3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PC-ESD vs PC-GF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe PCPC | Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PC |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $180.00/kg median; $180.00–$180.00/kg across 1 dated product listings | $71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polycarbonate compounded with a conductive filler for static-dissipative parts[1] | Polycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[2] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.24 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech); Stratasys specific gravity 1.195 (ASTM D792)[1][3] | 1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[2] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 180[4] | 1 kg spools cluster near 71[5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 180 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in this group[4] | 71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[5][2] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — neither Polymaker's nor 3DXTech's polycarbonate range contains a glass-fibre grade, but BASF Forward AM and Owens Corning both sell one through European retail[5][2][6][4] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[4] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[2] |
| Typical applications | Electronics fixtures and trays that need PC heat resistance and static dissipation together[1] | Functional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[2] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | +/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[7][8] | Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[8][7] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[9] | Perforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[2] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Severe — heated chamber needed[7][8] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9][10] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[10] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[7] | Not documented |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | Owens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[2] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1] | Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry[11] | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and Prusa lists glass-filled composites as a higher clogging risk[12][9] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[9] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[9] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry[13][14][11] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[2] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[2] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No 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[10][15] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[10][15] |
| Storage requirement | Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[10] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 68 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) — above the 58 of 3DXTech's unfilled ezPC; Stratasys prints 47.6-49.4 at yield in XZ (ASTM D638)[1][16][3] | 65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[2] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2300 (printed XY, ISO 527); Stratasys prints 1960 in XZ and 1810-1910 in ZX (ASTM D638)[1][3] | 5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | 6 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 14 for the unfilled grade[1][16] | 2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[2] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 95 (printed XY, ISO 178); Stratasys prints 82.6-83.2 at break in XZ against 46.3-49.5 in ZX (ASTM D790)[1][3] | 113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2310 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[2] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 32.5-37.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the Fortus 450mc and F900)[3] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell 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 an ESD grade[17] | Rockwell 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 glass-fibre grade[17] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Excellent — holds load for years. Moulded unfilled PC was still running unbroken under 41 MPa tensile creep at room temperature when the test was stopped, and the conductive filler leaves the glass transition unchanged at 142 °C, so the creep mechanism is polycarbonate's[18][3] | Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped, and 30 wt% glass raises the tensile modulus from about 2.3 to 5.4 GPa[18][2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 68-77 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638)[3] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 143-146 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi); 135 moulded[3] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 140-144 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); 124 moulded[3] | 137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[2] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 143 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 142 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426)[1][3] | 145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[2] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[2] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[14] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 68.4 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D696; source states 3.8e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a conductive-filled grade[17] | 26.2 in XY and 77.4 in Z (printed, ISO 11359-2) — a threefold anisotropy, and the lowest in-plane expansion of any polycarbonate here[2] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Good — years with some colour shift. Owens Corning lists UV resistance as a product benefit but publishes no exposure data[2] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[10] | Not documented |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[2] |
| Food contact | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[10] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[10] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[10] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ezPC[1][16] | Electrically insulating (Owens Corning)[2] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19] |
| 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[19] | ≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[19] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19][7] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19][7] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Owens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[2] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[9] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[9] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[9] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[9] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | High dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[2] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[20] | Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[20] |
| Softened or crazed by | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[20] | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[20] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[21] | Dichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[21] |
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
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PC Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · tds
- PC-ESD — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-10 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PC — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
- 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
- Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds