3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPLA vs PVDF

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

Recycled PLA (rPLA) guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPLA comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
rPLA vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLAPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[1][2][3]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183)[1]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools run 20–22[6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[10][11]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][3][8]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[9][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[13][10][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[9]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[2][3]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[4]
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][14]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]70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][15]Enclosure required (passive)[4]
Part cooling fan100 %[1]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None — brim not generally needed[1]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[16]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1][15]Expert / industrial hardware only[4][5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[15]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[17][15]Non-abrasive when unfilled[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[15]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[12]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[18]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[16]Not documented
Other hardware wearNot documentedHydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[5]
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][14]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[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[19]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[19]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[12]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[20][16]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][14]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[4]
Young's modulusMPa2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[1][14]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[4]
Elongation at break%3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[1][14]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[1][14]50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][14]1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[1][14]Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[21]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[1][14]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[18][17]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[1][14]Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[21]
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][18]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[17]Slightly flexible in thin sections[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][14]149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[21]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[1][14]113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[21]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented170 melting (ISO 11357)[4]
Continuous service temperature°C55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[3]149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[21]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[25]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 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[20][26]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[21]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[18][27]Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[4][21]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[26][18]Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[20]Excellent — essentially unaffected[4]
Food contactFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[3][18]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][11]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[28]Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[5]
Hazardous species emittedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[2]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[5]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[28]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[5]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedMolten 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[5]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[27][18]Not documented
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[18]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedThe processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[4][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.[29]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab 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]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[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 for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[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. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  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. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  15. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 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. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 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