3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG vs Breakaway

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

PETG guideBreak-away support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG comparisonsMore Breakaway comparisons
PETG vs Breakaway — documented properties and sources
PropertyPETGPETGBreak-away supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings$42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[1][2]Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[1][2][5][6]1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]1 kg-equivalent spools span 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[8][10][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[7][8][12][9][13][14]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[8][10][11]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[7][8][15][9]Available from several mainstream brands[8][16]
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; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8]
Typical applicationsFunctional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[1][2]Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[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][6]220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[3]
Bed temperature°C60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[1][6]25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[6]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[1][6]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][6]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[17][18]4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
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]Easy — minor profile tuning[3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[17]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[6]Non-abrasive[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[19][20]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[3][4]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[19]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[19]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][21]Moderate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[3]
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][21]0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[3]
Drying temperature & time60–65 °C for 6–8 h[6][21]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[22]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[22]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[22][23]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][5][24]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][2][5][6]Not documented
Elongation at break%5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[2][5][6][1]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[1][2][5][6]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1][2][5][6]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[2][5][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][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]Not documented
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][18]Not documented
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]Not documented
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][6]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[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[1][2][6]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[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C71–81 (DSC)[2][5][6]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[2][5][6]Vicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[4]
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][18][28]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[29]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[30][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]Not documented
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[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
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[31][32]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[33]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[33]
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[33]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[33]Open a window / occasional ventilation[33]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[19]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[1]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[19]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[1]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[19]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[3][4]
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.[34][35]None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[36]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[34]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[35]None — there is no solvent to weld or smooth with.[36]

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. PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolySupport for PA12 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · 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. YXPOLYER Breakaway Support Filament 1 kg Black — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE breakaway support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 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. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF 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. 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
  30. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  31. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  32. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  33. 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
  34. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  36. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor