3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-PHA vs PLA Stone

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

PLA/PHA blend guideStone-filled PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-PHA comparisonsMore PLA Stone comparisons
PLA-PHA vs PLA Stone — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA/PHA blendPLAStone-filled PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings$22.99/kg median; $15.99–$49.16/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[1]PLA filled with stone or mineral powder — Formfutura StoneFil declares 40–50 wt% stone powder[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.2 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab PLA Marble) and 1.50–1.70 (Formfutura StoneFil), ISO 1183[3][2]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg spools cluster near 21[4][5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented16–49 across brands; SUNLU 16, ELEGOO 19, Polymaker 21, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 38, Filament PM MarbleJet 49 on 0.5 kg spools[6][5][4][7][8][9]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1][10]Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][5][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools plus refills[5][2]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[1]Architectural models, sculpture and props with a matte mineral surface[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C195–220 (colorFabb)[1]190–230 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed temperature°C50–60 (colorFabb)[1]35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fan0–100 %; colorFabb states the blend runs on both heated and unheated beds[1][11]Fan on[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[11][12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[13]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's compatibility table says no hardened nozzle is needed while the note under the same table groups PLA Marble with particle-filled materials that should always use one[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Moderately abrasive — stone fill[13][2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[14]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[13]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[15][16]Moderate — 0.44 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.44 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[17]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[17]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa62–64 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[1]33 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[1]2330 ± 240 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Elongation at break%4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[1]6.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented75 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2500–3300 flexural modulus (ISO 178, colorFabb)[1]2920 ± 180 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8–3.7 (ISO 179, notched, colorFabb)[1]9.5 ± 2.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 24.0 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Brittleness1–5Moderate — colorFabb positions the blend as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA grades[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no PLA/PHA creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[18][19][20]Poor — no stone-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[18][19][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve for the blend; colorFabb positions it as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA, which ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[21][1]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the mineral filler leaves a brittle compound[21][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented91 by tensile, 73 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented56 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented56 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[1]156 peak melt (DSC); Formfutura gives a 120–170 melting range for StoneFil[3][2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[22]Degrades within weeks outdoors[22]
Biodegradability / compostabilitycolorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[23]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[23]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[23]None needed in a normal room[23]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedFormfutura's SDS sets an occupational limit of 1 mg/m³ for the stone powder and lists it as both a fibre and a particulate — do not dry-sand without extraction[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands to a stone-like matte surface[2]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte mineral surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA phase (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C); THF and DMF need 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[24]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[24]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[24][25]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[24][25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[26][25]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[26][25]

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/PHA technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  2. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Marble Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PLA Marble — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. SUNLU High Speed PLA Marble 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Filament PM PLA MarbleJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  10. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  11. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  12. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  16. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  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. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  25. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  26. 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