3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA HS vs PSU

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

High-Speed PLA guidePSU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA HS comparisonsMore PSU comparisons
PLA HS vs PSU — documented properties and sources
PropertyHigh-Speed PLAPLAPSUHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings$168.00/kg median; $168.00–$168.00/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with rheology and crystallisation tuned for high volumetric flow; melt index 15.4 g/10 min vs 7–11 for standard PLA[1][2]Polysulfone — the lowest-temperature and cheapest of the sulfone family[3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[1]1.24 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[4][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 250[7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[8][9][10]168-250 across formats; 250 g spool $42 (168/kg), 500 g $125 (250/kg) — 3DXTech is the only filament supplier found[7]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[11][6][12]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[4][6]1.75 mm; 250 g and 500 g spools[7]
Typical applicationsLarge or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[13][11]Transparent high-temperature housings, medical trays and hot-water fittings[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[14]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[1][11]Not documented
Bed temperature°C30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[1][15]120–140 (3DXTech)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Actively heated chamber required[16][17]
Part cooling fanFan on[1]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s≈24 at 300 mm/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer; 30 % more flow than regular PLA at the same temperature[1][11][13][18]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[19]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[11][1]Expert / industrial hardware only[16][17]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[20]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[16]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[21][20]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[20]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[23]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[19]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[1]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[1]0.30 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[24]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1][15]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[25]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[22]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[15][19]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa43.9 at 300 mm/s and 46.0 at 46.7 mm/s (printed XY, ISO 527); 58.6 on My Tech Fun bars for Creality Hyper PLA[1][26]52 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 81 at break on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][24]
Young's modulusMPa2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2100 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]8 (printed XY, ISO 527) against 50 on extruded stock — nearly three times PPSU's printed 3 %[3][27][24]
Flexural strengthMPa71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]87 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2050 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataPrinting at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[1]Izod notched 69 J/m on extruded PSU stock, converted from 1.3 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[24]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32.4 at 300 mm/s, 37.3 at classic speed (printed Z, ISO 527); 35.3 for Creality Hyper PLA vs 23.0 for average PLA on identical bars[1][26]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[28]Rockwell M120 on extruded PSU stock (ASTM D785)[24]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[26]Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PSU stock, which is rated to 173 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa[24]
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 (R = 0.2)[29][23]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]172 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 181 on extruded stock, converted from 358 °F at 66 psi[3][24]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]174 on extruded PSU stock, converted from 345 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[24]
Glass transition (Tg)°C59 (DSC)[1]187 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 185 on extruded stock (ASTM D3418), against 230 for PPSU[3][27][24]
Melting point / Vicat°C164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[26]141 long-term service on extruded PSU stock, converted from 285 °F[24]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[30]55.8 (extruded PSU stock, ASTM D696; source states 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[24]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[15][2]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PSU stock[24]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[23][31]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[1]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[15]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[23]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[32][23]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[32]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an insulator (IEC 60093)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[33]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[33]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[33]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[33]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[31][23]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[23][34]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]Not documented
Support material pairingPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[35]Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane, chloroform — dissolve polysulfone; ketones and esters attack it as well.[36][37]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[35][38]Acetone, MEK, ethyl acetate, benzene and toluene craze or stress-crack it; methanol and isopropanol only marginally.[37][36]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[39][38]Dichloromethane cement welds PSU and NMP softens residual resin. Both are laboratory reagents.[36]

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. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. ThermaX PSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  14. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  22. THERMAX PSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. TECASON S natural (PSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  30. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  31. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  32. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  33. 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
  34. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  35. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  36. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  37. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  39. 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