3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PC vs PPS-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Polycarbonate (PC)PC | Fibre-reinforced PPSHIGHTEMP |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $39.99/kg median; $29.99–$92.00/kg across 9 dated product listings | $139.98/kg median; $119.98–$174.17/kg across 5 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic[1][2] | Carbon-fibre reinforced PPS — Polymaker's Fiberon grade is nominally 10 wt%[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.19 (Polymaker) to 1.22 (Prusament), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.20; Stratasys specific gravity 1.20 (ASTM D792)[1][4][5][6] | 1.29 (Fiberon PPS-CF10) and 1.36 (Fiberon PPS-GF20), ISO 1183[3][7] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 40[5][8][9] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 93–174; the middle of the market is about 140[8][10][11][12] |
| 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][5][9][13] | 93-174 across brands and formats; Polymaker Fiberon PPS-GF20 93 at 3 kg, IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 131 at 750 g, LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PPS CF 9938 164 at 2.3 kg, Bambu Lab PPS-CF 174 at 750 g[8][10][11][12] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][8][13][9] | Available from several mainstream brands[8][10][11] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1 and 3 kg spools[8][13][9] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[8] |
| Typical applications | Light guides, lenses, under-bonnet automotive parts and impact-loaded housings that must hold shape above 110 °C[2][1] | Chemical and automotive parts needing PPS chemistry with structural stiffness[3] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | ±0.03 (Prusament PC Blend)[4] | 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[4][5][1][2] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 90–115; Prusament 110 ± 10, Bambu Lab 90–110, Polymaker 90–105[4][5][1] | Not documented |
| 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][5][14] | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker states its Fiberon PPS-CF10 needs no heated chamber, unlike the unfilled sulfones and PAEKs[3] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 70–100 (Polymaker); 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1][5] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | Off or very low — Polymaker specifies off, Prusament 20 % within a 0–30 % range, Bambu Lab 0–60 %[1][4][5] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Textured PEI with glue when needed (Polymaker); smooth or textured PEI (Bambu Lab)[1][15] | Not documented |
| 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[5][1][2][16] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Severe — heated chamber needed[1][2][14] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[1][14] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[2] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][14] | Expert / industrial hardware only[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] | Hardened steel required[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[1] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[2] | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; Polymaker specifies hardened steel or ruby nozzles for carbon-filled PPS and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[17][18] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[19] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D); Polymaker advises a hot end rated above 300 °C[19][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[5][4][2] | Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.225 % equilibrium for Fiberon PPS-CF10 and 0.11 % for PPS-GF20[3][7] |
| 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)[5][4] | 0.225 equilibrium (Fiberon PPS-CF10); 0.11 (PPS-GF20)[3][7] |
| 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)[5][1][2] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[20] | 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][20] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; equilibrium uptake is 0.225 % and Polymaker specifies a 100 °C, 10 h dry[3] |
| Storage requirement | Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[2] | Not documented |
| 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][21][5][4][22][6] | 59.4 ± 1.3 (PPS-CF10) and 64.1 ± 2.1 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[3][7] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2110 (Bambu Lab) to 2497 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1900, 3DXTech 2180[5][1][4][22] | 5446.7 ± 149.0 (PPS-CF10) and 4552.0 ± 54.6 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[3][7] |
| 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[5][1][22][4] | 1.4 ± 0.1 (PPS-CF10) and 2.0 ± 0.2 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527 — the lowest elongation in the dataset[3][7] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 81.3 (PolyMax) to 108 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 88 ± 1, PolyLite 106.1[21][5][4][1] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2050 (PolyMax) to 2640 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2100[21][1][4] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 4.1 (PolyLite) to 21.3 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1[1][21][4] | 5.3 ± 0.2 printed XY for PPS-CF10 and 7.3 ± 0.2 for PPS-GF20, ISO 179 notched[3][7] |
| 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)[4][21][6] | Not documented |
| 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[4][21][5][6] | 32.0 ± 5.1 (PPS-CF10) and 22.9 ± 0.8 (PPS-GF20) printed Z, ISO 527[3][7] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2][4] | Very brittle — cracks or shatters easily; elongation at break 1.4 %[3] |
| 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[4][23] | Rockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded unfilled PPS stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a fibre-filled PPS filament[24] |
| 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)[25] | Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger lists high creep resistance for unfilled PPS stock and Spectrum states creep resistance is unchanged under continuous load at high temperature; the fibre raises heat deflection to 252 °C at 0.45 MPa[24][26][3] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good[4][2] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[3] |
| 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)[5][1][6] | 54 (PPS-CF10) and 36 (PPS-GF20), printed[3][7] |
| 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)[21][1][5][4][6] | 252.5 (PPS-CF10) and 236.3 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][7] |
| 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)[4][5][1][21][6] | 133 (PPS-CF10) and 125.8 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][7] |
| 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][5][2][6] | 97.7 (PPS-CF10) and 95.0 (PPS-GF20), DSC[3][7] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 117–120 (Polymaker, ISO 306); decomposition above 360 °C[1][21] | 279.7 (PPS-CF10) and 279.6 (PPS-GF20) melting, DSC; Vicat 267.5 and 272.5 (ISO 306)[3][7] |
| 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)[4][23] | 170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F; no figure published for the carbon-filled grade[24] |
| 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)[6][23] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating on standard PC, though V-0 grades exist[27][1] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Degrades within weeks outdoors — unstabilised PC yellows and embrittles under UV[2] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[2] | Outstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[17] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Good — minor absorption[5] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an electrical insulator, which Polymaker lists as a headline advantage[22][2] | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (ANSI/ESD S11.11)[3][7] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[28] |
| 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[28] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28][14] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[19] | Not documented |
| 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[19] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[19] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[19] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Warping is the dominant accuracy limit; light transmission 89 % on PolyLite PC (GB/T 2410)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[29] | None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[30][31] |
| Softened or crazed by | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[29] | Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[31] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[32] | None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[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
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Fiberon PPS-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · 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
- Fiberon PPS-GF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- Bambu Lab PPS-CF Black, spool (750 g) 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 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
- PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass 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
- TECATRON natural (PPS) — 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
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
- 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
- PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds