3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Silk vs PPS

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

Silk PLA guidePPS guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Silk comparisonsMore PPS comparisons
PLA Silk vs PPS — documented properties and sources
PropertySilk PLAPLAPPSHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings$116.97/kg median; $84.00–$200.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[1]Polyphenylene sulfide — a semi-crystalline high-temperature polymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (ISO 1183)[1]1.28 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) and 1.33 (ISO 1183, Spectrum PPS AM230)[2][4]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 84–200; the middle of the market is about 117[8][9][10]
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[11][12][13][14][15]84-200 across brands and diameters; IEMAI 3D 84 at 1 kg, Spectrum PPS AM230 117 at 750 g, 3DXTech ThermaX PPS 140 at 2.85 mm and 200 at 1.75 mm[8][9][10]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][11][16]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[17][18]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[8][9]
Typical applicationsDecorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[1]Chemical-plant and under-bonnet parts needing solvent resistance above 200 °C[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[19]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[1]335-345 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); 300-330 (Spectrum)[2][4]
Bed temperature°C35–45[1]110-130 (3DXTech); 100-120 (Spectrum)[2][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][20]Actively heated chamber required[21][22]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented60-80 actively heated (Spectrum PPS AM230)[4]
Part cooling fanFan on[1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[1]Adhesive required — Spectrum specifies Magigoo Pro HT[4]
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]Expert / industrial hardware only[21][22]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[20]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[24][20]Non-abrasive when unfilled[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[20]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 110 °C pre-dry before every print[25]
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]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Polymaker states minimal water absorption at 0.05 %[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]0.01 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570) — effectively non-absorbing[27]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[1][28]At least 3 h at 90 °C in hot dry air if the filament has taken up moisture (Spectrum)[4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[29]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[29]Little to measure — equilibrium uptake is 0.05 %; 3DXTech still specifies a 110 °C, 4 h pre-dry before printing[3][25]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[30][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][31]50 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 65 at break injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 94 at yield on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][4][27]
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2650 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 3650 injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 5769 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][4][27]
Elongation at break%2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[1][30]18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) against 2.0 injection-moulded (Spectrum) and 2.5 on extruded stock — the suppliers disagree by nearly an order of magnitude[2][4][27]
Flexural strengthMPa75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]52 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech); 141 on extruded stock (ASTM D790)[2][27]
Flexural modulusMPa2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2540 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[1]1.3 notched injection-moulded (ISO 179-1eA, Spectrum); unnotched 18[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 33 J/m on extruded PPS stock, converted from 0.62 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[27]
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][31][32]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1]Moderate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded PPS stock (ASTM D785)[27]
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[33][34]Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PPS stock, and Spectrum states that rigidity, strength and creep resistance are unchanged under continuous load at high temperature[27][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)[35][26]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]90 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 129 injection-moulded (ISO 75, Spectrum); 204 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[2][4][27]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]107 injection-moulded (ISO 75 at 1.81 MPa, Spectrum); 104 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[4][27]
Glass transition (Tg)°C57 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[1]283 melting (ISO 11357, 3DXTech) and 280 on extruded stock; Vicat softening 236 at 50 N injection-moulded (ISO 306, Spectrum)[2][4][27]
Continuous service temperature°C50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[32]170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F[27]
Annealing response50–55 °C for 6–12 h[1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented59.4 (extruded PPS stock, 22-60 °C, ASTM D696; source states 3.3e-5 in/in/°F)[27]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[30][36]UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[26][37]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[36][26]Outstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[30]Excellent — essentially unaffected; extruded stock takes up 0.01 % water in 24 h[27]
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[38][26]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[38]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[39]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[39]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[39]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[39]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[37][26]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[26][40]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]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detail55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[1]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.[41]None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[42][43]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[41][44]Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[43]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[45][44]None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[42]

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. ThermaX PPS Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  4. Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
  5. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Spectrum PPS AM230 Natural, 1.75 mm / 750 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI 3D PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  22. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  25. THERMAX PPS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  32. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  36. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  37. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  38. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  39. 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
  40. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  41. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  42. PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  43. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  44. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  45. 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