3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG-ESD vs rPLA

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

ESD-safe PETG guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG-ESD comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
PETG-ESD vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe PETGPETGRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$102.99/kg median; $65.98–$140.00/kg across 2 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPETG compounded with a conductive filler to bring surface resistivity into the static-dissipative range[1][2]PLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (Fiberon) and 1.28 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.24 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 66–140; the middle of the market is about 103[6][7]1 kg spools run 20–22[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg66–140 across brands; Fiberon PETG-ESD 66, 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG 140[6][7]16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[11][12]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][7]Available from several mainstream brands[4][5][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[13][11][4]
Typical applicationsElectronics fixtures, trays and jigs handled around static-sensitive components[1][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][14]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–290 (Fiberon)[1]210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[3][5]
Bed temperature°C70–80 (Fiberon); 70 (3DXTech)[1][2]40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[3][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine — Fiberon specifies room-temperature chamber[1]Open frame is fine[3][15]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 %[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[16][17]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sFiberon rates the material to 500 mm/s, equivalent to 40 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — a machine-limited headline rather than a measured melt rate[1][18]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone — brim not generally needed[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[16][17]Sticks to anything[19]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[17]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; resistivity depends on getting the nozzle temperature right[1]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3][15]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Non-abrasive[20][15]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-PETG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[21]Very low[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[22]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[23]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[22]No special hot-end required[19]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 65 °C, 4 h pre-dry[16][21]Moderate — 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][14]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.41 equilibrium water absorption (Fiberon PETG-ESD)[1]0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Drying temperature & time65 °C for 3 h (Fiberon)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[24]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[24]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[24]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[24]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[24][17]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[25][19]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa36.1 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 50 at break[1][2]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[3][14]
Young's modulusMPa1983 ± 75 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[1]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[3][14]
Elongation at break%7.3 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 13 at break[1][2]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[3][14]
Flexural strengthMPa54.0 ± 2.5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[1]82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[3][14]
Flexural modulusMPa1651 ± 141 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[1]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[3][14]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 29.3 ± 2.2 printed XY (Fiberon, ISO 179)[1]Charpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[3][14]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa20.7 ± 0.6 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[1]21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[3][14]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[23][20]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[3][14]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — no ESD-grade creep test; unfilled PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[26][27][28][29]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[30][31]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no ESD-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[32]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[32][23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid[20]
Z strength as % of XY%57 (Fiberon, printed Z against XY tensile)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C76 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Fiberon)[1]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[3][14]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C72 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Fiberon)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[3][14]
Glass transition (Tg)°C77 (Fiberon) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[1][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 86 (Fiberon, ISO 306)[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[33]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[34]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[25][35]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[23][36]
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[17]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[35][23]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[25]
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[17]Filamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[5][23]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[17]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[5]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[17]The feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[5][12]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity falls with nozzle temperature: 7.0×10⁶–1.6×10⁷ ohm at 250 °C, 3.2×10⁵–4.7×10⁵ at 270 °C and below 1×10⁴ at 290 °C (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq[1][2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[37]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[37]
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 requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[37]None needed in a normal room[37]
Dust & fibre handling hazardConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[22]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[36][23]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[22]Superglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[4]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[22]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[22]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNozzle temperature has to be held steady — it moves surface resistivity by three orders of magnitude[1]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[38][39]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[40]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[38]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[40][39]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[39]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[41][39]

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. Fiberon PETG-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  2. 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · 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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  15. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  17. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  21. 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  34. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  35. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  36. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  37. 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
  38. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  40. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  41. 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