3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-FR vs PLA

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

Flame-retardant PC (PC-FR) guidePLA (standard) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-FR comparisonsMore PLA comparisons
PC-FR vs PLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant PC (PC-FR)PCPLA (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$87.50/kg median; $54.99–$224.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 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]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (Bambu Lab) and 1.2 (Polymaker), ISO 1183[2][1]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[3][5][4]
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]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][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][10]10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[11][12][13][14]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][6][10]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[15][16]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][10][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[7][17][18][13][19]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures, transport interiors and battery housings that must meet a flammability rating[1][2]Concept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[20]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab PC FR)[2]±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[3][7][21]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–280 (Bambu Lab); 250–270 (Polymaker)[2][1]190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[3][5][4]
Bed temperature°C90–110 (Bambu Lab); 90–105 (Polymaker)[2][1]25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[3][5][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[5][15]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab); 70–100 (Polymaker)[2][1]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[2]100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[3][16]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth or textured PEI plate (Bambu Lab)[2]Smooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][22][16]
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][23]12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[23]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[1][24]None[25][15]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[26][27]Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[5][4][16]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[27]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][16][28]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][24]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[15][16]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[15]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[24]Brass fine indefinitely[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[25][15]
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[29]Very low[15][16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[26]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[22][30]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[26]Any standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[15]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[25][15]
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][31]Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[4][5][32]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.12 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][5]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[5][4][30]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[33]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[33]
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[27][33]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[33]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[27]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa60 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 67 ± 4.5 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[2][1]35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[3][5][4][34][35]
Young's modulusMPa1670 ± 40 (Bambu Lab) and 2634 ± 182 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[2][1]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][5][4]
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][36]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][4][3]
Flexural strengthMPa96.6 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][37]
Flexural modulusMPa2518 ± 53 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][37]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11.7 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker)[1]3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[5][4]
Other impact dataNotched Charpy 7.5 ± 1.6 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA)[1]Charpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[3][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) and 46 ± 4.8 (Polymaker) printed Z, ISO 527[2][1]17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][35]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[2][1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[22][25]
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[38]81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[3][39]
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[40][1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[41][42]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[43][22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[25]
Z strength as % of XY%35 (Bambu Lab) to 69 (Polymaker), printed[2][1]77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][4][35]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C110 (Polymaker) and 113 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3][5][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C107 (Polymaker) and 108 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3][5][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C115 (Polymaker) and 145 (Bambu Lab), DSC[1][2]55–61 (DSC)[3][5][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 114 (Bambu Lab, ISO 306)[2]145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[20][5][4]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[44]50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[25][35]
Annealing responseNot documentedBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[4][45]
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[38]96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[46]
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][47]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[27]Degrades within weeks outdoors[22][20]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[20][22]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[27]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[5][22]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[4][48]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[27]Base resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[22][48]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[27]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[48][22][4]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[27]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[48]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[49]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[49]
VOC emission rateµg/minNot documented4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[49]
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[49]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[49]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedLactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[49]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[49][24]None needed in a normal room[49]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[26]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[20][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[26]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[22][21]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[26]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[26]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[25][4][16]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[50]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[51]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[50]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[51][52]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[53]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[54][52]

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 PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  21. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. 3DXTech Firewire FR-PC/ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  30. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  32. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  35. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  37. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  38. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  40. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  41. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  43. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  44. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  45. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  46. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  47. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  48. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  49. 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
  50. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  51. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  52. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  53. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  54. 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