3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PCTG vs POM

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

PCTG guidePOM (acetal) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PCTG comparisonsMore POM comparisons
PCTG vs POM — documented properties and sources
PropertyPCTGPETGPOM (acetal)ENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.99/kg median; $14.00–$50.67/kg across 5 dated product listingsNot documented
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) glycol — a copolyester with a higher cyclohexanedimethanol content than PETG[1][2]Polyoxymethylene, normally the copolymer POM-C. Apium's filament grade is POM-C with antistatic additives; no unfilled POM filament was found on sale[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (Extrudr, ASTM D792; 3DXTech, ISO 1183)[2][5]1.41 (extruded POM-C stock)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 34[6][5][7]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg14–51 across brands; CHCKX 14 in a 10-roll bundle, Push Plastic 30, Proto-pasta 35 at 1 kg, 3DXTech 51[6][5][8]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][5][7][9]Special order, 1-2 makers worldwide — Apium sells a POM-C ESD filament through its own shop and states its printers are the only ones able to process POM-C; no POM filament appears in the 3DJAKE or igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid[4][10][11][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1, 3 and 5 kg spools[6][7][5]Not documented
Typical applicationsTransparent covers, guards and impact-loaded parts where PETG cracks[1][2]Gears, bushings, bearings, conveyor and food-machinery parts; Apium markets its POM-C ESD grade for semiconductor insulators, aerospace fasteners and sliding parts[3][4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Spectrum, Extrudr)[1][2]Not documented
Bed temperature°C60–100 (Spectrum)[1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine — Spectrum and Extrudr both say a closed chamber is not necessary, Extrudr adds it helps on larger parts[1][2]Not documented
Part cooling fanUp to 100 % (Spectrum); 20–50 % (Extrudr)[1][2]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[13][14]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s1.6–16 at the 20–200 mm/s Extrudr rates the material for, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][15]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[13][14]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[14]Not documented
Shrinkage%0.2–0.5 (Extrudr, ASTM D955)[2]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning[1][2]Not documented
Extruder requirementNot documentedApium states that the adaptive heating system on its industrial machines is what makes POM-C printable, and that no other 3D printer can process it[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely — Extrudr explicitly states no hardened nozzle is needed[2]Not documented
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[2]Not documented
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for PCTG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[16]Not documented
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[17]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[17]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the copolyester matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 65 °C, 4 h pre-dry[13][16]Low (0.1-0.3 %) — extruded POM-C stock takes up 0.18 % in 24 h and 0.80 % at saturation (ASTM D570)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18]Not documented
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[18][14]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa43–44 at yield and 45–46 at break (ISO 527, injection-moulded resin data from Spectrum and Extrudr); 48 on My Tech Fun printed bars[1][2][19]66.9 at break and 64.1 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 9700 and 9300 psi)[3]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2275 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 330,000 psi)[3]
Elongation at break%215–220 at break on moulded specimens (ISO 527); 4.3–4.4 at yield[1][2]40 at break and 9 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented89.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 13,000 psi)[3]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2758 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 400,000 psi)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²93–94 notched Izod at 23 °C on moulded specimens (ISO 180); 3DXTech quotes 8 by ISO 180/A[1][2][5]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod 4.14 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars, against 3.37 for PETG on the same rig[19]Izod 53 J/m on extruded POM-C stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.6 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm printed bars, against 32.9 for PETG[19]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; extruded stock elongates 40 % before failing. No printed figure is published[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell69 Shore D measured by My Tech Fun, against 72 for PETG[19]Rockwell 86 (and R120) — the source names only the R scale on extruded POM-C stock (ASTM D785)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 19.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, slightly worse than PETG's 18.2[19]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good — 215 % elongation at break and 94 kJ/m² notched Izod on moulded specimens (Extrudr, Spectrum)[1][2]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[19]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedWear factor 65e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) and a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.21 at 40 psi and 50 fpm (ASTM D3702, extruded stock) — the properties that make acetal the default gear and bushing plastic; Apium lists good sliding properties as the reason for its grade[3][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented158 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 316 °F)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented110 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 230 °F)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C78 (3DXTech, DSC)[5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 88 (Spectrum, Extrudr)[1][2]165 melting (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 329 °F)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C68 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature, against 65 for PETG[19]91 long term and 141 intermittent (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 195 °F and 285 °F)[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented84.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.7e-5 in/in/°F)[3]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[20]UL 94 HB on extruded POM-C stock[3]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[14]Good chemical resistance, particularly to bases; Apium lists resistance to bases as a headline property[3][4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; Spectrum describes the polymer as hydrophobic[1]Good — minor absorption; 0.80 % water at saturation (ASTM D570, extruded stock)[3]
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[14]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[14]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[14]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[5]Volume resistance 1e14 ohm-cm, dielectric strength 500 V/mil and dielectric constant 3.7 at 60 Hz on extruded stock (ASTM D257, D149, D150); Apium's filament grade adds antistatic agents[3][4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[21]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[17]Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of POM-C stock[3]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[17]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[17]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[17]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailOptical clarity is the selling point; Extrudr recommends a layer height at most 50 % of nozzle diameter[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; Eastman's CHDM copolyester data shows 1,2-dichloroethane destroying it within a week.[22]Hexafluoroisopropanol dissolves it at room temperature; NMP and DMF only when hot. Laboratory reagents.[23]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften the copolyester; methanol crazes it (Eastman, 1 y at 23 °C).[22]Acids, oxidants, halogens and hot concentrated zinc chloride attack it; alcohols, ketones and esters do not.[23][24]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[25]None — no solvent softens POM below its melting point, which is why it is bolted or heat-welded rather than glued.[23]

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. Spectrum Premium PCTG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Extrudr PCTG technical data Extrudr · 2026-08 · tds
  3. TECAFORM AH natural (POM-C) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  4. POM-C ESD 3D printing — material page Apium 3D Technologies · 2026-08 · doc
  5. MAX-G PCTG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. CHCKX 10KG Multicolor PCTG Filament bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Atomic Filament product catalogue Atomic Filament · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  14. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. MAX-G PCTG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  21. 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
  22. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  24. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc