3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-GF vs rPLA

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

Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-GF comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
PC-GF vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PCRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[1]PLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[2][3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[1]1.24 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 71[5]1 kg spools run 20–22[6][7][8]
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]16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[9][10]
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][11][12]Available from several mainstream brands[3][4][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, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[13][9][3]
Typical applicationsFunctional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[1]General-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mm+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[1]±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[3][2][14]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[2][4]
Bed temperature°C80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[2][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[15][16]Open frame is fine[2][17]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 %[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPerforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone — brim not generally needed[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[18]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedBeginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2][17]
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[19][17]
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[20][21]Very low[17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[22]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[18]
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 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[2][14]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[1]0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[2]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[23]
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][23]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[23]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[25][18]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[2][14]
Young's modulusMPa5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[2][14]
Elongation at break%2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[2][14]
Flexural strengthMPa113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[2][14]
Flexural modulusMPa5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[2][14]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[2][14]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[2][14]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[22][19]
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[26]80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[2][14]
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[27][1]Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[28][29]
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 (R = 0.2)[30][22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[19]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[2][14]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[2][14]
Glass transition (Tg)°C145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[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]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[31]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[25][32]
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[22][33]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[32][22]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[1]Good — insoluble in water[25]
Food contactNot documentedFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[4][22]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[4]
RecyclabilityNot documentedThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[4][10]
Electrical & ESD propertiesElectrically insulating (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[34]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[34]
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[34]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[34][16]None needed in a normal room[34]
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 documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[33][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[3]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]
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]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[35]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[36]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[35]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[36][37]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[38]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[39][37]

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 PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  3. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  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. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  28. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  31. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  32. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  34. 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
  35. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  36. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  37. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  39. 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