3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-FR vs rPETG

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

Flame-retardant PC (PC-FR) guideRecycled PETG (rPETG) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-FR comparisonsMore rPETG comparisons
PC-FR vs rPETG — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant PC (PC-FR)PCRecycled PETG (rPETG)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$87.50/kg median; $54.99–$224.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$28.99/kg median; $17.24–$39.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryFlame-retardant polycarbonate. Polymaker builds its grade on Covestro's Makrolon family and rates it UL 94 V-0[1][2]PETG regranulated from recycled polyester waste; Polymaker's Fiberon PETG-rCF08 adds 8 wt% recycled carbon fibre[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (Bambu Lab) and 1.2 (Polymaker), ISO 1183[2][1]1.27 (Prusament) and 1.30 (Fiberon PETG-rCF08), ISO 1183[3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 55–224; the two mainstream 1 kg grades are 55 and the industrial grades 120–224[2][6]1 kg spools cluster near 29[7][8][6][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg55–224 across brands; Bambu Lab and Polymaker 55, 3DXTech FR PC/ABS 120, 3DXLABS FR-PC 224[2][6][7]17–40 across brands; Filament PM RePETG 17, 3DXTech ECOMAX 26, GreenGate3D 32, Fiberon rCF08 40[7][8][6][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][6][7]Available from several mainstream brands[7][8][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][7][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 1 and 3 kg spools[6][8]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures, transport interiors and battery housings that must meet a flammability rating[1][2]Not documented
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab PC FR)[2]±0.05 (Prusament PETG Recycled), against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][10]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–280 (Bambu Lab); 250–270 (Polymaker)[2][1]250 ± 10 (Prusament); 230–255 (Spectrum)[3][4]
Bed temperature°C90–110 (Bambu Lab); 90–105 (Polymaker)[2][1]80 ± 10 (Prusament); 60–80 (Spectrum)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker 70–100 °C[2][1]Open frame is fine — Spectrum states a closed chamber is not necessary[4]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab); 70–100 (Polymaker)[2][1]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[2]50 % (Prusament); up to 100 % (Spectrum)[3][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth or textured PEI plate (Bambu Lab)[2]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[10][11]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][12]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[1][13]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14][15]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[10][11]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[15]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[11]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][13]Easy — minor profile tuning; Spectrum describes printing as similar to standard PETG[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Not documented
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 6 h pre-dry at 80 °C[16]Low — recycled PETG prints on the same hardware as virgin PETG: no special hot-end, no drybox and no hardened nozzle[17][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[14]Slightly sensitive[17]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[14]No special hot-end required[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.12 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab), half that of unfilled Bambu Lab PC[2][19]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — recycled PETG shares the virgin matrix, which reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[10]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.12 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]0.07 after 24 h and 0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]
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[15][20]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[20]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[15]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[20][11]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa60 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 67 ± 4.5 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[2][1]43 ± 1.8 printed horizontal at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament), against 47 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 52 at yield on moulded specimens[3][10][4]
Young's modulusMPa1670 ± 40 (Bambu Lab) and 2634 ± 182 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[2][1]1500 printed horizontal, 1600 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 527-1) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[3][10]
Elongation at break%2.4 ± 0.3 (Bambu Lab) and 3.49 ± 0.7 (Polymaker) at break, printed XY, ISO 527 — the retardant roughly halves unfilled PC's elongation[2][1][21]4.5 at yield printed (Prusament); Spectrum quotes 400 at break on moulded specimens[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa96.6 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]63 ± 1 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament), against 66 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][10]
Flexural modulusMPa2518 ± 53 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]1800 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11.7 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker)[1]12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 15 ± 3 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[3]
Other impact dataNotched Charpy 7.5 ± 1.6 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA)[1]Charpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) and 46 ± 4.8 (Polymaker) printed Z, ISO 527[2][1]15 ± 5 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test), against 18 ± 4 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][10]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[2][1]Moderate[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 flame-retardant filament[22]74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[3][10]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Moulded unfilled PC sustained 41 MPa tensile creep at room temperature without breaking, but the retardant package drops the glass transition to 115 °C in Polymaker's grade, so the unfilled rating is not carried over in full[23][1]Below average — no recycled-grade creep test; virgin PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[24][25][26][27]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedModerate — no recycled-grade S-N curve; virgin printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[28]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Z strength as % of XY%35 (Bambu Lab) to 69 (Polymaker), printed[2][1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C110 (Polymaker) and 113 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 70[3][10][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C107 (Polymaker) and 108 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]68 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C115 (Polymaker) and 145 (Bambu Lab), DSC[1][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 114 (Bambu Lab, ISO 306)[2]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[29]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 flame-retardant grade[22]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 (Polymaker PolyMax PC-FR); 3DXTech rates its FR PC/ABS V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin[1][30]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[31]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[15]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[15]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[11]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[15]Not certified for food contact as filament[11]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]Not biodegradable[11]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[15]The feedstock itself — Spectrum describes collecting, shredding and re-homogenising PETG waste[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[32]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[32]
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[32]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[32][13]Open a window / occasional ventilation[32]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[14]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[17]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[14]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[17]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[14]No practical vapour smoothing[17]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[14]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[17]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[33]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[34][35]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[33]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[34]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[36]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[35]

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. PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Prusament PETG Recycled Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Spectrum r-PETG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Fiberon PETG-rCF08 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. GreenGate3D Recycled PET-G — product data GreenGate3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Filament PM RePETG technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  10. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  11. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. 3DXTech Firewire FR-PC/ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  24. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  29. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  30. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  32. 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
  33. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  34. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  36. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds