3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PC-ESD vs PMMA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe PCPC | PMMA (acrylic)ENGINEERING |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $180.00/kg median; $180.00–$180.00/kg across 1 dated product listings | $49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polycarbonate compounded with a conductive filler for static-dissipative parts[1] | Poly(methyl methacrylate) — acrylic, sold for 3D printing as a transparent glass substitute[2] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.24 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech); Stratasys specific gravity 1.195 (ASTM D792)[1][3] | Not documented |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 180[4] | 1 kg spools cluster near 50[5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 180 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in this group[4] | 50 at Push Plastic's 1 kg listing; 3 kg spools run the same per kilogram[5] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[4] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[5] |
| Typical applications | Electronics fixtures and trays that need PC heat resistance and static dissipation together[1] | Transparent covers and light guides where PC's yellowing or cost rules it out[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[6][7] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[8] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Severe — heated chamber needed[6][7] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[8][9] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[9] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[6] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Not documented |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1] | Not documented |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry[10] | Not documented |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[8] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[8] | 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[11][12][10] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13] | 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[9][13] | Not documented |
| Storage requirement | Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[9] | 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][14][3] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2300 (printed XY, ISO 527); Stratasys prints 1960 in XZ and 1810-1910 in ZX (ASTM D638)[1][3] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 6 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 14 for the unfilled grade[1][14] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2310 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not documented |
| 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[15] | Not documented |
| 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[16][3] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 143 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 142 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426)[1][3] | Not documented |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[12] | 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[15] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[9] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[9] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[9] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[9] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ezPC[1][14] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[17] | 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[17] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[17][6] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[8] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[8] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[8] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[8] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[18] | Acetone, MEK, ethyl and butyl acetate, THF, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride dissolve it; the last two are laboratory reagents.[19] |
| Softened or crazed by | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[18] | Alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils and phthalate plasticisers craze it, and the threshold falls as stress rises.[19] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[20] | Dichloromethane acrylic cement (IPS Weld-On 3): 2–5 min soak, 17.2 MPa lap shear at one week. Controlled carcinogen.[20] |
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
- PMMA Filament 1.75mm 1kg — product page Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- PC-ESD — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-10 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 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
- 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
- Chemical resistance of PMMA products Mitsubishi Chemical (Acrypet) · 2026-08 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds