–55 °C for 6–12 h[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)[4]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[34][42]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[25]Degrades within weeks outdoors[29][43]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[25]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[42][29]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[34]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[25]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[29]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[25]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[44][29]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[25]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[44]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[45]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[45]
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[45]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[45][24]None needed in a normal room[45]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[22]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[43][29]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[22]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[29][46]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone attacks the ABS phase, so surface smoothing is partial rather than full[1]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[29]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[22]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[47][48]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[49]
Softened or crazed byPetrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[47][48]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[49][50]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[1][51]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[52][50]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Reli3D PC-ABS Filament, Black, 1000 g spool Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU PC-ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  28. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  29. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  32. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  35. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  36. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  39. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  40. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  42. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  43. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  44. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  45. 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
  46. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  47. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  48. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  49. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  50. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  51. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  52. 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