3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Silk vs PLA Stone

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

Silk PLA guideStone-filled PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Silk comparisonsMore PLA Stone comparisons
PLA Silk vs PLA Stone — documented properties and sources
PropertySilk PLAPLAStone-filled PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings$22.99/kg median; $15.99–$49.16/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[1]PLA filled with stone or mineral powder — Formfutura StoneFil declares 40–50 wt% stone powder[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab PLA Marble) and 1.50–1.70 (Formfutura StoneFil), ISO 1183[3][2]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[4][5][6]1 kg spools cluster near 21[7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[9][10][11][12][13]16–49 across brands; SUNLU 16, ELEGOO 19, Polymaker 21, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 38, Filament PM MarbleJet 49 on 0.5 kg spools[14][8][7][15][16][17]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][9][18]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][14]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[19][20]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools plus refills[8][2]
Typical applicationsDecorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[1]Architectural models, sculpture and props with a matte mineral surface[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[21]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[1]190–230 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed temperature°C35–45[1]35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][22]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on[1]Fan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[1]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[23]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[24]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[24]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[22]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[24]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[25][22]Moderately abrasive — stone fill[24][2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[22]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[24]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[26]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[23]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[1]Moderate — 0.44 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]0.44 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[1][27]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[28]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[28]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[28]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[29][23]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[1][30]33 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2330 ± 240 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Elongation at break%2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[1][29]6.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]75 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2920 ± 180 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[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 tensileMPa25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[1][30][31]30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[32][33]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[32][34][35]
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)[36][26]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[36][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]91 by tensile, 73 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]56 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C57 (DSC)[1]56 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[1]156 peak melt (DSC); Formfutura gives a 120–170 melting range for StoneFil[3][2]
Continuous service temperature°C50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[31]Not documented
Annealing response50–55 °C for 6–12 h[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[29][37]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[26][38]Degrades within weeks outdoors[26]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[37][26]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[29]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[26]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[39][26]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[39]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[40]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[40]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[40]None needed in a normal room[40]
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 & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[38][26]Sands to a stone-like matte surface[2]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[26][41]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[26]Not documented
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[1]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detail55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[1]Matte mineral surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[3]
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.[42]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[42]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[42][43]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[42][43]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[44][43]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[44][43]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 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. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PLA Marble — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. SUNLU High Speed PLA Marble 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Filament PM PLA MarbleJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  30. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  31. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  37. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  38. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  39. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  40. 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
  41. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  42. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  43. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  44. 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