3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PC vs PPS
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Polycarbonate (PC)PC | PPSHIGHTEMP |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $39.99/kg median; $29.99–$92.00/kg across 9 dated product listings | $116.97/kg median; $84.00–$200.00/kg across 3 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic[1][2] | Polyphenylene sulfide — a semi-crystalline high-temperature polymer[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] | 1.28 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) and 1.33 (ISO 1183, Spectrum PPS AM230)[3][8] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 40[6][9][10] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 84–200; the middle of the market is about 117[11][12][13] |
| 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[9][6][10][11] | 84-200 across brands and diameters; IEMAI 3D 84 at 1 kg, Spectrum PPS AM230 117 at 750 g, 3DXTech ThermaX PPS 140 at 2.85 mm and 200 at 1.75 mm[11][12][13] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[6][9][11][10] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[11][12] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1 and 3 kg spools[9][11][10] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[11][12] |
| Typical applications | Light guides, lenses, under-bonnet automotive parts and impact-loaded housings that must hold shape above 110 °C[2][1] | Chemical-plant and under-bonnet parts needing solvent resistance above 200 °C[4] |
| 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] | 335-345 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); 300-330 (Spectrum)[3][8] |
| Bed temperature°C | 90–115; Prusament 110 ± 10, Bambu Lab 90–110, Polymaker 90–105[5][6][1] | 110-130 (3DXTech); 100-120 (Spectrum)[3][8] |
| 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] | Actively heated chamber required[15][16] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 70–100 (Polymaker); 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1][6] | 60-80 actively heated (Spectrum PPS AM230)[8] |
| Part cooling fan | Off or very low — Polymaker specifies off, Prusament 20 % within a 0–30 % range, Bambu Lab 0–60 %[1][5][6] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Textured PEI with glue when needed (Polymaker); smooth or textured PEI (Bambu Lab)[1][17] | Adhesive required — Spectrum specifies Magigoo Pro HT[8] |
| 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][18] | 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[15][16] |
| 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 for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[15] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[2] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 110 °C pre-dry before every print[19] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[20] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D); Polymaker advises a hot end rated above 300 °C[20][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) — Polymaker states minimal water absorption at 0.05 %[4] |
| 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] | 0.01 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570) — effectively non-absorbing[21] |
| 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] | At least 3 h at 90 °C in hot dry air if the filament has taken up moisture (Spectrum)[8] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[22] | 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][22] | Little to measure — equilibrium uptake is 0.05 %; 3DXTech still specifies a 110 °C, 4 h pre-dry before printing[4][19] |
| 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][23][6][5][24][7] | 50 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 65 at break injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 94 at yield on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][8][21] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2110 (Bambu Lab) to 2497 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1900, 3DXTech 2180[6][1][5][24] | 2650 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 3650 injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 5769 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][8][21] |
| 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][24][5] | 18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) against 2.0 injection-moulded (Spectrum) and 2.5 on extruded stock — the suppliers disagree by nearly an order of magnitude[3][8][21] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 81.3 (PolyMax) to 108 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 88 ± 1, PolyLite 106.1[23][6][5][1] | 52 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech); 141 on extruded stock (ASTM D790)[3][21] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2050 (PolyMax) to 2640 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2100[23][1][5] | 2540 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 4.1 (PolyLite) to 21.3 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1[1][23][5] | 1.3 notched injection-moulded (ISO 179-1eA, Spectrum); unnotched 18[8] |
| 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][23][7] | Izod notched 33 J/m on extruded PPS stock, converted from 0.62 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[21] |
| 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][23][6][7] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2][5] | Moderate[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[5][25] | Rockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded PPS stock (ASTM D785)[21] |
| 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)[26] | Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PPS stock, and Spectrum states that rigidity, strength and creep resistance are unchanged under continuous load at high temperature[21][8] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good[5][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)[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)[23][1][6][5][7] | 90 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 129 injection-moulded (ISO 75, Spectrum); 204 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[3][8][21] |
| 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][23][7] | 107 injection-moulded (ISO 75 at 1.81 MPa, Spectrum); 104 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[8][21] |
| 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][23] | 283 melting (ISO 11357, 3DXTech) and 280 on extruded stock; Vicat softening 236 at 50 N injection-moulded (ISO 306, Spectrum)[3][8][21] |
| 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][25] | 170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F[21] |
| 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][25] | 59.4 (extruded PPS stock, 22-60 °C, ASTM D696; source states 3.3e-5 in/in/°F)[21] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating on standard PC, though V-0 grades exist[27][1] | UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[3] |
| 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[4] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Good — minor absorption[6] | Excellent — essentially unaffected; extruded stock takes up 0.01 % water in 24 h[21] |
| 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[24][2] | Not documented |
| 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] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[20] | 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[20] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[20] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[20] | 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
- ThermaX PPS Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Natural, 1.75 mm / 750 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
- Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 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
- THERMAX PPS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- 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