3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PEBA vs PLA-PHA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PEBA (polyether block amide)FLEX | PLA/PHA blendPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $60.99/kg median; $60.99–$60.99/kg across 1 dated product listings | $76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyether block amide: rigid polyamide and flexible polyether blocks.[1] | PLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[2] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.01 g/cm³ (GB/T 1033; eSUN manufacturer data)[1] | 1.2 (ISO 1183)[2] |
| Market availability1–5 | Not documented | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][3] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm diameter, 1 kg spool.[4] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[2] |
| Typical applications | Manufacturer applications include footwear, sports equipment and cushioning.[1] | General-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 230–260 °C; 240 °C recommended.[1] | 195–220 (colorFabb)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | 60–90 °C[1] | 50–60 (colorFabb)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Not documented | Open frame is fine[2] |
| Part cooling fan | 10–50% fan recommended; mechanical-test specimens used 50–100%.[1] | 0–100 %; colorFabb states the blend runs on both heated and unheated beds[2][5] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI build plate[1] | Not documented |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 9 mm³/s maximum in eSUN spiral-vase test; mechanical specimens used 2 mm³/s. Linear recommendation 25–110 mm/s is a separate quantity.[1] | 3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[5][6] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Not documented | Brass fine indefinitely[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Not documented | Non-abrasive[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Not documented | Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[7] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[8][9] |
| Drying temperature & time | 70–75 °C for 6–8 h; re-dry after receiving or extended exposure.[1] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not documented | Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[10] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | >16.5 MPa printed XY, GB/T 1040; manufacturer lower bound, not an exact measurement.[1] | 62–64 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[2] |
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | >520% printed XY, GB/T 1040; manufacturer lower bound.[1] | 4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 2500–3300 flexural modulus (ISO 178, colorFabb)[2] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 2.8–3.7 (ISO 179, notched, colorFabb)[2] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 7.5 MPa printed Z, GB/T 1040 (manufacturer test)[1] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — colorFabb positions the blend as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA grades[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | 90 Shore A nominal grade designation; do not compare numerically with Shore D or Rockwell.[4] | Not documented |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Poor — no PLA/PHA creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[11][12][13] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Below average — no S-N curve for the blend; colorFabb positions it as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA, which ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[14][2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Not documented | Rigid[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 110 °C Vicat softening (GB/T 1633, 120 °C/h, 10 N); not HDT or a continuous-use rating.[1] | Above 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Degrades within weeks outdoors[15] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | colorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[2] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Not documented | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[16] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Not documented | None needed in a normal room[16] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Not documented | Chloroform dissolves the PLA phase (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C); THF and DMF need 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[17] |
| Softened or crazed by | Not documented | Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[17][18] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Not documented | Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[19][18] |
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
- eSUN PEBA-90A Technical Data Sheet v1.0 (Aug 2025), checked 2026-10-17 eSUN · 2025-08 · tds
- PLA/PHA technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
- woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
- eSUN PEBA-90A official product page: 1 kg price and product identity eSUN · 2026-10-17 · vendor
- glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper