3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ABS vs PPSU

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

PC/ABS blend guidePPSU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ABS comparisonsMore PPSU comparisons
PC-ABS vs PPSU — documented properties and sources
PropertyPC/ABS blendPCPPSUHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$337.40/kg median; $223.00–$732.56/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[1][2]Polyphenylsulfone — an amorphous high-temperature sulfone polymer[3]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[1][2][4]1.28 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech; ASTM D792, Stratasys PPSF)[3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 223–733; the middle of the market is about 425[7][8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[6][7][11][12]223-733 across brands; IEMAI 3D 223 at 1 kg, 3DXTech ThermaX PPSU 250 at 500 g, 3D4Makers 425 at 750 g, Kimya PPSU-S 733 at 500 g[7][8][9][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 750 g spools[7][8][9]
Typical applicationsAutomotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[1]Steam-sterilisable medical and dental tooling, and aircraft interior parts[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C90–105 (Polymaker)[1]130–150 (3DXTech)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[1]Actively heated chamber required[13][14]
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[15]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][16]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[1][17]Severe — heated chamber needed[13]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[15][18]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[18]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][17]Expert / industrial hardware only[13][14]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[17]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[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[19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[15]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[15]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[21][22][19]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.37 in 24 h and 1.1 at saturation on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[23]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[24]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[18][24]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[20]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[18]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]55 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) and 55 (printed on side long edge, ASTM D638, Stratasys PPSF); 79 at yield on extruded stock[3][5][23]
Young's modulusMPa1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[1][2]2100 (printed, ASTM D638, Stratasys PPSF) and 2310 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 2344 on extruded stock[3][5][23]
Elongation at break%4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[1][2]3 (printed, ISO 527 and ASTM D638) against 60 on extruded stock — printing costs PPSU almost all of its ductility[3][5][23]
Flexural strengthMPa66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]110 (printed, ISO 178 and ASTM D790, 3DXTech and Stratasys PPSF agree); 91 on extruded stock[3][5][23]
Flexural modulusMPa2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[1][2]2200 (printed, ASTM D790, Stratasys PPSF) and 2215 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech)[3][5]
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][4]Izod notched 58.7 J/m and unnotched 165.5 J/m (printed, ASTM D256 Method A, Stratasys PPSF); 160 J/m notched on extruded stock[5][23]
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]Not documented
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[25]Rockwell M86 on printed PPSF (ASTM D785, Stratasys); M96 on extruded PPSU stock (and an unlabelled 123)[5][23]
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)[26]Good. Printed PPSF holds 189 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa (ASTM D648) and extruded stock is rated 149 °C long-term service, but Ensinger does not claim the creep resistance it claims for PSU and PPS[5][23]
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]Not documented
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]190 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech)[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]189 (printed, ASTM D648 at 264 psi, Stratasys PPSF); 207 on extruded stock, converted from 405 °F[5][23]
Glass transition (Tg)°C109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[1][2][4]230 (DSC) — the highest glass transition in the dataset[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[22]149 long-term service on extruded PPSU stock, converted from 300 °F[23]
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)[4]55.0 (printed PPSF, ASTM D696; source states 5.5e-5 mm/mm/°C) and 55.8 on extruded stock (ASTM D696, from 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[5][23]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[18]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[18]Withstands repeated steam autoclaving, the usual reason to choose PPSU over PSU; Stratasys also lists PPSF as passing 24 h stress-crack exposure to antifreeze, petrol, motor oil, power-steering, transmission and washer fluid at 23 °C and 100 °C[3][5]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[18]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[18]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[18]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedVolume resistivity 5e13 to 1.5e14 ohm-cm and dielectric strength 80-290 V/mil on printed PPSF (ASTM D257, D149)[5]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[27]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[27]
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[27]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27][17]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[15]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[15]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[15]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[28][29]Dichloromethane dissolves it at 23 °C at every stress level; acetone solvates and softens unstressed PPSU (Solvay ESCR).[30]
Softened or crazed byPetrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[28][29]MEK ruptures stressed parts and toluene crazes them above 13.8 MPa; glass-filled grades survive where unfilled craze.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[1][31]Dichloromethane cements PPSU and NMP softens residual resin; both are laboratory reagents, not workshop stock.[30]

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. ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  5. PPSF (polyphenylsulfone) — FDM Data Sheet Stratasys · 2018-06 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Kimya PPSU-S Natural 1.75 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI 3D PPSU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 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. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  14. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. THERMAX PPSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  23. TECASON P black (PPSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  27. 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
  28. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  29. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds