3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-GF vs PETG

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

Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guidePETG guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-GF comparisonsMore PETG comparisons
PC-GF vs PETG — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PCPETGPETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[1]Polyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[1]1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[2][3][4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 71[6]1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[6][1]12–70 across brands; IEMAI 12, ELEGOO 14, CHCKX 14, Bambu Lab 18–20, Hatchbox 26, Prusament 38, Prusament PETG V0 70[7][8][10][9][11][12]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands — neither Polymaker's nor 3DXTech's polycarbonate range contains a glass-fibre grade, but BASF Forward AM and Owens Corning both sell one through European retail[6][1][8][13]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[7][8][14][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[8][9]
Typical applicationsFunctional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[1]Functional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[2][3]
Diameter tolerance± mm+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[1]±0.02 (Prusament)[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]230–260 across brands; Prusament 250 ± 10, Polymaker 240–260[2][3][5]
Bed temperature°C80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[2][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[15][16]Open frame is fine[5]
Part cooling fanNot documentedAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[2][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPerforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[1]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets. On smooth PEI a glue stick is used as a release agent, not an adhesive — PETG bonds to bare PEI hard enough to tear the sheet[2][5]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented8–15 (PrusaSlicer guidance); My Tech Fun ran Bambu Lab PETG Basic at 13 mm³/s[17][18]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — corner lift on large flat parts[2][5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[2]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[2][5]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedEasy — minor profile tuning[5]
Extruder requirementOwens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[1]Brass fine indefinitely[17]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[1]Non-abrasive[5]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and Prusa lists glass-filled composites as a higher clogging risk[19][20]Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[21][22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[21]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[21]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[1]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — Bambu Lab reports 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; Prusa measures only 0.07 % in 24 h and 0.10 % in 7 days at the drier 22 % RH[2][23]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[1]0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers); 0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2][23]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60–65 °C for 6–8 h[5][23]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[2]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[24][25]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic and shows a before-and-after-drying comparison; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers rather than a published dry-versus-conditioned figure[25]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[25][26]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]38–51 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 47 ± 2 at yield; 62 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[2][3][4][27]
Young's modulusMPa5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][3][4][5]
Elongation at break%2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[3][4][5][2]
Flexural strengthMPa113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[2][3][4][5]
Flexural modulusMPa5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2][3][4][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[3][4][2]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's 4 J pendulum (ISO 179-1); Izod 3.37 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars[2][27]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[2][3][27]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[1]Moderate[2][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 glass-fibre grade[28]74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method); measured on printed bars at 68.2 for Extrudr PETG, 72 for Fiberlogy PETG and 72.8 for Prusament PETG[2][27][29][30]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped, and 30 wt% glass raises the tensile modulus from about 2.3 to 5.4 GPa[31][1]Below average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 18.2 mm (Fiberlogy) and 19.4 mm (Bambu Lab Basic) over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][18]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedModerate — 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, about three times printed PLA (R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[32]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[1]65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[2][3][5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[1]71–81 (DSC)[3][4][5]
Melting point / Vicat°C270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[1]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[3][4][5]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented61–66 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across six grades from four brands; Prusa publishes 68 for Prusament PETG[27][29][30][18][33]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K26.2 in XY and 77.4 in Z (printed, ISO 11359-2) — a threefold anisotropy, and the lowest in-plane expansion of any polycarbonate here[1]65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[34]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[35][26]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Good — years with some colour shift. Owens Corning lists UV resistance as a product benefit but publishes no exposure data[1]Moderate — a season or two[2]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure — Polymaker names outdoor use as a result[26]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[1]Good — minor absorption[2]
Food contactNot documentedPET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[26]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[26]
RecyclabilityNot documentedPET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[26]
Electrical & ESD propertiesElectrically insulating (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[36]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[36]
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[36]≈5 × 10⁹ median for the PET-based T-Glase filament in the same chamber study, against ≈1 × 10⁸ for PLA[36]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[36][16]Open a window / occasional ventilation[36]
Dust & fibre handling hazardOwens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[21]
Painting & finishingNot documentedPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[2]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[21]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[2]
Support material pairingNot documentedPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[21]
Dimensional accuracy & detailHigh dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[1]Stringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[2][5]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[37]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[38][39]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[37]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[38]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[40]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[39]

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. XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · tds
  2. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  3. PolyLite PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  24. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  35. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  36. 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
  37. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  38. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  40. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds