3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPETG vs PLA-PHA

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

Recycled PETG (rPETG) guidePLA/PHA blend guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPETG comparisonsMore PLA-PHA comparisons
rPETG vs PLA-PHA — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PETG (rPETG)PETGPLA/PHA blendPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$28.99/kg median; $17.24–$39.98/kg across 4 dated product listings$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPETG regranulated from recycled polyester waste; Polymaker's Fiberon PETG-rCF08 adds 8 wt% recycled carbon fibre[1][2][3]PLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[4]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (Prusament) and 1.30 (Fiberon PETG-rCF08), ISO 1183[1][3]1.2 (ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 29[5][6][7][8]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg17–40 across brands; Filament PM RePETG 17, 3DXTech ECOMAX 26, GreenGate3D 32, Fiberon rCF08 40[5][6][7][8]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6][7]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 1 and 3 kg spools[7][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[4]
Typical applicationsNot documentedGeneral-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.05 (Prusament PETG Recycled), against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PETG[1][10]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250 ± 10 (Prusament); 230–255 (Spectrum)[1][2]195–220 (colorFabb)[4]
Bed temperature°C80 ± 10 (Prusament); 60–80 (Spectrum)[1][2]50–60 (colorFabb)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine — Spectrum states a closed chamber is not necessary[2]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fan50 % (Prusament); up to 100 % (Spectrum)[1][2]0–100 %; colorFabb states the blend runs on both heated and unheated beds[4][11]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[10][12]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[11][13]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[10][12]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; Spectrum describes printing as similar to standard PETG[2]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedNon-abrasive[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — recycled PETG prints on the same hardware as virgin PETG: no special hot-end, no drybox and no hardened nozzle[14][15]Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[14]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[14]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — recycled PETG shares the virgin matrix, which reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[10]Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[16][17]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.07 after 24 h and 0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]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[18]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[18][12]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa43 ± 1.8 printed horizontal at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament), against 47 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 52 at yield on moulded specimens[1][10][2]62–64 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[4]
Young's modulusMPa1500 printed horizontal, 1600 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 527-1) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[1][10]2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[4]
Elongation at break%4.5 at yield printed (Prusament); Spectrum quotes 400 at break on moulded specimens[1][2]4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa63 ± 1 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament), against 66 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG[1][10]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1800 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[1]2500–3300 flexural modulus (ISO 178, colorFabb)[4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 15 ± 3 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]2.8–3.7 (ISO 179, notched, colorFabb)[4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15 ± 5 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test), against 18 ± 4 for virgin Prusament PETG[1][10]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Moderate — colorFabb positions the blend as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA grades[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[1][10]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — no recycled-grade creep test; virgin PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[19][20][21][22]Poor — no PLA/PHA creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[23][24][25]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no recycled-grade S-N curve; virgin printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[26]Below average — no S-N curve for the blend; colorFabb positions it as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA, which ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[26][4]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 70[1][10][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C68 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[4]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[27]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[28]
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[12]Not documented
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[12]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]colorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[4]
RecyclabilityThe feedstock itself — Spectrum describes collecting, shredding and re-homogenising PETG waste[2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[29]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[29]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[29]None needed in a normal room[29]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[14]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[14]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[14]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[14]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[30][31]Chloroform dissolves the PLA phase (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C); THF and DMF need 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[32]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[30]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[32][31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[31]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[33][31]

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. Prusament PETG Recycled Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Spectrum r-PETG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Fiberon PETG-rCF08 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PLA/PHA technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. GreenGate3D Recycled PET-G — product data GreenGate3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Filament PM RePETG technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  9. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  10. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  11. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  12. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  17. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  27. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  28. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  29. 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
  30. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  33. 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