3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-GF vs PVB

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

Glass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-GF comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PLA-GF vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF)PLAPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$44.99/kg median; $29.99–$59.99/kg across 2 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with chopped glass fibre — 12 wt% (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF), 15–20 wt% (eSUN PLA-GF). Bambu Lab PLA Galaxy uses glass microspheres, not fibre, and is not equivalent[1][2][3]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[4]
Densityg/cm³1.31 (eSUN) to 1.337 (Polymaker), ISO 1183 / GB/T 1033[1][2]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 30[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg30–60 across brands; Polymaker 30, Proto-pasta 60[6][7]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[8][9]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][7][2]Available from several mainstream brands[8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[7][8]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8][9]
Typical applicationsStiff brackets and fixtures; the Polymaker grade is aimed at parts annealed for heat resistance[1]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–230 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Bed temperature°C25–60 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fanFan on — eSUN specifies 100 %[2]100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedSmooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[5]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s28 at Polymaker's stated 350 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; eSUN prints its specimens at 60 mm/s[1][2][10]Not documented
Shrinkage%0.05 in X-Y and Z, 0.10 diagonal (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1]Non-abrasive[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[11]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[12][13]
Hotend requirementHardened steel or ruby nozzle; Polymaker's own slicer preset sets a minimum nozzle hardness of 40 HRC[1]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[14][15]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[4][16][5]
Drying temperature & time60 °C for 6 h (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[5]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[13]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[4][13]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant[13]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa50.1 as printed and 50.2 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 59.3 by GB/T 1040[1][2]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[4][16][5]
Young's modulusMPa3794 as printed, 4207 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[1]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[4][5]
Elongation at break%2.77 as printed, 2.3 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 7.99[1][2]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[16]
Flexural strengthMPa86.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Flexural modulusMPa3685 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 4415 flexural modulus by GB/T 9341[1][2]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[16][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.31 ± 0.46 as printed and 4.92 ± 0.50 annealed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); Z 4.28 ± 0.18[1]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[5]
Other impact dataIzod 10.16 kJ/m² (eSUN, GB/T 1843)[2]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23.7 as printed, 22.5 annealed, printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[1]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[16][5]
Brittleness1–5Very brittle — elongation at break 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[1]Moderate[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[5]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no GF-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[17][18][19]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation at break falls to 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[20][1]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%47 as printed (23.7 Z against 50.1 XY), printed[1]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[5]
Wear resistance & frictioneSUN describes high wear resistance and positions the grade for wear parts[2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C75.5 as printed, 114.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the point of the material[1]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[4][16][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C59.7 as printed, 84 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[4][16][5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C59.8 (DSC)[1]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[4][16]
Melting point / Vicat°C174.9 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 148.9 as printed, 148.3 annealed[1]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[4][16]
Annealing responseAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 75.5 to 114.7 °C and modulus from 3794 to 4207 MPa[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[21]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[22]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[22]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[22]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[23]Not documented
Post-Processing
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedIsopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[4]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[24]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNear-zero shrinkage — 0.05 % in X-Y and Z (Polymaker)[1]PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[16]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[25]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[12]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[25][26]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[27][26]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[26][12]

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. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  2. eSUN ePLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.0 (Nov 2023) eSUN (copy hosted on 3d.nice-cdn.com) · 2023-11 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Galaxy Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  6. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  15. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  17. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  21. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. 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
  23. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  24. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  25. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  26. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 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