3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Silk vs HT soluble

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

Silk PLA guideHigh-temperature support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Silk comparisonsMore HT soluble comparisons
PLA Silk vs HT soluble — documented properties and sources
PropertySilk PLAPLAHigh-temperature supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings$209.00/kg median; $100.00–$290.00/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[1]Break-away support compounded to survive high-temperature print chambers; 3DXTech sells separate grades for PC/ABS and for the PAEK and PEI class[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (ISO 1183)[1]1.37 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[4][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 168[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]100–290 across grades; 3DXTech THERMAX MTS1 100 at 2 kg, HTS2 168 at 250 g, HTS1 250 at 500 g, IEMAI 3D HT-SP 290 at 1 kg[7][13]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][8][14]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[15][16]1.75 mm; 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg and 2 kg spools[7]
Typical applicationsDecorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[1]Support for PEEK, PEI and PC-class prints, where PVA and PLA-based supports would decompose[2][3]
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]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][18]Actively heated chamber required — it is used inside high-temperature builds[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]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]Expert / industrial hardware only[2]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA dual-extruder machine rated for high-temperature materials; 3DXTech states the grade is intended for dual-extruder printers designed to print high-temp materials[20]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[18]Brass fine indefinitely[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[21][18]Non-abrasive[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[18]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1[20][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]Not documented
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][24]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]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[25]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1 because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[20][22]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[26][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][27]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[1][26]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its support grades — they are not characterised as structural materials[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]205 (THERMAX HTS1, printed XY, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°C57 (DSC)[1]225 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, DSC) — high enough to stay solid inside a PEI or PEEK build[2]
Melting point / Vicat°C158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[1]Not documented
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
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq on all three THERMAX support grades (ASTM D257) — insulating[2][35][3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[36]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[36]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[36]Open a window / occasional ventilation[36]
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][37]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]Not documented
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[1]This is the support material. MTS1 is matched to PC/ABS and PC; HTS1 and HTS2 to the higher-temperature classes[3][2]
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.[38]Aqueous alkali, not water: IEMAI specifies an alkaline bath in an ultrasonic cleaner until the support dissolves.[13]
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]None — the alkaline bath dissolves the support rather than welding anything.[13]

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 HTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 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. 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. IEMAI 3D HT-SP alkaline-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 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. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  22. THERMAX MTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker 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. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  36. 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
  37. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  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