3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA HS vs PVB

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

High-Speed PLA guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA HS comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PLA HS vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyHigh-Speed PLAPLAPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 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]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[1]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[10][11][12]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[8][9]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[13][7][14]Available from several mainstream brands[8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[5][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8][9]
Typical applicationsLarge or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[15][13]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[16]+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[1][13]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed temperature°C30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[1][17]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on[1]100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedSmooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]
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][13][15][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[13][1]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[20]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[21][20]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[20]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[22][23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[24]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]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[1]2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[3][25][4]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1][17]Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[23]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[23]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][23]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[17][19]Sealed with desiccant[23]
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]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[3][25][4]
Young's modulusMPa2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][4]
Elongation at break%15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[25]
Flexural strengthMPa71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[25][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[1]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4]
Other impact dataPrinting at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[1]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4]
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]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[25][4]
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[27]Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[26]Not documented
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)[28][24]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[1]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][25][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][25][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C59 (DSC)[1]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][25]
Melting point / Vicat°C164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[1]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][25]
Continuous service temperature°C53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[26]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[29]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[17][2]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[24][30]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[17]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[24]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[31][24]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[31]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[32]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[32]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[32]Open a window / occasional ventilation[32]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[30][24]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[24][33]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[24]Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3]
Support material pairingPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[1]PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[34]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[25]
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]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[22]
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][36]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[37][36]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[36][22]

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. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  16. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  26. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  29. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  30. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  31. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  32. 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
  33. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  34. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  35. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  36. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  37. 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