3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PC vs PE
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Polycarbonate (PC)PC | Polyethylene (PE)POLYOLEFIN |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $39.99/kg median; $29.99–$92.00/kg across 9 dated product listings | $87.72/kg median; $87.72–$87.72/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic[1][2] | Polyethylene — the simplest polyolefin, non-polar and highly crystalline. The one retailed filament grade, Spectrum HDPE, uses what Spectrum calls Low Warp technology and is denser and stiffer than plain HDPE[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.19 (Polymaker) to 1.22 (Prusament), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.20; Stratasys specific gravity 1.20 (ASTM D792)[1][5][6][7] | 1.10 (Spectrum HDPE filament, ISO 1183) against 0.95 for extruded HDPE stock — the filament is a modified formulation[3][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 40[6][8][9] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 88[10] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 30–92 across brands; Polymaker PolyLite 30, Bambu Lab 40, Polymaker PolyMax 52, Prusament 59, 3DXTech ezPC 64 and 3DXMAX PC 92[8][6][9][11] | 87.72 — Spectrum's 500 g spools at 3DJAKE are the only PE filament listing found[10] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[6][8][11][9] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Spectrum HDPE in six colours is the only PE filament in the 3DJAKE and igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid, but it is a normal stocked item rather than a special order[12][13][9][10] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1 and 3 kg spools[8][11][9] | 1.75 mm; 500 g spools in six colours[10][12] |
| Typical applications | Light guides, lenses, under-bonnet automotive parts and impact-loaded housings that must hold shape above 110 °C[2][1] | Chemically resistant containers, packaging prototypes and consumer goods where HDPE is the production material[3] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | ±0.03 (Prusament PC Blend)[5] | Not documented |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 250–280 across brands; Prusament 275 ± 10, Bambu Lab 260–280, Polymaker 250–270. Polymaker's material guide gives a wider 260–310 for PC and its composites[5][6][1][2] | 240-290 (Spectrum HDPE)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 90–115; Prusament 110 ± 10, Bambu Lab 90–110, Polymaker 90–105[5][6][1] | 80-100 (Spectrum HDPE)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 70–100 °C chamber, Bambu Lab 45–60 °C and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[1][6][14] | Enclosure recommended — Spectrum recommends a closed chamber for larger prints[3] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 70–100 (Polymaker); 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1][6] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | Off or very low — Polymaker specifies off, Prusament 20 % within a 0–30 % range, Bambu Lab 0–60 %[1][5][6] | 0-50 % part cooling (Spectrum HDPE)[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Textured PEI with glue when needed (Polymaker); smooth or textured PEI (Bambu Lab)[1][15] | Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary for its low-warp HDPE, depending on geometry[3] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker allows 50–200 mm/s and its material guide advises 30–60 for layer adhesion[6][1][2][16] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Severe — heated chamber needed[1][2][14] | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield. Spectrum's low-warp grade is sold as printable on desktop machines, which is not true of plain polyethylene[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[1][14] | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive; Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary but recommends a closed chamber for large parts[3] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[2] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][14] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; Spectrum sells the grade as desktop-printable with no dry box and no hardened nozzle[3] |
| Extruder requirement | All-metal hotend rated to 300 °C; Polymaker advises larger nozzles and high chamber temperatures to improve bonding[2] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[14] | Brass fine indefinitely — Spectrum states a ruby or hardened nozzle is not required[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[1] | Non-abrasive[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[2] | Low — Spectrum lists no drybox and no ruby or hardened nozzle for HDPE, and very low moisture absorption[3] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[17] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D); Polymaker advises a hot end rated above 300 °C[17][2] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Low — 0.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.15 % after 7 days at 22 % RH. Polymaker nonetheless calls PC highly hygroscopic in service[6][5][2] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no dry box[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.15 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[6][5] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker); 70–80 °C for 6–8 h (Polymaker material guide)[6][1][2] | No drying step published; Spectrum lists a dry box as not required[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[18] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No 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[2][18] | Not applicable in practice — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no drybox requirement for HDPE[3] |
| Storage requirement | Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[2] | Store dry at 18-25 °C out of sunlight; Spectrum quotes a 24-month shelf life[3] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 53.4 (PolyMax) to 69.1 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 62 +/- 2 and Prusament 63 +/- 1 at yield; Stratasys 62.3-64.6 at yield printed XZ, ASTM D638 (its PC White table duplicates the Antero 840CN03 figures and was not used)[1][19][6][5][20][7] | 29 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527; specimen type not stated) against 25.5 at yield on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 3700 psi)[3][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2110 (Bambu Lab) to 2497 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1900, 3DXTech 2180[6][1][5][20] | 3500 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against 965 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 140,000 psi) — the filament grade is nearly four times stiffer than plain polyethylene[3][4] |
| Elongation at break% | 3.8 (Bambu Lab) to 4.8 (PolyLite) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 14 at break, Prusament 5.8 at yield[6][1][20][5] | 18 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against above 100 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 81.3 (PolyMax) to 108 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 88 ± 1, PolyLite 106.1[19][6][5][1] | 27.6 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4000 psi)[4] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2050 (PolyMax) to 2640 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2100[19][1][5] | 3200 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 178) against 965 on extruded stock (ASTM D790, from 140,000 psi)[3][4] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 4.1 (PolyLite) to 21.3 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1[1][19][5] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's pendulum in either orientation (ISO 179-1); PolyMax PC retains 9.2 kJ/m2 notched at -30 °C. Stratasys PC Black gives 85.3 MPa flexural strength at break in ZX against no break in XZ (ASTM D790, printed)[5][19][7] | Charpy 10 kJ/m2 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 179-1; notch condition not stated); Izod 104 J/m on extruded stock, converted from 1.94 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[3][4] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 37.1-45.3 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ASTM D638); 41.4 (PolyMax) to 56 (Bambu Lab) printed Z; Prusa's interlayer adhesion test gives 21 +/- 2[5][19][6][7] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2][5] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; 18 % elongation at break on the filament and above 100 % on extruded stock[3][4] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Shore D 79 (Prusa Polymers method) and Shore D 79 on extruded PC stock (ASTM D2240); Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales[5][21] | Shore D 67 and Rockwell R54 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D2240, D785); Spectrum quotes Rockwell 80 HRM for its filament (ISO 2039-2)[4][3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC was still running unbroken at 41 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window only at 47-52 MPa (ASTM D638)[22] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good[5][2] | Good — Spectrum lists outstanding abrasion and crack resistance for its HDPE, but no repeated-flex or fatigue test data was found for any PE filament[3] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Slightly flexible in thin sections — Spectrum's low-warp grade has a 3.5 GPa tensile modulus; plain extruded HDPE at 965 MPa is genuinely semi-flexible[3][4] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 59-73 (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); 76 for PolyLite PC and 90 for Bambu Lab (printed Z against XY tensile)[6][1][7] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 110 (PolyMax PC-FR) to 114 (PolyMax PC), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 112, PolyLite 111, Prusament 113. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 144 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi)[19][1][6][5][7] | 75 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 167 °F)[4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 93 (Prusament) to 117 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite 107, PolyMax 99. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 141 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi)[5][6][1][19][7] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 113 (Polymaker, DSC), 142.5 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426 inflection point) and 145 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Polymaker's material guide quotes 150[1][6][2][7] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 117–120 (Polymaker, ISO 306); decomposition above 360 °C[1][19] | Not documented |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend; extruded PC stock is rated 121 long term (converted from 250 °F)[5][21] | 110 stated as heat resistance by Spectrum with no test standard given; extruded stock is rated 120 long-term maximum (converted from 248 °F) and brittle below -76[3][4] |
| Annealing response | 90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[1] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 51.6 in XY over -50 to 30 °C, falling to 35.8 over 30-75 °C and 11.5 over 75-130 °C; 49.2 in XZ over -50 to 120 °C (printed, ASTM E831). Extruded PC stock gives 68.4 (ASTM D696)[7][21] | 117 (extruded HDPE stock, ASTM D696; source states 6.5e-5 in/in/°F)[4] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating on standard PC, though V-0 grades exist[23][1] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Degrades within weeks outdoors — unstabilised PC yellows and embrittles under UV[2] | Moderate — a season or two. Spectrum describes its HDPE as UV-stable and weather-resistant but publishes no exposure data[3] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[2] | Excellent chemical resistance to acids, bases, oils and solvents (Spectrum); Ensinger lists broad chemical compatibility for HDPE stock[3][4] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Good — minor absorption[6] | Excellent — essentially unaffected; Ensinger lists low moisture absorption for HDPE stock and Spectrum very low absorption for the filament[3][4] |
| Food contact | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[2] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[2] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[2] | Spectrum states the filament is fully recyclable; HDPE is resin code 2[3] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an electrical insulator, which Polymaker lists as a headline advantage[20][2] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24] | Not documented |
| 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[24] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24][14] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[17] | Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of HDPE stock[4] |
| Painting & finishing | Optical clarity survives printing, so transparent parts are usually left unpainted[2] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[17] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[17] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[17] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Warping is the dominant accuracy limit; light transmission 89 % on PolyLite PC (GB/T 2410)[1][2] | Spectrum lists a shiny surface finish and no adhesive requirement; shrinkage remains the limit on large flat parts[3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[25] | None at room temperature; xylene dissolves HDPE at about 105 °C and LDPE at 75 °C. Hot decalin does the same.[26][27] |
| Softened or crazed by | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[25] | Toluene, xylene, styrene, chloroform, dichloromethane, MEK and trichloroethylene are all unsatisfactory at 21 °C.[27] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[28] | None — polyethylene has no room-temperature solvent, so joints are made by heat welding.[27][26] |
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
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Spectrum HDPE Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2025-10 · tds
- TECAFINE HDPE natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PC (Polycarbonate) — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- Spectrum HDPE Traffic Black, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMax PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
- PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- 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
- Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
- US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
- HDPE Chemical Resistance Guide (21 °C and 60 °C) INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA · 2026-08 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds