3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG-GF vs PVB

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

Glass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG-GF comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PETG-GF vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF)PETGPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$27.38/kg median; $18.99–$29.99/kg across 3 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryGlass-fibre reinforced polyester. Polymaker's Fiberon PET-GF15 uses a PET rather than a PETG matrix and carries 15 wt% glass fibre[1]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[2]
Densityg/cm³1.43 (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 1183)[1]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[4][5]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[5][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg19–30 across brands; ELEGOO 19, Polymaker Fiberon 30[4][5]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[5][6]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][5]Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5][6]
Typical applicationsStiff, dimensionally stable fixtures; the Fiberon grade is designed to be annealed for heat resistance[1]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[2]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Not documentedOpen frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[7][8]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[7][8]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[8]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedEasy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1]Non-abrasive[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[9]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[10][11]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[7]Very 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][13][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedMaximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[11]Not documented
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[11]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[2][11]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[11][8]Sealed with desiccant[11]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa59.9 ± 0.8 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[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][13][3]
Young's modulusMPa4144 ± 133 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[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][3]
Elongation at break%4.0 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[13]
Flexural strengthMPa104.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa3705 ± 85 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[13][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.7 ± 0.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.0 printed XY (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 179)[1]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa48.2 ± 0.3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]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[13][3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 4.0 % in XY and 2.6 % in Z[1]Moderate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — no GF-grade creep test; the CF grades sagged to 14.8–16.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg against 17.1–20.4 mm unfilled[14][15][16]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 4.0 % in XY against 5.2–9.3 % unfilled[1][17]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%80 (Fiberon PET-GF15, printed Z against XY tensile)[1]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[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C81.6 as printed, 133.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[2][13][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C71.8 as printed, 87.3 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[2][13][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C59.5 (DSC)[1]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[2][13]
Melting point / Vicat°C231.6 melting (DSC); Vicat 232.6 (ISO 306)[1]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[2][13]
Annealing responseAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 81.6 to 133.7 °C[1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K20 along the print bead and 63–74 in the build direction at 30 °C (30 wt% GF, large-format printed, TMA)[18]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 HB at 1.5 mm (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[8]Not documented
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[8]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[8]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[8]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-GF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[19]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[19]Open a window / occasional ventilation[19]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre 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[12]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[12]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[12]Isopropyl 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 pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[12]PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[20]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[13]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[21][22]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[10]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[21]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[22]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[22][10]

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 PET-GF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  2. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  8. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  11. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  14. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  15. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  16. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  18. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  19. 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
  20. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc