3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Glow vs PPS

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

Glow-in-the-dark PLA guidePPS guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Glow comparisonsMore PPS comparisons
PLA Glow vs PPS — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLAPPSHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings$116.97/kg median; $84.00–$200.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[1]Polyphenylene sulfide — a semi-crystalline high-temperature polymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[4][5]1.28 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) and 1.33 (ISO 1183, Spectrum PPS AM230)[2][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools span 84–200; the middle of the market is about 117[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]84-200 across brands and diameters; IEMAI 3D 84 at 1 kg, Spectrum PPS AM230 117 at 750 g, 3DXTech ThermaX PPS 140 at 2.85 mm and 200 at 1.75 mm[9][10][11]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][12]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[14][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[9][10]
Typical applicationsSignage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[4]Chemical-plant and under-bonnet parts needing solvent resistance above 200 °C[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[4][15][5]335-345 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); 300-330 (Spectrum)[2][6]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[4][5]110-130 (3DXTech); 100-120 (Spectrum)[2][6]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[4]Actively heated chamber required[16][17]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented60-80 actively heated (Spectrum PPS AM230)[6]
Part cooling fanFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[4][5]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedAdhesive required — Spectrum specifies Magigoo Pro HT[6]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[15][8]Expert / industrial hardware only[16][17]
Extruder requirementBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[15]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[15][8][5]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[16]
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[15][5]Non-abrasive when unfilled[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 110 °C pre-dry before every print[18]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[19][15]Not documented
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[15][5]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Polymaker states minimal water absorption at 0.05 %[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]0.01 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570) — effectively non-absorbing[20]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedAt least 3 h at 90 °C in hot dry air if the filament has taken up moisture (Spectrum)[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[21]Little to measure — equilibrium uptake is 0.05 %; 3DXTech still specifies a 110 °C, 4 h pre-dry before printing[3][18]
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]50 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 65 at break injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 94 at yield on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][6][20]
Young's modulusMPa2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[4][5]2650 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 3650 injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 5769 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][6][20]
Elongation at break%8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[4][5]18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) against 2.0 injection-moulded (Spectrum) and 2.5 on extruded stock — the suppliers disagree by nearly an order of magnitude[2][6][20]
Flexural strengthMPa76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[4]52 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech); 141 on extruded stock (ASTM D790)[2][20]
Flexural modulusMPa2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[4][5]2540 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[4][5]1.3 notched injection-moulded (ISO 179-1eA, Spectrum); unnotched 18[6]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[4][5]Izod notched 33 J/m on extruded PPS stock, converted from 0.62 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[20]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[4]Moderate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded PPS stock (ASTM D785)[20]
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[22][23][24]Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PPS stock, and Spectrum states that rigidity, strength and creep resistance are unchanged under continuous load at high temperature[20][6]
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[25][4]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[4]90 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 129 injection-moulded (ISO 75, Spectrum); 204 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[2][6][20]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]107 injection-moulded (ISO 75 at 1.81 MPa, Spectrum); 104 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[6][20]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC)[4]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[4][5]283 melting (ISO 11357, 3DXTech) and 280 on extruded stock; Vicat softening 236 at 50 N injection-moulded (ISO 306, Spectrum)[2][6][20]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F[20]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented59.4 (extruded PPS stock, 22-60 °C, ASTM D696; source states 3.3e-5 in/in/°F)[20]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[26]Not documented
Chemical resistanceNot documentedOutstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected; extruded stock takes up 0.01 % water in 24 h[20]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[27]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[27]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[27]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27]
Post-Processing
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[15]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.[28]None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[29][30]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[28][31]Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[32][31]None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[29]

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. ThermaX PPS Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · 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. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Spectrum PPS AM230 Natural, 1.75 mm / 750 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  17. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  18. THERMAX PPS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 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
  28. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  29. PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. 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