3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ESD vs PLA+

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

ESD-safe PC guidePLA+ / Tough PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ESD comparisonsMore PLA+ comparisons
PC-ESD vs PLA+ — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe PCPCPLA+ / Tough PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$180.00/kg median; $180.00–$180.00/kg across 1 dated product listings$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate compounded with a conductive filler for static-dissipative parts[1]PLA compounded with impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech); Stratasys specific gravity 1.195 (ASTM D792)[1][4]1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 180[5]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 16[6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg180 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in this group[5]10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[8][7][9][10][11]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][6][7][9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[9][10][8]
Typical applicationsElectronics fixtures and trays that need PC heat resistance and static dissipation together[1]Functional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[2][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[12]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[2][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[13][14]Open frame is fine[2][3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[2][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[15]Textured or smooth PEI; Bambu Lab recommends glue stick or liquid glue for Tough+[2][3]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[13][14]None[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[15][16]Sticks to anything[17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[16]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[2][17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[13]Easy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[2][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Non-abrasive[19][18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry[20]Very low[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[15]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[21]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[15]No special hot-end required[17]
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 pre-dry[22][23][20]Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[2][3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[24]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[24]
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][24]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for the modified grades; the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a strength number[24]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[16]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[3][17]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa68 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][25][4]35–43 (printed XY, ISO 527); 53 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars for Bambu Lab Tough[2][3][26][27]
Young's modulusMPa2300 (printed XY, ISO 527); Stratasys prints 1960 in XZ and 1810-1910 in ZX (ASTM D638)[1][4]1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[2][3][28][29]
Elongation at break%6 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 14 for the unfilled grade[1][25]5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa95 (printed XY, ISO 178); Stratasys prints 82.6-83.2 at break in XZ against 46.3-49.5 in ZX (ASTM D790)[1][4]62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[2][3][30][29]
Flexural modulusMPa2310 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2140–2393 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented38.9–72.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched) — 5–9× plain PLA[2][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 80.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab Tough+); CNC Kitchen measured ~20 vs 5 kJ/m² for PolyLite PLA[3][26]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32.5-37.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the Fortus 450mc and F900)[4]20.9–32.4 printed Z (ISO 527); 33.0 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars vs 27.6 for PLA Basic[2][3][27]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2][3][26]
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 an ESD grade[31]78.8 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[32]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — 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[33][4]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 20.2 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, the same as plain PLA[27][34]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedBelow average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[35][3][26]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%68-77 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638)[4]60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[2][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C143-146 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi); 135 moulded[4]55 (PolyMax) to 61 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C140-144 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); 124 moulded[4]52 (PolyMax) to 58 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 142 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426)[1][4]61 (DSC)[2][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented149–151 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 62 (ISO 306)[2][3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[23]48–57 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature: 48 for Polymaker PLA Pro, 50 for Sunlu PLA+, 52 for Bambu Lab Tough, 57 for PolyTerra PLA+[27][36][32][34]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K68.4 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D696; source states 3.8e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a conductive-filled grade[31]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[37]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[3][2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[21][38]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[16]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2][3]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[16]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[21]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[16]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[39][21]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[39]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ezPC[1][25]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[40]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[40]
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[40]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[40][13]None needed in a normal room[40]
Dust & fibre handling hazardConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[15]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[38][21]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[15]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[21][41]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[15]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[21]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[15]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[42]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[43]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[42]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[43][44]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[45]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[46][44]

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. 3DXSTAT ESD-PC Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. PolyMax PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Tough+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PC-ESD — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-10 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  15. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  20. 3DXSTAT ESD-PC — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  26. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  27. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  29. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  34. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  36. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  38. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  39. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  40. 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
  41. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  42. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  43. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  44. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  45. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  46. 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