3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Silk vs PVB

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

Silk PLA guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Silk comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PLA Silk vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertySilk PLAPLAPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/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]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[2]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (ISO 1183)[1]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[4][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[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]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[7][8]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][9][14]Available from several mainstream brands[7][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[15][16]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[7][8]
Typical applicationsDecorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[1]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[2]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[17]+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[1]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[3]
Bed temperature°C35–45[1]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][18]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fanFan on[1]100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[1]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[3]
Warping tendency1–5None[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[19]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[18]Brass fine indefinitely[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[20][18]Non-abrasive[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[18]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[21][22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[23]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[19]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[1]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[2][24][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][25]Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[22]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[22]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[2][22]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[26][19]Sealed with desiccant[22]
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][27]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[2][24][3]
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[2][3]
Elongation at break%2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[1][26]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[24]
Flexural strengthMPa75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[24][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[1]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[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][27][28]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[24][3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1]Moderate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[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[29][30]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)[31][23]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[2][24][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[2][24][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C57 (DSC)[1]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[2][24]
Melting point / Vicat°C158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[1]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[2][24]
Continuous service temperature°C50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[28]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[26][32]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[23][33]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[32][23]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[26]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[23]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[34][23]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[34]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[35]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[35]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[35]Open a window / occasional ventilation[35]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[33][23]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[23][36]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[2]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[1]PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[37]
Dimensional accuracy & detail55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[1]PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[24]
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.[38]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[21]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[38][39]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[40][39]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[39][21]

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. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · 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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 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. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  25. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  28. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  34. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  35. 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
  36. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  37. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  38. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  39. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  40. 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