3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG-GF vs Breakaway

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

Glass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF) guideBreak-away support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG-GF comparisonsMore Breakaway comparisons
PETG-GF vs Breakaway — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF)PETGBreak-away supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$27.38/kg median; $18.99–$29.99/kg across 3 dated product listings$42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 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]Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.43 (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[4][5]1 kg-equivalent spools span 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[5][6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg19–30 across brands; ELEGOO 19, Polymaker Fiberon 30[4][5]26–80 across brands and grades; IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE 26, Polymaker PolySupport for PLA 40 at 750 g, YXPOLYER 45, PolySupport for PA12 80 at 500 g[5][6][7]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][5]Available from several mainstream brands[5][8]
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]
Typical applicationsStiff, dimensionally stable fixtures; the Fiberon grade is designed to be annealed for heat resistance[1]Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Not documentedOpen frame is fine[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[9][10]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[9][10]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[10]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedEasy — minor profile tuning[2]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer[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[11]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Polymaker specifies a 55 °C dry for the PLA grade and warns brass nozzle life falls to about 9 h on the PA12 grade[2][3]
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[9]Moderate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13]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[13]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[13]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[13][10]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa59.9 ± 0.8 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa4144 ± 133 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%4.0 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa104.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3705 ± 85 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.7 ± 0.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.0 printed XY (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 179)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa48.2 ± 0.3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 4.0 % in XY and 2.6 % in Z[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%80 (Fiberon PET-GF15, printed Z against XY tensile)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C81.6 as printed, 133.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]43 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, PolySupport for PA12). Polymaker's sheet prints a higher figure at the higher load, which is physically inverted; treat both HDT numbers as approximate[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C71.8 as printed, 87.3 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, PolySupport for PA12) — printed above the 0.45 MPa figure on Polymaker's own sheet, which cannot be right; treat both as approximate[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C59.5 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C231.6 melting (DSC); Vicat 232.6 (ISO 306)[1]Vicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[3]
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[10]Not documented
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[10]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[10]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[10]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-GF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1]Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[19][20]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[21]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[21]Open a window / occasional ventilation[21]
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]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[12]This is the support material. Polymaker publishes an adhesion matrix per model material, from very good to unusable, because break-away supports only work against the polymer they were matched to[2][3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[22][23]None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[24]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[22]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[23]None — there is no solvent to weld or smooth with.[24]

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. PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. PolySupport for PA12 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. YXPOLYER Breakaway Support Filament 1 kg Black — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE breakaway support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  10. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  20. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  21. 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
  22. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  24. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor