3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-PHA vs PVA

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

PLA/PHA blend guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-PHA comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
PLA-PHA vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA/PHA blendPLAPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[1]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.2 (ISO 1183)[1]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[4][5][6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[4][5][6][8][7]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1][9]Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][5][6][8][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[4][5]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[1]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C195–220 (colorFabb)[1]215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Bed temperature°C50–60 (colorFabb)[1]25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[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][10]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[11]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet or painter's tape[11]
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[10][12]4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to most surfaces[11]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[11]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[13][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[14]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[13]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedHigh — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[11]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[11]
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]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[13]
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[13]Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[13]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[13][3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa62–64 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2500–3300 flexural modulus (ISO 178, colorFabb)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8–3.7 (ISO 179, notched, colorFabb)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate — colorFabb positions the blend as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA grades[1]Not documented
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[17][18][19]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[2]
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[20][1]Poor — fails after a few cycles[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[2]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°CAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[2]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[21]Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[3]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedDissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[3][11]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedDissolves or disintegrates — by design[3][2]
Food contactNot documentedNot offered as a food-contact material[2]
Biodegradability / compostabilitycolorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[1]PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[11]
RecyclabilityNot documentedDissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[11]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[22]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[22]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[22]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedNot sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[11]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedNot applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[11]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedWater is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[3]
Support material pairingNot documentedThis is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[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.[23]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[24][25]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[23][26]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[28][26]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[24]

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. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  10. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  11. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker 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. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  21. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. 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
  23. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  24. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  25. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  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