3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ABS vs POM

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

PC/ABS blend guidePOM (acetal) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ABS comparisonsMore POM comparisons
PC-ABS vs POM — documented properties and sources
PropertyPC/ABS blendPCPOM (acetal)ENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listingsNot documented
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[1][2]Polyoxymethylene, normally the copolymer POM-C. Apium's filament grade is POM-C with antistatic additives; no unfilled POM filament was found on sale[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[1][2][5]1.41 (extruded POM-C stock)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[6][7]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[6][7][8][9]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Special order, 1-2 makers worldwide — Apium sells a POM-C ESD filament through its own shop and states its printers are the only ones able to process POM-C; no POM filament appears in the 3DJAKE or igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid[4][10][11][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[6][7]Not documented
Typical applicationsAutomotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[1]Gears, bushings, bearings, conveyor and food-machinery parts; Apium markets its POM-C ESD grade for semiconductor insulators, aerospace fasteners and sliding parts[3][4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C90–105 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[1]Not documented
Recommended chamber temperature°C90–100 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanOff (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
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
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][15]Not documented
Extruder requirementNot documentedApium states that the adaptive heating system on its industrial machines is what makes POM-C printable, and that no other 3D printer can process it[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[15]Not documented
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[13]Not documented
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[18][19][17]Low (0.1-0.3 %) — extruded POM-C stock takes up 0.18 % in 24 h and 0.80 % at saturation (ASTM D570)[3]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]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][20]Not documented
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]66.9 at break and 64.1 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 9700 and 9300 psi)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[1][2]2275 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 330,000 psi)[3]
Elongation at break%4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[1][2]40 at break and 9 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]89.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 13,000 psi)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[1][2]2758 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 400,000 psi)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[1]Not documented
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]Izod 53 J/m on extruded POM-C stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in[3]
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]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; extruded stock elongates 40 % before failing. No printed figure is published[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[21]Rockwell 86 (and R120) — the source names only the R scale on extruded POM-C stock (ASTM D785)[3]
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)[22]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedWear factor 65e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) and a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.21 at 40 psi and 50 fpm (ASTM D3702, extruded stock) — the properties that make acetal the default gear and bushing plastic; Apium lists good sliding properties as the reason for its grade[3][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][5]158 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 316 °F)[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][5]110 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 230 °F)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[1][2][5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[1]165 melting (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 329 °F)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[19]91 long term and 141 intermittent (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 195 °F and 285 °F)[3]
Annealing response90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
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]84.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.7e-5 in/in/°F)[3]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 HB on extruded POM-C stock[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[16]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[16]Good chemical resistance, particularly to bases; Apium lists resistance to bases as a headline property[3][4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — minor absorption; 0.80 % water at saturation (ASTM D570, extruded stock)[3]
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
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedVolume resistance 1e14 ohm-cm, dielectric strength 500 V/mil and dielectric constant 3.7 at 60 Hz on extruded stock (ASTM D257, D149, D150); Apium's filament grade adds antistatic agents[3][4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[23]Not documented
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[23]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[23][15]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[13]Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of POM-C stock[3]
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
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[24][25]Hexafluoroisopropanol dissolves it at room temperature; NMP and DMF only when hot. Laboratory reagents.[26]
Softened or crazed byPetrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[24][25]Acids, oxidants, halogens and hot concentrated zinc chloride attack it; alcohols, ketones and esters do not.[26][25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[1][27]None — no solvent softens POM below its melting point, which is why it is bolted or heat-welded rather than glued.[26]

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. TECAFORM AH natural (POM-C) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  4. POM-C ESD 3D printing — material page Apium 3D Technologies · 2026-08 · doc
  5. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Reli3D PC-ABS Filament, Black, 1000 g spool Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. SUNLU PC-ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  23. 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
  24. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  25. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  27. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds