3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEI 1010 vs rPLA

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

PEI (ULTEM 1010) guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEI 1010 comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
PEI 1010 vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPEI (ULTEM 1010)HIGHTEMPRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$281.22/kg median; $195.00–$698.00/kg across 6 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyetherimide, ULTEM 1010 grade — the higher-temperature, food- and medical-contact PEI[1][2]PLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech and Prusament); 1.29 specific gravity on moulded plaques (ASTM D792, Stratasys)[1][2][6]1.24 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 195–698; the middle of the market is about 270[7][8][9][10][11]1 kg spools run 20–22[12][13][14]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg195-698 across brands and grades; 3DXTech ThermaX PEI 1010 195 at 2 kg, IEMAI 3D 223 at 1 kg, 3D4Makers 270 at 2 kg, Prusament 292 at 500 g, Kimya 347 at 500 g, 3DXTech ESD-PEI 1010 698 at 500 g[7][8][9][10][11]16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[15][16]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][8][9][10]Available from several mainstream brands[4][5][14]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools, plus Stratasys canisters[7][10][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[17][15][4]
Typical applicationsAutoclavable tooling, food-contact fixtures and parts that must hold load near 200 °C[2]General-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[4][5]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[4][3][18]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C410 ± 10 (Prusament) — the hottest nozzle in the dataset[2]210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[3][5]
Bed temperature°C140–160 (Prusament); 130–140 (3DXTech)[2][1]40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[3][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required — Prusa specifies 90 °C[2]Open frame is fine[3][19]
Recommended chamber temperature°C90 (Prusament)[2]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documented100 %[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPA nylon sheet or powder-coated sheet with high-temperature glue (Prusament)[2]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[2]None — brim not generally needed[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[20]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[2][21]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3][19]
Extruder requirementA hot end rated to 420 °C, a heated chamber and a high-temperature bed; Prusa dries the filament at 150 °C for 6–8 h before printing[2]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[2]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[22][19]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 150 °C pre-dry before every print[23]Very low[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[24]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[20]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[3][18]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.4 in 24 h and 0.7 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH (Prusament)[2]0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Drying temperature & time150 °C for 6–8 h (Prusament) — the hottest drying schedule in the dataset[2]Not documented
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 150 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[23]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[25]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[26][20]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa79-95 printed in plane: Stratasys 79.2 (F900 T14) to 91.6 (F3300 N500) at break in XZ, ASTM D638; Prusament 95 +/- 3.5 at yield printed horizontal, ISO 527-1; 3DXTech quotes 56 (ISO 527)[6][2][1]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[3][18]
Young's modulusMPa2300-3040 printed in plane: Prusament 2300 +/- 100 horizontal (ISO 527-1), Stratasys 2920-3040 in XZ (ASTM D638); 3DXTech quotes 2500[6][2][1]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[3][18]
Elongation at break%4.0-4.1 at break in XZ (ASTM D638, Stratasys); Prusament gives 6.6 +/- 0.7 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); 3DXTech quotes 3[6][2][1]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[3][18]
Flexural strengthMPa128 at 5 % strain (F900 T14) and 144 at break (F3300) printed XZ, ASTM D790; Prusament 98 +/- 6.5 horizontal and 138 +/- 5.3 vertical (ISO 178); 3DXTech quotes 110[6][2][1]82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[3][18]
Flexural modulusMPa2910-3260 printed XZ (ASTM D790, Stratasys); Prusament 2300 horizontal and 2700 vertical (ISO 178); 3DXTech quotes 2510[6][2][1]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[3][18]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²3.4 ± 0.9 printed horizontal and 3.6 ± 0.4 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[2]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod notched 26.6-36.3 J/m XZ against 21.7-27.2 J/m ZX; unnotched 260-406 J/m XZ against 68-116 J/m ZX (printed, ASTM D256/D4812, Stratasys). Charpy unnotched 19.7 +/- 4.3 horizontal and 39 +/- 10 vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[6][2]Charpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[3][18]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa28-37 at break (printed ZX, ASTM D638, Stratasys F900 and F3300) against 72 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1, Prusament on the Pro HT90 with a 0.6 mm nozzle and 90 °C chamber) — a fourfold spread driven by chamber temperature and bead size[6][2]21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[3][18]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy only 3.4 kJ/m²[2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[24][22]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 83.5 (Prusa Polymers method); Rockwell M110 / R126 on extruded PEI stock (ASTM D785)[2][27]80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[3][18]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Printed coupons hold 215 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa (ASTM D648) and extruded PEI stock is rated 170 °C long-term service[6][27]Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[28][29]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[30][24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[22]
Z strength as % of XY%36-40 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638) against 76 (Prusament vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1)[6][2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C207 (Prusament, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa) to 217 (printed XY 216.9 and XZ 217.1, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi, Stratasys); 3DXTech quotes 208[2][6][1]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[3][18]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C194 (Prusament, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa) to 215 (printed XY 215.1 and XZ 214.5, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi, Stratasys) — the highest heat deflection in the dataset[2][6]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[3][18]
Glass transition (Tg)°C209 (moulded plaque, ASTM D7426 inflection point, Stratasys); 217 (DSC, 3DXTech)[6][1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C170 long-term service on extruded PEI stock, converted from 338 °F; 200 short term[27]55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K36.1 (printed XY, -50 to 60 °C, ASTM E831), falling to 29.8 over 60-205 °C; ZX gives 32.5 over -50 to 110 °C and 16.2 over 110-165 °C[6]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[31]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[26][32]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[24][33]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[32][24]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[26]
Food contactNot documentedFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[5][24]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[5]
RecyclabilityNot documentedThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[5][16]
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[34]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[34]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[4]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[34]None needed in a normal room[34]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[33][24]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[4]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[24]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane and chloroform — are solvents for polyetherimide. Laboratory reagents.[35][36]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[37]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, MEK, benzene, toluene and butyl acetate craze or stress-crack it; alcohols, fuels and dilute acids do not.[36][35]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[37][38]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane is the only welding route, and it is a controlled carcinogen rather than a workshop material.[35][36]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[39][38]

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 PEI 1010 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  3. Prusament PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  4. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ULTEM 1010 Resin — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-06 · tds
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Kimya PEI-1010 Amber Yellow 1.75 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Prusa Prusament PEI 1010 Natural (NFC), 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D PEI 1010 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. THERMAX PEI 1010 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. TECAPEI natural (PEI) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  31. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  32. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  34. 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
  35. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  37. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  38. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  39. 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