3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEEK vs PLA Silk

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

PEEK guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEEK comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PEEK vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyPEEKHIGHTEMPSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$531.87/kg median; $296.14–$770.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyether ether ketone — a semi-crystalline polyaryletherketone[1]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[2]
Densityg/cm³1.30 (ISO 1183)[1][3]1.27 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 296–770; the middle of the market is about 532[4][5][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg296-770 across brands and spool sizes; 3D4Makers recycled R-PEEK 296 at 750 g, IEMAI 3D 420 at 1 kg, LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PEEK 9581 532 at 2 kg, 3DXTech ThermaX PEEK 770 at 500 g[4][5][6]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[10][11][12][13][14]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][5][3]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][10][15]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[4][5][3]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[16][17]
Typical applicationsAerospace brackets, semiconductor handling, sterilisable medical tooling and downhole parts[1]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[2]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[18]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C380-400 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); Victrex quotes a 340-450 melt range for AM 450 FIL[1][3]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[2]
Bed temperature°C130–140 (3DXTech)[1]35–45[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[19][20]Open frame is fine[2][21]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot less than 150 for semi-crystalline printing (Victrex AM 450 FIL); bed above 150[3]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[2]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[19]None[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[19]Sticks to anything[22]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[19][20]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[2]
Extruder requirementAn all-metal hot end rated above 400 °C and a heated chamber; 3DXTech tests at 0.25 mm layer height on a 0.4 mm nozzle[1][19]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[19]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[23][21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[24]Very low[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[25]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[22]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.45 at saturation, 23 °C (ISO 62); 0.55 at 100 °C[3]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]
Drying temperature & time120 °C for 5 h, target below 0.020 % moisture (Victrex AM 450 FIL)[3]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[2][26]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[27]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[24]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[27]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[28][22]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa60-100 (printed XY): Victrex AM 450 FIL 60-80 at yield and 3DXTech 100, both ISO 527; 98 at yield injection-moulded[1][3]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[2][29]
Young's modulusMPa3000-4000 (printed XY, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 3720 (3DXTech); 4000 injection-moulded[1][3]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%28 (printed XY, ISO 527) — remarkably ductile for a high-temperature polymer[1]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[2][28]
Flexural strengthMPa130 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa2700 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²6.0 (injection-moulded, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[3]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[2]
Other impact dataIzod notched 7.0 kJ/m2 injection-moulded (ISO 180/A). Printed anisotropy is extreme: VICTREX AM 200 on a Stratasys F900 gives Izod notched 1380-1530 J/m XZ against 30-62 J/m ZX (ASTM D256)[3][30]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa20-85 at yield (printed ZX, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); the spread is set by chamber temperature and weld quality[3]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[2][29][31]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 84.5 (injection-moulded, ISO 868); Rockwell M100 / R125 on extruded PEEK stock (ASTM D785)[3][32]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term creep; injection-moulded flexural stress at 3.5 % strain falls only from 125 MPa at 23 °C to 85 MPa at 125 °C, and extruded stock is rated to 249 °C continuous[33][3][32]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[34][35]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep[33]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[36][25]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%71-84 (VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK printed on the Stratasys F900 and Fortus 450mc, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); unfilled PEEK's own ZX spread is wider[30]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C140 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech)[1]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C152 (unannealed, ISO 75-2/Af, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 160 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[3][32]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, 3DXTech); Victrex gives onset 143 and midpoint 150 (ISO 11357-2)[1][3]57 (DSC)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°C343 melting (ISO 11357-3, Victrex); VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK melts at 303[3][30]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[2]
Continuous service temperature°C240 UL 746B relative thermal index, strength (RTI electrical 260, impact 180); Ensinger rates extruded PEEK stock at 249 long term[3][32]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[31]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[2]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K37.8 (extruded PEEK stock, 23-60 °C, ASTM E831; source states 2.1e-5 in/in/°F), rising to 41.9 at 60-100 °C and 55.8 at 100-150 °C[32]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin; glow-wire flammability index 960 °C at 2.0 mm (IEC 60695-2-12)[1][3]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[28][37]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[25][38]
Chemical resistanceOutstanding — resistant to almost all solvents and to steam sterilisation[1]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[37][25]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; 0.45 % water at saturation and resistant to steam sterilisation[3][1]Good — insoluble in water[28]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[25]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[39][25]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[39]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[40]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[40]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[40]None needed in a normal room[40]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[38][25]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[25][41]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[25]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble in95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves it — 10 g per 100 mL at 40–70 °C gives a dark red solution. Laboratory route only.[42][43]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[44]
Softened or crazed byConcentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[45][43]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[44][46]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[45][43]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[47][46]

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. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. VICTREX AM 450 FIL — datasheet Victrex · 2025-12 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. IEMAI 3D PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  20. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  24. ThermaX PEEK — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  29. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  30. VICTREX AM 200 — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-04 · tds
  31. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  33. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  34. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  37. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  38. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  39. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  40. 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
  41. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  42. The Effects of Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Ion Exchange Preparation Conditions on Membrane Properties Yee, Zhang & Ladewig, Membranes 3(3) 182–195 · 2013-07 · paper
  43. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  44. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  45. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc
  46. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  47. 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