3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEEK vs POM

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

PEEK guidePOM (acetal) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEEK comparisonsMore POM comparisons
PEEK vs POM — documented properties and sources
PropertyPEEKHIGHTEMPPOM (acetal)ENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$531.87/kg median; $296.14–$770.00/kg across 5 dated product listingsNot documented
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyether ether ketone — a semi-crystalline polyaryletherketone[1]Polyoxymethylene, normally the copolymer POM-C. Apium's filament grade is POM-C with antistatic additives; no unfilled POM filament was found on sale[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.30 (ISO 1183)[1][4]1.41 (extruded POM-C stock)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 296–770; the middle of the market is about 532[5][6][7]Not documented
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[5][6][7]Not documented
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][6][4]Special order, 1-2 makers worldwide — Apium sells a POM-C ESD filament through its own shop and states its printers are the only ones able to process POM-C; no POM filament appears in the 3DJAKE or igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid[3][8][9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[5][6][4]Not documented
Typical applicationsAerospace brackets, semiconductor handling, sterilisable medical tooling and downhole parts[1]Gears, bushings, bearings, conveyor and food-machinery parts; Apium markets its POM-C ESD grade for semiconductor insulators, aerospace fasteners and sliding parts[2][3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C380-400 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); Victrex quotes a 340-450 melt range for AM 450 FIL[1][4]Not documented
Bed temperature°C130–140 (3DXTech)[1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[11][12]Not documented
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot less than 150 for semi-crystalline printing (Victrex AM 450 FIL); bed above 150[4]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[11]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[11]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[11][12]Not documented
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][11]Apium states that the adaptive heating system on its industrial machines is what makes POM-C printable, and that no other 3D printer can process it[3]
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[11]Not documented
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Not documented
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[13]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedLow (0.1-0.3 %) — extruded POM-C stock takes up 0.18 % in 24 h and 0.80 % at saturation (ASTM D570)[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.45 at saturation, 23 °C (ISO 62); 0.55 at 100 °C[4]Not documented
Drying temperature & time120 °C for 5 h, target below 0.020 % moisture (Victrex AM 450 FIL)[4]Not documented
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[13]Not documented
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][4]66.9 at break and 64.1 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 9700 and 9300 psi)[2]
Young's modulusMPa3000-4000 (printed XY, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 3720 (3DXTech); 4000 injection-moulded[1][4]2275 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 330,000 psi)[2]
Elongation at break%28 (printed XY, ISO 527) — remarkably ductile for a high-temperature polymer[1]40 at break and 9 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638)[2]
Flexural strengthMPa130 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]89.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 13,000 psi)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa2700 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2758 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 400,000 psi)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²6.0 (injection-moulded, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[4]Not documented
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)[4][14]Izod 53 J/m on extruded POM-C stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in[2]
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[4]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; extruded stock elongates 40 % before failing. No printed figure is published[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)[4][15]Rockwell 86 (and R120) — the source names only the R scale on extruded POM-C stock (ASTM D785)[2]
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[16][4][15]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep[16]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
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[14]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedWear factor 65e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) and a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.21 at 40 psi and 50 fpm (ASTM D3702, extruded stock) — the properties that make acetal the default gear and bushing plastic; Apium lists good sliding properties as the reason for its grade[2][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C140 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech)[1]158 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 316 °F)[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)[4][15]110 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 230 °F)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, 3DXTech); Victrex gives onset 143 and midpoint 150 (ISO 11357-2)[1][4]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C343 melting (ISO 11357-3, Victrex); VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK melts at 303[4][14]165 melting (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 329 °F)[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[4][15]91 long term and 141 intermittent (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 195 °F and 285 °F)[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[15]84.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.7e-5 in/in/°F)[2]
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][4]UL 94 HB on extruded POM-C stock[2]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceOutstanding — resistant to almost all solvents and to steam sterilisation[1]Good chemical resistance, particularly to bases; Apium lists resistance to bases as a headline property[2][3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; 0.45 % water at saturation and resistant to steam sterilisation[4][1]Good — minor absorption; 0.80 % water at saturation (ASTM D570, extruded stock)[2]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedVolume resistance 1e14 ohm-cm, dielectric strength 500 V/mil and dielectric constant 3.7 at 60 Hz on extruded stock (ASTM D257, D149, D150); Apium's filament grade adds antistatic agents[2][3]
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[17]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[17]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedEasy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of POM-C stock[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.[18][19]Hexafluoroisopropanol dissolves it at room temperature; NMP and DMF only when hot. Laboratory reagents.[20]
Softened or crazed byConcentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[21][19]Acids, oxidants, halogens and hot concentrated zinc chloride attack it; alcohols, ketones and esters do not.[20][19]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[21][19]None — no solvent softens POM below its melting point, which is why it is bolted or heat-welded rather than glued.[20]

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. TECAFORM AH natural (POM-C) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  3. POM-C ESD 3D printing — material page Apium 3D Technologies · 2026-08 · doc
  4. VICTREX AM 450 FIL — datasheet Victrex · 2025-12 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  12. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ThermaX PEEK — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. VICTREX AM 200 — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-04 · tds
  15. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  16. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  21. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc