Filament comparison
PLA Matte vs PVDF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Matte PLAPLA | PVDFENGINEERING |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/kg across 10 dated product listings | $250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PLA compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[1][2] | Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.31 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183) to 1.38 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral, method not stated) — above plain PLA from the filler[2][1] | 1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[5][6][7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[8] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[9][6][10] | 251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[8] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][7][5] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[8][11] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[5][12] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[8] |
| Typical applications | Display models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[2] | Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[3] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | ±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[13] | Not documented |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 190–230 (Bambu Lab); 190–210 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral)[2][1] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 35–45 (Bambu Lab); 60 (Fiberlogy)[2][1] | 70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[2][1] | Enclosure required (passive)[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Fan on; Fiberlogy specifies 75–100 %[2][1] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Cool plate, high-temperature plate or textured PEI with glue (Bambu Lab); smooth PEI, textured PEI or glass (Fiberlogy)[2][1] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | None[2] | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Sticks to anything[14] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2][1] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3][4] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[15][2][1] | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[1][2][16] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very low[15] | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[11] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[17] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[14] | Not documented |
| Other hardware wear | Not documented | Hydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[4] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | 50 °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][18] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[19] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[19] | Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[11] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[16][14] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 30 (printed XY, ISO 527, Bambu Lab); 35.1 on My Tech Fun bars for PolyTerra PLA[2][20] | 51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[2][1] | 2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Elongation at break% | 14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2] | 25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[2][16] | 50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2] | 1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 6.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 19.2[2] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Izod 6.1 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars for PolyTerra PLA[20] | Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[21] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 22 (printed Z, ISO 527); flexural Z falls to 29 against 53 in XY; 12.9 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars[2][20] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning[2] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[21] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[20] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[22][17] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Slightly flexible in thin sections[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°C | 58 (Bambu Lab) and 48 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][1] | 149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[21] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2] | 113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[21] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 61 (DSC)[2] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 163 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 63 °C[2] | 170 melting (ISO 11357)[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 54 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[20] | 149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[21] |
| Annealing response | 50–60 °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·K | Not documented | 127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[21] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[16][23] | UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[21] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Degrades within weeks outdoors[17][24] | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[3][21] |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[23][17] | Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Good — insoluble in water[16] | Excellent — essentially unaffected[3] |
| Food contact | Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[17] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[25][17] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[25] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[26] | Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[4] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Not documented | Above 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[4] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | None needed in a normal room[26] | Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[4] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Molten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[4] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[24][17] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[17][27] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[17] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Matte surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[2] | The processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[3][4] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[28] | THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[29] |
| Softened or crazed by | Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[28][30] | Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[29][31] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[32][30] | None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[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
- PLA Mineral — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
- Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- Overture Matte PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Matte PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Matte PLA filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- Fiberlogy PLA Mineral — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Extrudr PLA NX2 Matt — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
- Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
- 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
- Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
- Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
- Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
- 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