3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PCTG vs Breakaway

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

PCTG guideBreak-away support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PCTG comparisonsMore Breakaway comparisons
PCTG vs Breakaway — documented properties and sources
PropertyPCTGPETGBreak-away supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.99/kg median; $14.00–$50.67/kg across 5 dated product listings$42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) glycol — a copolyester with a higher cyclohexanedimethanol content than PETG[1][2]Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (Extrudr, ASTM D792; 3DXTech, ISO 1183)[2][5]1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 34[6][5][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[8][9][10]
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][11]26–80 across brands and grades; IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE 26, Polymaker PolySupport for PLA 40 at 750 g, YXPOLYER 45, PolySupport for PA12 80 at 500 g[8][9][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][5][7][12]Available from several mainstream brands[8][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1, 3 and 5 kg spools[6][7][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8]
Typical applicationsTransparent covers, guards and impact-loaded parts where PETG cracks[1][2]Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Spectrum, Extrudr)[1][2]220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[3]
Bed temperature°C60–100 (Spectrum)[1]25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[3]
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]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[14][15]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][16]4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[14][15]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[15]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[3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer[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[17]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Polymaker specifies a 55 °C dry for the PLA grade and warns brass nozzle life falls to about 9 h on the PA12 grade[3][4]
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[14][17]Moderate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19]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[19]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[19]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[19][15]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][20]Not documented
Elongation at break%215–220 at break on moulded specimens (ISO 527); 4.3–4.4 at yield[1][2]Not documented
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[20]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.6 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm printed bars, against 32.9 for PETG[20]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Not documented
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell69 Shore D measured by My Tech Fun, against 72 for PETG[20]Not documented
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]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented43 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, PolySupport for PA12). Polymaker's sheet prints a higher figure at the higher load, which is physically inverted; treat both HDT numbers as approximate[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, PolySupport for PA12) — printed above the 0.45 MPa figure on Polymaker's own sheet, which cannot be right; treat both as approximate[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C78 (3DXTech, DSC)[5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 88 (Spectrum, Extrudr)[1][2]Vicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[4]
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[15]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[15]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[15]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[5]Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[22][23]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[24]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]
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]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[18]This is the support material. Polymaker publishes an adhesion matrix per model material, from very good to unusable, because break-away supports only work against the polymer they were matched to[3][4]
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.[25]None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[26]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften the copolyester; methanol crazes it (Eastman, 1 y at 23 °C).[25]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[27]None — there is no solvent to weld or smooth with.[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

  1. Spectrum Premium PCTG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Extrudr PCTG technical data Extrudr · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolySupport for PA12 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER Breakaway Support Filament 1 kg Black — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE breakaway support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. CHCKX 10KG Multicolor PCTG Filament bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Atomic Filament product catalogue Atomic Filament · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  15. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. MAX-G PCTG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  23. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  24. 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
  25. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  26. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  27. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc