3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEI 1010 vs PLA Silk

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

PEI (ULTEM 1010) guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEI 1010 comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PEI 1010 vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyPEI (ULTEM 1010)HIGHTEMPSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$281.22/kg median; $195.00–$698.00/kg across 6 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyetherimide, ULTEM 1010 grade — the higher-temperature, food- and medical-contact PEI[1][2]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech and Prusament); 1.29 specific gravity on moulded plaques (ASTM D792, Stratasys)[1][2][4]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 195–698; the middle of the market is about 270[5][6][7][8][9]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[10][11][12]
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[5][6][7][8][9]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[13][14][15][16][17]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][6][7][8]Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][13][18]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools, plus Stratasys canisters[5][8][4]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[19][20]
Typical applicationsAutoclavable tooling, food-contact fixtures and parts that must hold load near 200 °C[2]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[21]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C410 ± 10 (Prusament) — the hottest nozzle in the dataset[2]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C140–160 (Prusament); 130–140 (3DXTech)[2][1]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required — Prusa specifies 90 °C[2]Open frame is fine[3][22]
Recommended chamber temperature°C90 (Prusament)[2]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPA nylon sheet or powder-coated sheet with high-temperature glue (Prusament)[2]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[3]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[2]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[23]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[2][24]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[3]
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[22]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[25][22]
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[26]Very low[22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[27]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[23]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
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]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time150 °C for 6–8 h (Prusament) — the hottest drying schedule in the dataset[2]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][28]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[29]
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[26]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[29]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[30][23]
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)[4][2][1]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][31]
Young's modulusMPa2300-3040 printed in plane: Prusament 2300 +/- 100 horizontal (ISO 527-1), Stratasys 2920-3040 in XZ (ASTM D638); 3DXTech quotes 2500[4][2][1]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
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[4][2][1]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][30]
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[4][2][1]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2910-3260 printed XZ (ASTM D790, Stratasys); Prusament 2300 horizontal and 2700 vertical (ISO 178); 3DXTech quotes 2510[4][2][1]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²3.4 ± 0.9 printed horizontal and 3.6 ± 0.4 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[2]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[3]
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)[4][2]Not documented
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[4][2]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[3][31][32]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy only 3.4 kJ/m²[2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 83.5 (Prusa Polymers method); Rockwell M110 / R126 on extruded PEI stock (ASTM D785)[2][33]Not documented
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[4][33]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 resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[36][27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
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)[4][2]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
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][4][1]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
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][4]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C209 (moulded plaque, ASTM D7426 inflection point, Stratasys); 217 (DSC, 3DXTech)[4][1]57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°C170 long-term service on extruded PEI stock, converted from 338 °F; 200 short term[33]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[32]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
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[4]Not documented
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[30][37]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[27][38]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[37][27]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[30]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[27]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[39][27]
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][27]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[27][41]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[27]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane and chloroform — are solvents for polyetherimide. Laboratory reagents.[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 byAcetone, MEK, benzene, toluene and butyl acetate craze or stress-crack it; alcohols, fuels and dilute acids do not.[43][42]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[44][45]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane is the only welding route, and it is a controlled carcinogen rather than a workshop material.[42][43]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[46][45]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. ULTEM 1010 Resin — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-06 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Kimya PEI-1010 Amber Yellow 1.75 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Prusa Prusament PEI 1010 Natural (NFC), 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI 3D PEI 1010 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. THERMAX PEI 1010 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  32. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. TECAPEI natural (PEI) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  46. 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