3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ESD vs PVB

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

ESD-safe PC guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ESD comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PC-ESD vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe PCPCPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$180.00/kg median; $180.00–$180.00/kg across 1 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate compounded with a conductive filler for static-dissipative parts[1]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[2]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech); Stratasys specific gravity 1.195 (ASTM D792)[1][3]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[2][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 180[5]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg180 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in this group[5]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[6][7]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[5]Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[6][7]
Typical applicationsElectronics fixtures and trays that need PC heat resistance and static dissipation together[1]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[2]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed temperature°CNot documented75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[8][9]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[10]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[8][9]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10][11]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[11]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[8]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Non-abrasive[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry[12]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[13][14]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[10]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[10]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 pre-dry[15][16][12]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[2][17][4]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedMaximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[14]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[11][14]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[2][14]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[11]Sealed with desiccant[14]
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][18][3]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[2][17][4]
Young's modulusMPa2300 (printed XY, ISO 527); Stratasys prints 1960 in XZ and 1810-1910 in ZX (ASTM D638)[1][3]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[2][4]
Elongation at break%6 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 14 for the unfilled grade[1][18]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[17]
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][3]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2310 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[17][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32.5-37.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the Fortus 450mc and F900)[3]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[17][4]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Moderate[2]
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[19]Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
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[20][3]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%68-77 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638)[3]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4]
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[3]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[2][17][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C140-144 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); 124 moulded[3]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[2][17][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 142 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426)[1][3]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[2][17]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[2][17]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[16]Not documented
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[19]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[11]Not documented
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[11]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[11]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[11]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ezPC[1][18]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[21]
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[21]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[21][8]Open a window / occasional ventilation[21]
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[10]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[10]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[10]Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[2]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[10]PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[22]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[17]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[23]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[13]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[23]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[24]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[25][13]

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. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. PC-ESD — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-10 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  10. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. 3DXSTAT ESD-PC — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  16. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  17. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  19. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  21. 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
  22. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  24. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  25. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc