3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-GF vs PLA Glow

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

Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guideGlow-in-the-dark PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-GF comparisonsMore PLA Glow comparisons
PC-GF vs PLA Glow — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PCGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[1]PLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[2]
Densityg/cm³1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[1]1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 71[5]1 kg spools cluster near 25[6][7]
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[5][1]20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[8][6][7][9]
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[5][1][10][11]Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][7][8]
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 and 1 kg spools[10][4]
Typical applicationsFunctional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[1]Signage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[3][12][4]
Bed temperature°C80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[13][14]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[3][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPerforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedEasy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[12][7]
Extruder requirementOwens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[1]Bambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[12]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[1]Hardened steel required[12][7][4]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[1]Highly abrasive — the phosphor is a hard ceramic; Bambu Lab groups glow with carbon fibre as the materials that wear nozzles and grind AMS PTFE, and both Bambu Lab and Polymaker require a hardened nozzle[12][4]
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[15][16]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[12]
Hotend requirementNot documentedHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[17][12]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[12][4]
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 — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[1]0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
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[18][19]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[19]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[3][4]
Elongation at break%2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[3][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[3][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[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[20]Not documented
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[21][1]Poor — no glow-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22][23][24]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the glow filler leaves a brittle, highly abrasive compound[25][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[1]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[1]55 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[1]155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[3][4]
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]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
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]Degrades within weeks outdoors[26]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[1]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesElectrically insulating (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[27]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[27]
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[27]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27][14]None needed in a normal room[27]
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
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
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]Glow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[12]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[28]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[29]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[28]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[29][30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[31]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[32][30]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  5. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  22. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 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
  28. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  29. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  30. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  32. 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