3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Matte vs PSU

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

Matte PLA guidePSU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Matte comparisonsMore PSU comparisons
PLA Matte vs PSU — documented properties and sources
PropertyMatte PLAPLAPSUHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/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 compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[1][2]Polysulfone — the lowest-temperature and cheapest of the sulfone family[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]1.24 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[4][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 250[7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[8][5][9]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[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 mm; 250 g and 500 g spools[7]
Typical applicationsDisplay models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[2]Transparent high-temperature housings, medical trays and hot-water fittings[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]120–140 (3DXTech)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2][1]Actively heated chamber required[12][13]
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[14]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2][1]Expert / industrial hardware only[12][13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[15][2][1]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[12]
Abrasiveness1–5Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[1][2][16]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[18]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[14]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]0.30 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[19]
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][20]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[21]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[21]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[17]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[16][14]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][22]52 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 81 at break on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][19]
Young's modulusMPa1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[2][1]2100 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]8 (printed XY, ISO 527) against 50 on extruded stock — nearly three times PPSU's printed 3 %[3][23][19]
Flexural strengthMPa53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[2][16]87 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]2050 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
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[22]Izod notched 69 J/m on extruded PSU stock, converted from 1.3 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[19]
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][22]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[2]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M120 on extruded PSU stock (ASTM D785)[19]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22]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[19]
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)[24][18]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
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]172 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 181 on extruded stock, converted from 358 °F at 66 psi[3][19]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]174 on extruded PSU stock, converted from 345 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[19]
Glass transition (Tg)°C61 (DSC)[2]187 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 185 on extruded stock (ASTM D3418), against 230 for PPSU[3][23][19]
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[22]141 long-term service on extruded PSU stock, converted from 285 °F[19]
Annealing response50–60 °C for 6–12 h; some prints deform or warp, and a forced-air oven is required[2]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented55.8 (extruded PSU stock, ASTM D696; source states 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[19]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[16][25]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PSU stock[19]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[18][26]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[25][18]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[16]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[18]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[27][18]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[27]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[28]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[28]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[28]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[26][18]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[18][29]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[18]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.[30]Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane, chloroform — dissolve polysulfone; ketones and esters attack it as well.[31][32]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[30][33]Acetone, MEK, ethyl acetate, benzene and toluene craze or stress-crack it; methanol and isopropanol only marginally.[32][31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[34][33]Dichloromethane cement welds PSU and NMP softens residual resin. Both are laboratory reagents.[31]

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. ThermaX PSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  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. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 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. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  13. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  17. THERMAX PSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. TECASON S natural (PSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  26. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  27. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  28. 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
  29. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  30. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  31. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  34. 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