3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ABS vs PLA

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

PC/ABS blend guidePLA (standard) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ABS comparisonsMore PLA comparisons
PC-ABS vs PLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPC/ABS blendPCPLA (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[1][2]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[1][2][5]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[3][6][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[7][8][12][13]10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[14][15][16][17]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7][8]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[18][19]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[7][8]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[9][20][21][16][22]
Typical applicationsAutomotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[1]Concept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[23]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[3][9][24]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker)[1]190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[3][6][4]
Bed temperature°C90–105 (Polymaker)[1]25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[3][6][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[6][18]
Recommended chamber temperature°C90–100 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanOff (Polymaker)[1]100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[3][19]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[25]Smooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[6][26][19]
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][27]12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[27]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[1][28]None[29][18]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[25][30]Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[6][4][19]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[30]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[6][19][31]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][28]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[18][19]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[18]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[28]Brass fine indefinitely[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[29][18]
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[32]Very low[18][19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[25]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[26][33]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[25]Any standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[18]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[29][18]
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[34][35][32]Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[4][6][36]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][6]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[6][4][33]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[37]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[37]
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[30][37]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[37]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[30]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][19]
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]35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[3][6][4][38][39]
Young's modulusMPa1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[1][2]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][6][4]
Elongation at break%4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[1][2]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[6][4][3]
Flexural strengthMPa66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[3][6][4][40]
Flexural modulusMPa2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[1][2]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[3][6][4][40]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[1]3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[6][4]
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][5]Charpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[3][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][5]17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][39]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[26][29]
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[41]81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[3][42]
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)[43]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[44][45]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[46][26]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[29]
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][5]77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[6][4][39]
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][5]55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3][6][4]
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][5]54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3][6][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[1][2][5]55–61 (DSC)[3][6][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[1]145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[23][6][4]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[35]50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[29][39]
Annealing response90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[1]Bambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[4][47]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K59.9 over -50 to 35 °C and 73.0 over -50 to 95 °C (printed XY, ASTM E831)[5]96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[48]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][6]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[30]Degrades within weeks outdoors[26][23]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[23][26]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[30]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[6][26]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[4][49]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[30]Base resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[26][49]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[30]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[49][26][4]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[30]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[49]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[50]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[50]
VOC emission rateµg/minNot documented4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[50]
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[50]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[50]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedLactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[50]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[50][28]None needed in a normal room[50]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[25]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[23][26]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[25]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[26][24]
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[26]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[25]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[6][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[29][4][19]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[51][52]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[53]
Softened or crazed byPetrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[51][52]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[53][54]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[1][55]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[56][54]

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. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  6. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Reli3D PC-ABS Filament, Black, 1000 g spool Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. SUNLU PC-ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  24. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  30. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  33. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  36. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  37. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  38. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  39. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  40. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  41. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  42. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  43. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  44. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  45. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  46. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  47. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  48. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  49. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  50. 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
  51. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  52. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  53. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  54. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  55. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  56. 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