3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PE vs PVDF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Polyethylene (PE)POLYOLEFIN | PVDFENGINEERING |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $87.72/kg median; $87.72–$87.72/kg across 1 dated product listings | $250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyethylene — the simplest polyolefin, non-polar and highly crystalline. The one retailed filament grade, Spectrum HDPE, uses what Spectrum calls Low Warp technology and is denser and stiffer than plain HDPE[1][2] | Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.10 (Spectrum HDPE filament, ISO 1183) against 0.95 for extruded HDPE stock — the filament is a modified formulation[1][2] | 1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 88[5] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[6] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 87.72 — Spectrum's 500 g spools at 3DJAKE are the only PE filament listing found[5] | 251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[6] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Spectrum HDPE in six colours is the only PE filament in the 3DJAKE and igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid, but it is a normal stocked item rather than a special order[7][8][9][5] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[6][10] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 500 g spools in six colours[5][7] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[6] |
| Typical applications | Chemically resistant containers, packaging prototypes and consumer goods where HDPE is the production material[1] | Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 240-290 (Spectrum HDPE)[1] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 80-100 (Spectrum HDPE)[1] | 70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Spectrum recommends a closed chamber for larger prints[1] | Enclosure required (passive)[3] |
| Part cooling fan | 0-50 % part cooling (Spectrum HDPE)[1] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary for its low-warp HDPE, depending on geometry[1] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield. Spectrum's low-warp grade is sold as printable on desktop machines, which is not true of plain polyethylene[1] | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive; Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary but recommends a closed chamber for large parts[1] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; Spectrum sells the grade as desktop-printable with no dry box and no hardened nozzle[1] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3][4] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely — Spectrum states a ruby or hardened nozzle is not required[1] | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low — Spectrum lists no drybox and no ruby or hardened nozzle for HDPE, and very low moisture absorption[1] | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[10] |
| Other hardware wear | Not documented | Hydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[4] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no dry box[1] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[3] |
| Drying temperature & time | No drying step published; Spectrum lists a dry box as not required[1] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not applicable in practice — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no drybox requirement for HDPE[1] | Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[10] |
| Storage requirement | Store dry at 18-25 °C out of sunlight; Spectrum quotes a 24-month shelf life[1] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 29 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527; specimen type not stated) against 25.5 at yield on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 3700 psi)[1][2] | 51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3500 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against 965 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 140,000 psi) — the filament grade is nearly four times stiffer than plain polyethylene[1][2] | 2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Elongation at break% | 18 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against above 100 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[1][2] | 25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 27.6 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4000 psi)[2] | 50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3200 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 178) against 965 on extruded stock (ASTM D790, from 140,000 psi)[1][2] | 1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Other impact data | Charpy 10 kJ/m2 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 179-1; notch condition not stated); Izod 104 J/m on extruded stock, converted from 1.94 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[1][2] | Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[11] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; 18 % elongation at break on the filament and above 100 % on extruded stock[1][2] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Shore D 67 and Rockwell R54 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D2240, D785); Spectrum quotes Rockwell 80 HRM for its filament (ISO 2039-2)[2][1] | Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[11] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good — Spectrum lists outstanding abrasion and crack resistance for its HDPE, but no repeated-flex or fatigue test data was found for any PE filament[1] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Slightly flexible in thin sections — Spectrum's low-warp grade has a 3.5 GPa tensile modulus; plain extruded HDPE at 965 MPa is genuinely semi-flexible[1][2] | Slightly flexible in thin sections[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 75 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 167 °F)[2] | 149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[11] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[11] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 170 melting (ISO 11357)[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 110 stated as heat resistance by Spectrum with no test standard given; extruded stock is rated 120 long-term maximum (converted from 248 °F) and brittle below -76[1][2] | 149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[11] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 117 (extruded HDPE stock, ASTM D696; source states 6.5e-5 in/in/°F)[2] | 127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[11] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[11] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Moderate — a season or two. Spectrum describes its HDPE as UV-stable and weather-resistant but publishes no exposure data[1] | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[3][11] |
| Chemical resistance | Excellent chemical resistance to acids, bases, oils and solvents (Spectrum); Ensinger lists broad chemical compatibility for HDPE stock[1][2] | Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected; Ensinger lists low moisture absorption for HDPE stock and Spectrum very low absorption for the filament[1][2] | Excellent — essentially unaffected[3] |
| Recyclability | Spectrum states the filament is fully recyclable; HDPE is resin code 2[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Not documented | Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[4] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Not documented | Above 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[4] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Not documented | Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[4] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Molten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[4] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of HDPE stock[2] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Spectrum lists a shiny surface finish and no adhesive requirement; shrinkage remains the limit on large flat parts[1] | The processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[3][4] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | None at room temperature; xylene dissolves HDPE at about 105 °C and LDPE at 75 °C. Hot decalin does the same.[12][13] | THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[14] |
| Softened or crazed by | Toluene, xylene, styrene, chloroform, dichloromethane, MEK and trichloroethylene are all unsatisfactory at 21 °C.[13] | Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[14][15] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — polyethylene has no room-temperature solvent, so joints are made by heat welding.[13][12] | None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[14] |
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
- Spectrum HDPE Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2025-10 · tds
- TECAFINE HDPE natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
- Spectrum HDPE Traffic Black, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
- HDPE Chemical Resistance Guide (21 °C and 60 °C) INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA · 2026-08 · tds
- Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
- Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds