3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PCTG vs PVB

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

PCTG guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PCTG comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PCTG vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyPCTGPETGPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.99/kg median; $14.00–$50.67/kg across 5 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) glycol — a copolyester with a higher cyclohexanedimethanol content than PETG[1][2]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (Extrudr, ASTM D792; 3DXTech, ISO 1183)[2][4]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 34[6][4][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[8][9]
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][4][10]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[8][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][4][7][11]Available from several mainstream brands[8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1, 3 and 5 kg spools[6][7][4]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8][9]
Typical applicationsTransparent covers, guards and impact-loaded parts where PETG cracks[1][2]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Spectrum, Extrudr)[1][2]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Bed temperature°C60–100 (Spectrum)[1]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[5]
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]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanUp to 100 % (Spectrum); 20–50 % (Extrudr)[1][2]100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[12][13]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[5]
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][14]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[12][13]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[13]Not documented
Shrinkage%0.2–0.5 (Extrudr, ASTM D955)[2]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning[1][2]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely — Extrudr explicitly states no hardened nozzle is needed[2]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[2]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for PCTG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[16][17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[18]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[18]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[12][15]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[3][19][5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedMaximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[5]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[17]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[17]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][17]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[17][13]Sealed with desiccant[17]
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][20]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[3][19][5]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][5]
Elongation at break%215–220 at break on moulded specimens (ISO 527); 4.3–4.4 at yield[1][2]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[19]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[19][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²93–94 notched Izod at 23 °C on moulded specimens (ISO 180); 3DXTech quotes 8 by ISO 180/A[1][2][4]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[5]
Other impact dataIzod 4.14 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars, against 3.37 for PETG on the same rig[20]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.6 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm printed bars, against 32.9 for PETG[20]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[19][5]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell69 Shore D measured by My Tech Fun, against 72 for PETG[20]Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[5]
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[20]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[20]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][19][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][19][5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C78 (3DXTech, DSC)[4]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][19]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 88 (Spectrum, Extrudr)[1][2]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][19]
Continuous service temperature°C68 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature, against 65 for PETG[20]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[21]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[13]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; Spectrum describes the polymer as hydrophobic[1]Not documented
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[13]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[13]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[13]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[4]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[22]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[22]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[18]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[18]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[18]Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[18]PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[23]
Dimensional accuracy & detailOptical clarity is the selling point; Extrudr recommends a layer height at most 50 % of nozzle diameter[2]PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[19]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; Eastman's CHDM copolyester data shows 1,2-dichloroethane destroying it within a week.[24]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[16]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften the copolyester; methanol crazes it (Eastman, 1 y at 23 °C).[24]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[25]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[25][16]

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. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. MAX-G PCTG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. CHCKX 10KG Multicolor PCTG Filament bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Atomic Filament product catalogue Atomic Filament · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  13. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. MAX-G PCTG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  20. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  22. 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
  23. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  24. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc