3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEI 9085 vs PVB

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

PEI (ULTEM 9085) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEI 9085 comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PEI 9085 vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyPEI (ULTEM 9085)HIGHTEMPPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$309.80/kg median; $220.00–$392.00/kg across 6 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyetherimide, ULTEM 9085 grade — the flame-retardant PEI used for aircraft interiors[1]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[2]
Densityg/cm³1.34 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) against 1.27 specific gravity on moulded plaques (ASTM D792, Stratasys) — the two suppliers disagree[1][3]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[2][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 298[5][6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg220-392 across brands and formats; 3DXTech ThermaX PEI 9085 220 at 2 kg, 3D4Makers 270 at 2 kg, Fiberlogy 298 at 500 g, Kimya 321 at 500 g, IEMAI 3D 385 at 1 kg, 3DXTech CarbonX PEI 9085+CF 392[5][6][7][8][11]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[9][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][6][7][8]Available from several mainstream brands[9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 250 g to 2 kg spools, plus Stratasys canisters[5][8][3]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[9][10]
Typical applicationsAircraft interior parts and rail rolling stock, where the flame, smoke and toxicity rating is the requirement[1]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[2]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed temperature°C130–140 (3DXTech)[1]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[12][13]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedSmooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[12][13]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[2]
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[12]Brass fine indefinitely[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[2]
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[14]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[15][16]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedVery high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[2][17][4]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedMaximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]
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[14]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[2][16]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant[16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa63-77 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys F900/F3300/Fortus 450mc, three tips and two colours); 54 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech)[3][1]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[2][17][4]
Young's modulusMPa2040-2540 (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys); 2050 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech)[3][1]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[2][4]
Elongation at break%5.4-9.1 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys); 1.9-4.3 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 3 (ISO 527)[3][1]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[17]
Flexural strengthMPa104-116 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D790 Procedure A, Stratasys); 72-98 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 90 (ISO 178)[3][1]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2400-2550 (printed XZ, ASTM D790, Stratasys F900 T16 and T16A) against 2120-2130 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 2170 (ISO 178)[3][1]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[17][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4]
Other impact dataIzod notched 88.5-140 J/m XZ against 37-80 J/m ZX; unnotched 647-2260 J/m XZ against 169-633 J/m ZX (printed, ASTM D256/D4812, Stratasys, across three printers and three tips)[3]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa39-63 at break (printed ZX, ASTM D638, Stratasys); the low end is the F900 T16 baseline, the high end the F3300 N500 hot end[3]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[17][4]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1]Moderate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M110 / R126 on extruded PEI stock (ASTM D785)[18]Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Printed ZX coupons keep 87 % of room-temperature tensile strength at 104 °C and 70 % at 132 °C (ASTM D638); extruded PEI stock is rated 170 °C long-term service[3][18]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%56-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638, across F900/F3300/Fortus 450mc and T16/T20/T40A tips); 58 on the F900 T16 baseline[3]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C158 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech) to 178 (printed XY 178.2 and ZX 178.4, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi, Stratasys); moulded 176.9[1][3]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[2][17][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C170-173 (printed XY 170.2 and ZX 172.6, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); moulded 172.9[3]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[2][17][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C177 (moulded plaque, ASTM D7426 inflection point, Stratasys); 186 (DSC, 3DXTech)[3][1][19]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[2][17]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[2][17]
Continuous service temperature°C170 long-term service on extruded PEI stock, converted from 338 °F; 200 short term[18]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K44.9 (printed XY, -50 to 80 °C, ASTM E831), falling to 31.4 over 80-160 °C; ZX gives 44.5 over -50 to 60 °C. Black pigment raises it to 51.9[3]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin. Printed parts are tested to 14 CFR 25.853, BSS 7238 and 7239 and AITM 2.0007B and 3.0005 covering 60 s and 12 s vertical burn, 15 s horizontal burn, smoke density, toxic gas emission and OSU heat release[1][3]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Good — years with some colour shift. 1000 h of QUV cycling to ASTM G154 left printed ZX coupons at 55.5 MPa yield against 56.0 unexposed, with elongation and modulus unchanged[3]Not documented
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[20]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[20]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20]Open a window / occasional ventilation[20]
Post-Processing
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedIsopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[2]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[21]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[17]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane and chloroform — are solvents for polyetherimide. Laboratory reagents.[22][23]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[15]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, MEK, benzene, toluene and butyl acetate craze or stress-crack it; alcohols, fuels and dilute acids do not.[23][22]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane is the only welding route, and it is a controlled carcinogen rather than a workshop material.[22][23]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[24][15]

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 9085 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. ULTEM 9085 Resin — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Kimya PEI-9085 Natural 2.85 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Fiberlogy PEI 9085 Natural, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D PEI 9085 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  13. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  14. THERMAX PEI 9085 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. TECAPEI natural (PEI) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. ThermaX PEI 1010 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  20. 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
  21. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc