3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-FR vs PVA

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

Flame-retardant PC (PC-FR) guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-FR comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
PC-FR vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant PC (PC-FR)PCPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$87.50/kg median; $54.99–$224.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 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]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (Bambu Lab) and 1.2 (Polymaker), ISO 1183[2][1]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3][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][5]1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[6][5][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg55–224 across brands; Bambu Lab and Polymaker 55, 3DXTech FR PC/ABS 120, 3DXLABS FR-PC 224[2][5][6]42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[6][5][7][9][8]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][5][6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][5][7][9][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][6][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[6][5]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures, transport interiors and battery housings that must meet a flammability rating[1][2]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab PC FR)[2]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–280 (Bambu Lab); 250–270 (Polymaker)[2][1]215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Bed temperature°C90–110 (Bambu Lab); 90–105 (Polymaker)[2][1]25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[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[4]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab); 70–100 (Polymaker)[2][1]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[2]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[10]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth or textured PEI plate (Bambu Lab)[2]PEI sheet or painter's tape[10]
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][11]4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[1][12]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13][14]Sticks to most surfaces[10]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[14]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[10]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][12]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[15][4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[12]Brass fine indefinitely[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[4]
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]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[10]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[13]No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[10]
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][17]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.12 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[15]
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[14][15]Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[15]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[14]Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[15][4]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa60 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 67 ± 4.5 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[2][1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1670 ± 40 (Bambu Lab) and 2634 ± 182 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[2][1]Not documented
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][18]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa96.6 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2518 ± 53 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11.7 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataNotched Charpy 7.5 ± 1.6 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) and 46 ± 4.8 (Polymaker) printed Z, ISO 527[2][1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[2][1]Not documented
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[19]Not documented
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[20][1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — fails after a few cycles[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%35 (Bambu Lab) to 69 (Polymaker), printed[2][1]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C110 (Polymaker) and 113 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C107 (Polymaker) and 108 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C115 (Polymaker) and 145 (Bambu Lab), DSC[1][2]60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[3]
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[21]Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[3]
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[19]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][22]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[14]Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[4]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[14]Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[4][10]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedDissolves or disintegrates — by design[4][3]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[14]Not offered as a food-contact material[3]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[14]PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[10]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[14]Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[10]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[23]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[23]
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[23]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[23][12]Open a window / occasional ventilation[23]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[13]Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[10]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[13]Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[10]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[13]Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[4]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[13]This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[24]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[25][26]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[24]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[28]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[25]

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. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. 3DXTech Firewire FR-PC/ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  18. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  22. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  23. 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
  24. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  25. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  26. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  27. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds