3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPETG vs PLA Silk

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

Recycled PETG (rPETG) guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPETG comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
rPETG vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PETG (rPETG)PETGSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$28.99/kg median; $17.24–$39.98/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 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 with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[4]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (Prusament) and 1.30 (Fiberon PETG-rCF08), ISO 1183[1][3]1.27 (ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 29[5][6][7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg17–40 across brands; Filament PM RePETG 17, 3DXTech ECOMAX 26, GreenGate3D 32, Fiberon rCF08 40[5][6][7][8]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[12][13][14][15][16]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6][7]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][12][17]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 1 and 3 kg spools[7][6]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[18][19]
Typical applicationsNot documentedDecorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.05 (Prusament PETG Recycled), against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PETG[1][20]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[21]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250 ± 10 (Prusament); 230–255 (Spectrum)[1][2]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[4]
Bed temperature°C80 ± 10 (Prusament); 60–80 (Spectrum)[1][2]35–45[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine — Spectrum states a closed chamber is not necessary[2]Open frame is fine[4][22]
Part cooling fan50 % (Prusament); up to 100 % (Spectrum)[1][2]Fan on[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[20][23]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[4]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[20][23]Sticks to anything[24]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[23]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; Spectrum describes printing as similar to standard PETG[2]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[22]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedNon-abrasive[25][22]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — recycled PETG prints on the same hardware as virgin PETG: no special hot-end, no drybox and no hardened nozzle[26][22]Very low[22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[26]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[27]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[26]No special hot-end required[24]
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[20]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]
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]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[4][28]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[29]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[29]
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[29]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[29]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[29][23]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[30][24]
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][20][2]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[4][31]
Young's modulusMPa1500 printed horizontal, 1600 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 527-1) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[1][20]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[4]
Elongation at break%4.5 at yield printed (Prusament); Spectrum quotes 400 at break on moulded specimens[1][2]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[4][30]
Flexural strengthMPa63 ± 1 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament), against 66 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG[1][20]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa1800 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[1]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 15 ± 3 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[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][20]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[4][31][32]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[1][20]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[33][34][35][36]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[37][38]
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[39]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[39][27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 70[1][20][2]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C68 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented57 (DSC)[4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[32]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[4]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[40]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[30][41]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[27][42]
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[23]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[41][27]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[30]
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[23]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[27]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[23]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[43][27]
RecyclabilityThe feedstock itself — Spectrum describes collecting, shredding and re-homogenising PETG waste[2]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[43]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[44]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[44]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[44]None needed in a normal room[44]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[26]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[42][27]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[26]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[27][45]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[26]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[27]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[26]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[46][47]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[48]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[46]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[48][47]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[47]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[49][47]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 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. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  21. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  32. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  40. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  41. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  42. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  43. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. 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
  45. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  46. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  47. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  48. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  49. 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