3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG vs PPSU

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

PETG guidePPSU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG comparisonsMore PPSU comparisons
PETG vs PPSU — documented properties and sources
PropertyPETGPETGPPSUHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings$337.40/kg median; $223.00–$732.56/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[1][2]Polyphenylsulfone — an amorphous high-temperature sulfone polymer[3]
Densityg/cm³1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[1][2][4][5]1.28 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech; ASTM D792, Stratasys PPSF)[3][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]1 kg-equivalent spools span 223–733; the middle of the market is about 425[10][11][12][13]
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[7][8][14][9][15][16]223-733 across brands; IEMAI 3D 223 at 1 kg, 3DXTech ThermaX PPSU 250 at 500 g, 3D4Makers 425 at 750 g, Kimya PPSU-S 733 at 500 g[10][11][12][13]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[7][8][17][9]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[10][11][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[8][9]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 750 g spools[10][11][12]
Typical applicationsFunctional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[1][2]Steam-sterilisable medical and dental tooling, and aircraft interior parts[3]
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][5]Not documented
Bed temperature°C60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[1][5]130–150 (3DXTech)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5]Actively heated chamber required[18][19]
Part cooling fanAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[1][5]Not documented
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][5]Not documented
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[20][21]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Slight — corner lift on large flat parts[1][5]Severe — heated chamber needed[18]
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][5]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning[5]Expert / industrial hardware only[18][19]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[20]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[5]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
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[22][23]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[24]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[22]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[22]Not documented
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][25]Not documented
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][25]0.37 in 24 h and 1.1 at saturation on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[26]
Drying temperature & time60–65 °C for 6–8 h[5][25]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[1]Not documented
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[27]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[24]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[27][28]Not documented
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][4][29]55 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) and 55 (printed on side long edge, ASTM D638, Stratasys PPSF); 79 at yield on extruded stock[3][6][26]
Young's modulusMPa1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][2][4][5]2100 (printed, ASTM D638, Stratasys PPSF) and 2310 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 2344 on extruded stock[3][6][26]
Elongation at break%5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[2][4][5][1]3 (printed, ISO 527 and ASTM D638) against 60 on extruded stock — printing costs PPSU almost all of its ductility[3][6][26]
Flexural strengthMPa58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[1][2][4][5]110 (printed, ISO 178 and ASTM D790, 3DXTech and Stratasys PPSF agree); 91 on extruded stock[3][6][26]
Flexural modulusMPa1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1][2][4][5]2200 (printed, ASTM D790, Stratasys PPSF) and 2215 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech)[3][6]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[2][4][1]Not documented
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][29]Izod notched 58.7 J/m and unnotched 165.5 J/m (printed, ASTM D256 Method A, Stratasys PPSF); 160 J/m notched on extruded stock[6][26]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[1][2][29]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
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][29][30][31]Rockwell M86 on printed PPSF (ASTM D785, Stratasys); M96 on extruded PPSU stock (and an unlabelled 123)[6][26]
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[29][21]Good. Printed PPSF holds 189 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa (ASTM D648) and extruded stock is rated 149 °C long-term service, but Ensinger does not claim the creep resistance it claims for PSU and PPS[6][26]
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)[32]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2][5]190 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[1][2][5]189 (printed, ASTM D648 at 264 psi, Stratasys PPSF); 207 on extruded stock, converted from 405 °F[6][26]
Glass transition (Tg)°C71–81 (DSC)[2][4][5]230 (DSC) — the highest glass transition in the dataset[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[2][4][5]Not documented
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[29][30][31][21][33]149 long-term service on extruded PPSU stock, converted from 300 °F[26]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[34]55.0 (printed PPSF, ASTM D696; source states 5.5e-5 mm/mm/°C) and 55.8 on extruded stock (ASTM D696, from 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[6][26]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[35][28]UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[3]
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[28]Withstands repeated steam autoclaving, the usual reason to choose PPSU over PSU; Stratasys also lists PPSF as passing 24 h stress-crack exposure to antifreeze, petrol, motor oil, power-steering, transmission and washer fluid at 23 °C and 100 °C[3][6]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[1]Not documented
Food contactPET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[28]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[28]Not documented
RecyclabilityPET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[28]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedVolume resistivity 5e13 to 1.5e14 ohm-cm and dielectric strength 80-290 V/mil on printed PPSF (ASTM D257, D149)[6]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[36]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[36]
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[36]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[36]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[36]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[22]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[1]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[22]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[1]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[22]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailStringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[1][5]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[37][38]Dichloromethane dissolves it at 23 °C at every stress level; acetone solvates and softens unstressed PPSU (Solvay ESCR).[39]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[37]MEK ruptures stressed parts and toluene crazes them above 13.8 MPa; glass-filled grades survive where unfilled craze.[39]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[38]Dichloromethane cements PPSU and NMP softens residual resin; both are laboratory reagents, not workshop stock.[39]

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. ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PPSF (polyphenylsulfone) — FDM Data Sheet Stratasys · 2018-06 · tds
  7. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Kimya PPSU-S Natural 1.75 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI 3D PPSU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  19. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. THERMAX PPSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. TECASON P black (PPSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  34. 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
  35. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  36. 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
  37. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  39. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds