3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPLA vs POM

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

Recycled PLA (rPLA) guidePOM (acetal) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPLA comparisonsMore POM comparisons
rPLA vs POM — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLAPOM (acetal)ENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listingsNot documented
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[1][2][3]Polyoxymethylene, normally the copolymer POM-C. Apium's filament grade is POM-C with antistatic additives; no unfilled POM filament was found on sale[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183)[1]1.41 (extruded POM-C stock)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools run 20–22[6][7][8]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[9][10]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][3][8]Special order, 1-2 makers worldwide — Apium sells a POM-C ESD filament through its own shop and states its printers are the only ones able to process POM-C; no POM filament appears in the 3DJAKE or igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid[5][11][12][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[14][9][2]Not documented
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[2][3]Gears, bushings, bearings, conveyor and food-machinery parts; Apium markets its POM-C ESD grade for semiconductor insulators, aerospace fasteners and sliding parts[4][5]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[2][1][15]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[1][3]Not documented
Bed temperature°C40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[1][3]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][16]Not documented
Part cooling fan100 %[1]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None — brim not generally needed[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[17]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1][16]Not documented
Extruder requirementNot documentedApium states that the adaptive heating system on its industrial machines is what makes POM-C printable, and that no other 3D printer can process it[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[16]Not documented
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[18][16]Not documented
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[16]Not documented
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[19]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[17]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[1][15]Low (0.1-0.3 %) — extruded POM-C stock takes up 0.18 % in 24 h and 0.80 % at saturation (ASTM D570)[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[20]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[20]Not documented
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[21][17]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[1][15]66.9 at break and 64.1 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 9700 and 9300 psi)[4]
Young's modulusMPa2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[1][15]2275 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 330,000 psi)[4]
Elongation at break%3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[1][15]40 at break and 9 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[1][15]89.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 13,000 psi)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][15]2758 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 400,000 psi)[4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[1][15]Izod 53 J/m on extruded POM-C stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[1][15]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[19][18]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; extruded stock elongates 40 % before failing. No printed figure is published[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[1][15]Rockwell 86 (and R120) — the source names only the R scale on extruded POM-C stock (ASTM D785)[4]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22][23]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)[24][19]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[18]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedWear factor 65e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) and a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.21 at 40 psi and 50 fpm (ASTM D3702, extruded stock) — the properties that make acetal the default gear and bushing plastic; Apium lists good sliding properties as the reason for its grade[4][5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][15]158 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 316 °F)[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[1][15]110 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 230 °F)[4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented165 melting (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 329 °F)[4]
Continuous service temperature°C55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[3]91 long term and 141 intermittent (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 195 °F and 285 °F)[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[25]84.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.7e-5 in/in/°F)[4]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[21][26]UL 94 HB on extruded POM-C stock[4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[19][27]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[26][19]Good chemical resistance, particularly to bases; Apium lists resistance to bases as a headline property[4][5]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[21]Good — minor absorption; 0.80 % water at saturation (ASTM D570, extruded stock)[4]
Food contactFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[3][19]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[3]Not documented
RecyclabilityThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[3][10]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedVolume resistance 1e14 ohm-cm, dielectric strength 500 V/mil and dielectric constant 3.7 at 60 Hz on extruded stock (ASTM D257, D149, D150); Apium's filament grade adds antistatic agents[4][5]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[28]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[2]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[28]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[27][19]Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of POM-C stock[4]
Gluing & solvent weldingSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[2]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[19]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.[29]Hexafluoroisopropanol dissolves it at room temperature; NMP and DMF only when hot. Laboratory reagents.[30]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[29][31]Acids, oxidants, halogens and hot concentrated zinc chloride attack it; alcohols, ketones and esters do not.[30][32]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[33][31]None — no solvent softens POM below its melting point, which is why it is bolted or heat-welded rather than glued.[30]

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. Prusament PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  2. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. TECAFORM AH natural (POM-C) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  5. POM-C ESD 3D printing — material page Apium 3D Technologies · 2026-08 · doc
  6. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  16. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  26. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  27. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  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. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  30. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  33. 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