3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Silk vs PVDF

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

Silk PLA guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Silk comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
PLA Silk vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertySilk PLAPLAPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[1]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (ISO 1183)[1]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[2]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[4][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[7]
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[8][9][10][11][12]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[7]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][8][13]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[7][14]
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; 750 g spools[7]
Typical applicationsDecorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[1]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[2]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[17]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C35–45[1]70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][18]Enclosure required (passive)[2]
Part cooling fanFan on[1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[1]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[1]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[2]
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]Expert / industrial hardware only[2][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[18]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[20][18]Non-abrasive when unfilled[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[18]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[14]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[21]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[19]Not documented
Other hardware wearNot documentedHydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[1]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[1][22]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[23]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[23]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[14]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[24][19]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][25]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[1][24]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Flexural strengthMPa75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[1]Not documented
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[26]
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][25][27]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[26]
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[28][29]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)[30][21]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[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]149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[26]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[26]
Glass transition (Tg)°C57 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[1]170 melting (ISO 11357)[2]
Continuous service temperature°C50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[27]149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[26]
Annealing response50–55 °C for 6–12 h[1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[26]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[24][31]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[26]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[21][32]Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[2][26]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[31][21]Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[24]Excellent — essentially unaffected[2]
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[21]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[33][21]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[33]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[34]Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[3]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedAbove 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[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[34]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[3]
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[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[32][21]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[21][35]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[21]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]The processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[2][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.[36]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[37]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[36][38]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[37][39]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[40][38]None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[37]

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. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  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. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 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. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  26. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  31. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  32. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  33. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  34. 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
  35. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  36. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  37. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  39. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  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