3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Glow vs PVA

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

Glow-in-the-dark PLA guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Glow comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
PLA Glow vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLAPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[1]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[4][5]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[8][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][6][7][13]42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[8][9][10][14][11]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][7][12]Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][10][14][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[9][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8][9]
Typical applicationsSignage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[4]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[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]215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[4][5]25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[4]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[4][5]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[16]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet or painter's tape[16]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to most surfaces[16]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[16]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[15][7]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[17][3]
Extruder requirementBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[15]A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[15][7][5]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
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[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[15]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedHigh — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[16]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[18][15]No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[16]
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]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[17]
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[17]Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[17]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[17][3]
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]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[4][5]Not documented
Elongation at break%8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[4][5]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[4][5]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[4][5]Not documented
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]Not documented
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[19][20][21]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[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[22][4]Poor — fails after a few cycles[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[4]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC)[4]60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°C155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[4][5]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[2]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[23]Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[3]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedDissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[3][16]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedDissolves or disintegrates — by design[3][2]
Food contactNot documentedNot offered as a food-contact material[2]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedPVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[16]
RecyclabilityNot documentedDissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[16]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[24]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[24]Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedNot sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[16]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedNot applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[16]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedWater is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[3]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4]This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[3]
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.[25]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[26][27]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[25][28]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[29]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[30][28]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[26]

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. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support 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. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. 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
  25. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  26. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  28. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  30. 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