3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG vs PPA

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

PETG guidePPA (polyphthalamide) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG comparisonsMore PPA comparisons
PETG vs PPA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPETGPETGPPA (polyphthalamide)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings$45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[1][2]Polyphthalamide — a semi-aromatic polyamide in which aromatic diacid units replace part of the aliphatic backbone; Raise3D and Bambu Lab both label it high-temperature nylon[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[1][2][5][6]1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[8][9][10]One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg12–70 across brands; IEMAI 12, ELEGOO 14, CHCKX 14, Bambu Lab 18–20, Hatchbox 26, Prusament 38, Prusament PETG V0 70[8][9][12][10][13][14]45 for the only unfilled PPA filament found — Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA at 1 kg; every other PPA in retail is carbon- or glass-filled[11]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[8][9][15][10]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[9][10]1.75 mm, 1 kg[11]
Typical applicationsFunctional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[1][2]Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[7]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–260 across brands; Prusament 250 ± 10, Polymaker 240–260[1][2][6]280–300 (Siraya Tech)[7]
Bed temperature°C60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[1][6]70–80 (Siraya Tech)[7]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[6]Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[7]
Part cooling fanAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[1][6]20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[7]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets. On smooth PEI a glue stick is used as a release agent, not an adhesive — PETG bonds to bare PEI hard enough to tear the sheet[1][6]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[7]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s8–15 (PrusaSlicer guidance); My Tech Fun ran Bambu Lab PETG Basic at 13 mm³/s[16][17]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Slight — corner lift on large flat parts[1][6]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[1]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1][6]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning[6]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[7]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[16]Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[7]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[6]Non-abrasive when unfilled[7]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[18][19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[7]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[18]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[18]High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[7]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — Bambu Lab reports 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; Prusa measures only 0.07 % in 24 h and 0.10 % in 7 days at the drier 22 % RH[1][20]High (0.8–2 %) — Siraya Tech publishes 2.59 % by ISO 62 immersion for the unfilled grade; on the equilibrium basis Bambu Lab uses, its 15 % carbon-filled PPA reaches 1.30 % against 2.35 % for the same maker's PA6-CF[7][4][21]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers); 0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1][20]2.59 by ISO 62 water immersion (Siraya Tech, unfilled) — an immersion figure, not the 25 °C / 55 % RH equilibrium basis the filled grades are quoted on, so the two are not directly comparable[7]
Drying temperature & time60–65 °C for 6–8 h[6][20]80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[7]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[1]Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[7]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic and shows a before-and-after-drying comparison; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers rather than a published dry-versus-conditioned figure[22]Siraya Tech publishes dry against saturated for the same grade: tensile 70 → 60 MPa, flexural 114 → 87 MPa, HDT at 1.8 MPa 73.5 → 48.5 °C, while Charpy rises 10 → 14.5 kJ/m²[7][11]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[22][23]Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[7]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38–51 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 47 ± 2 at yield; 62 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[1][2][5][24]72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[7][11]
Young's modulusMPa1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][2][5][6]3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[7]
Elongation at break%5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[2][5][6][1]10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[7]
Flexural strengthMPa58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[1][2][5][6]115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[7][11]
Flexural modulusMPa1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1][2][5][6]3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[2][5][1]10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[7]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's 4 J pendulum (ISO 179-1); Izod 3.37 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars[1][24]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[1][2][24]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[7]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method); measured on printed bars at 68.2 for Extrudr PETG, 72 for Fiberlogy PETG and 72.8 for Prusament PETG[1][24][25][26]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 18.2 mm (Fiberlogy) and 19.4 mm (Bambu Lab Basic) over 5 days at 1.25 kg[24][17]Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, about three times printed PLA (R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[27]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[7]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedSiraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[7][11]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2][6]81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[7]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[1][2][6]73.5 dry and 48.5 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa, Siraya Tech) — unfilled PPA deflects near its Tg; the 190–227 °C figures quoted for PPA are carbon-filled grades[7][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C71–81 (DSC)[2][5][6]80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[7]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[2][5][6]231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[7]
Continuous service temperature°C61–66 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across six grades from four brands; Prusa publishes 68 for Prusament PETG[24][25][26][17][28]Not documented
Annealing responseNot documentedSiraya Tech's product page offers annealing for strength while its own data sheet says annealing is not recommended because the print can warp; on its 15 % carbon-filled PPA, annealing lifts HDT at 1.8 MPa from 82.5 to 119 °C[7][11][29]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[30]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[31][23]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Moderate — a season or two[1]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure — Polymaker names outdoor use as a result[23]Withstands fuels, oils and industrial chemicals; Bambu Lab rates semi-aromatic nylon better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis and most organic solvents[7][4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[1]Absorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[7][11]
Food contactPET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[23]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[23]Not documented
RecyclabilityPET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[23]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[32]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈5 × 10⁹ median for the PET-based T-Glase filament in the same chamber study, against ≈1 × 10⁸ for PLA[32]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[32]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[18]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[1]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[18]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[1]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[18]Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[7]
Dimensional accuracy & detailStringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[1][6]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[33][34]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[35]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[33]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[35]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[34]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[35]

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 Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  2. PolyLite PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  7. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  8. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  28. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  30. 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
  31. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  32. 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
  33. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds