3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Glow vs rPLA

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

Glow-in-the-dark PLA guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Glow comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
PLA Glow vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLARecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[1]PLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[2][3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[5][6]1.24 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[7][8]1 kg spools run 20–22[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[12][7][8][13]16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[14][15]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][12]Available from several mainstream brands[3][4][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[16][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[17][14][3]
Typical applicationsSignage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[5]General-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[3][2][18]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[5][19][6]210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[2][4]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[5][6]40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[2][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5]Open frame is fine[2][20]
Part cooling fanFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[5][6]100 %[2]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone — brim not generally needed[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[21]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[19][8]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2][20]
Extruder requirementBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[19]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[19][8][6]Brass fine indefinitely[20]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — the phosphor is a hard ceramic; Bambu Lab groups glow with carbon fibre as the materials that wear nozzles and grind AMS PTFE, and both Bambu Lab and Polymaker require a hardened nozzle[19][6]Non-abrasive[22][20]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[19]Very low[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[23]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[24][19]No special hot-end required[21]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[19][6]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[5]Moderate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[2][18]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[5]0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[2]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]
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[25]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[25]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[26][21]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[5][6]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[2][18]
Young's modulusMPa2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[5][6]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[2][18]
Elongation at break%8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[5][6]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[2][18]
Flexural strengthMPa76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[5]82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[2][18]
Flexural modulusMPa2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[5][6]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[2][18]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[5][6]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[5][6]Charpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[2][18]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[5]21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[2][18]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[5]Brittle — snaps with little warning[23][22]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[2][18]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no glow-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][28][29]Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][30]
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 the glow filler leaves a brittle, highly abrasive compound[31][5]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[31][23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[5]Rigid[22]
Z strength as % of XY%81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[2][18]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[2][18]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC)[5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[5][6]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[32]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[26][33]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[23]Degrades within weeks outdoors[23][34]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[33][23]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[26]
Food contactNot documentedFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[4][23]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[4]
RecyclabilityNot documentedThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[4][15]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[35]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[35]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[35]None needed in a normal room[35]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[34][23]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[3]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[19]Not documented
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.[36]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[36]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[36][37]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[36][37]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[38][37]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[38][37]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  2. Prusament PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  3. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  7. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  14. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  19. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  33. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  34. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  35. 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
  36. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  37. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  38. 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