3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Matte vs PMMA

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

Matte PLA guidePMMA (acrylic) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Matte comparisonsMore PMMA comparisons
PLA Matte vs PMMA — documented properties and sources
PropertyMatte PLAPLAPMMA (acrylic)ENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/kg across 10 dated product listings$49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[1][2]Poly(methyl methacrylate) — acrylic, sold for 3D printing as a transparent glass substitute[3]
Densityg/cm³1.31 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183) to 1.38 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral, method not stated) — above plain PLA from the filler[2][1]Not documented
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[4][5][6]1 kg spools cluster near 50[7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[8][5][9]50 at Push Plastic's 1 kg listing; 3 kg spools run the same per kilogram[7]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][6][4]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[4][10]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[7]
Typical applicationsDisplay models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[2]Transparent covers and light guides where PC's yellowing or cost rules it out[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[11]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 (Bambu Lab); 190–210 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral)[2][1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 60 (Fiberlogy)[2][1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2][1]Not documented
Part cooling fanFan on; Fiberlogy specifies 75–100 %[2][1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidCool plate, high-temperature plate or textured PEI with glue (Bambu Lab); smooth PEI, textured PEI or glass (Fiberlogy)[2][1]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[2]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2][1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13][2][1]Not documented
Abrasiveness1–5Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[1][2][14]Not documented
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[13]Not documented
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[15]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Drying temperature & time50 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 60–70 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed; Fiberlogy specifies 50 °C for 6 h[2][1][16]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[17]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[17]Not documented
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[14][12]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa30 (printed XY, ISO 527, Bambu Lab); 35.1 on My Tech Fun bars for PolyTerra PLA[2][18]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[2][1]Not documented
Elongation at break%14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[2][14]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²6.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 19.2[2]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod 6.1 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars for PolyTerra PLA[18]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa22 (printed Z, ISO 527); flexural Z falls to 29 against 53 in XY; 12.9 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars[2][18]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[2]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[18]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)[19][15]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%73 by tensile, 55 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C58 (Bambu Lab) and 48 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][1]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C61 (DSC)[2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C163 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 63 °C[2]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C54 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[18]Not documented
Annealing response50–60 °C for 6–12 h; some prints deform or warp, and a forced-air oven is required[2]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[14][20]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[15][21]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[20][15]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[14]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[15]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[22][15]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[22]Not documented
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
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[21][15]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[15][24]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[15]Not documented
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[2]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.[25]Acetone, MEK, ethyl and butyl acetate, THF, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride dissolve it; the last two are laboratory reagents.[26]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[25][27]Alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils and phthalate plasticisers craze it, and the threshold falls as stress rises.[26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[28][27]Dichloromethane acrylic cement (IPS Weld-On 3): 2–5 min soak, 17.2 MPa lap shear at one week. Controlled carcinogen.[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. PLA Mineral — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PMMA Filament 1.75mm 1kg — product page Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Overture Matte PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Matte PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Matte PLA filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Fiberlogy PLA Mineral — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Extrudr PLA NX2 Matt — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  15. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  20. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  22. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  26. Chemical resistance of PMMA products Mitsubishi Chemical (Acrypet) · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  28. 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
  29. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds