3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPLA vs PVA

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

Recycled PLA (rPLA) guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPLA comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
rPLA vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLAPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[1][2][3]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183)[1]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools run 20–22[6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[9][10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[13][14]42–96 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[9][10][11][15][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][3][8]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][10][11][15][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[16][13][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[9][10]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[2][3]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[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][17]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[1][3]215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[5]
Bed temperature°C40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[1][3]25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][18]Open frame is fine[5]
Part cooling fan100 %[1]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[19]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet or painter's tape[19]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[5]
Warping tendency1–5None — brim not generally needed[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[20]Sticks to most surfaces[19]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[19]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1][18]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[21][5]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[18]Brass fine indefinitely[5]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[22][18]Non-abrasive[5]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[18]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[23]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[19]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[20]No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[19]
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][17]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[1]10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[5]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[21]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[21]
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]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[21]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[24][20]Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[21][5]
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][17]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[1][17]Not documented
Elongation at break%3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[1][17]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[1][17]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][17]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[1][17]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[1][17]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[23][22]Not documented
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[1][17]Not documented
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[25][26]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[4]
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)[27][23]Poor — fails after a few cycles[4]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[22]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[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][17]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[1][17]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[4]
Continuous service temperature°C55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[3]Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[28]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[24][29]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[23][30]Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[5]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[29][23]Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[5][19]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[24]Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[5][4]
Food contactFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[3][23]Not offered as a food-contact material[4]
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[3]PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[19]
RecyclabilityThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[3][14]Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[19]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[31]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[31]
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[31]Open a window / occasional ventilation[31]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[30][23]Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[19]
Gluing & solvent weldingSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[2]Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[5]
Support material pairingNot documentedThis is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[5]
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.[32]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[33][34]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[32][35]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[36]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[37][35]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[33]

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. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  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. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  28. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  29. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  31. 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
  32. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  33. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  34. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  36. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  37. 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