3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Glow vs PPA

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

Glow-in-the-dark PLA guidePPA (polyphthalamide) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Glow comparisonsMore PPA comparisons
PLA Glow vs PPA — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLAPPA (polyphthalamide)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings$45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[1]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[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[4][5]1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[7][8]One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[10][7][8][11]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[9]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][10]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[12][5]1.75 mm, 1 kg[9]
Typical applicationsSignage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[4]Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[6]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[4][13][5]280–300 (Siraya Tech)[6]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[4][5]70–80 (Siraya Tech)[6]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[4]Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[6]
Part cooling fanFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[4][5]20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[6]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[6]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[13][8]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[6]
Extruder requirementBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[13]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[13][8][5]Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[6]
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[13][5]Non-abrasive when unfilled[6]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[13]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[6]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[14][13]High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[6]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[13][5]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]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[6][3][15]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]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[6]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[6]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedOozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[6]
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[16]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[6][9]
Storage requirementNot documentedDry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[6]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[4][5]72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[6][9]
Young's modulusMPa2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[4][5]3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[6]
Elongation at break%8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[4][5]10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[6]
Flexural strengthMPa76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[4]115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[6][9]
Flexural modulusMPa2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[4][5]3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[6]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[4][5]10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[6]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[4][5]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[4]Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[6]
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[17][18][19]Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[2]
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[20][4]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[6]
Z strength as % of XY%81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedSiraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[6][9]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[4]81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]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[6][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC)[4]80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[6]
Melting point / Vicat°C155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[4][5]231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[6]
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[6][9][21]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[22]Not documented
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands fuels, oils and industrial chemicals; Bambu Lab rates semi-aromatic nylon better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis and most organic solvents[6][3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[6][9]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[23]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[23]Not documented
Post-Processing
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4]Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[6]
Dimensional accuracy & detailGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[13]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.[24]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[25]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[24][26]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[27][26]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[25]

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. Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 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. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  12. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. 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
  24. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  25. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · 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