3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Stone vs PPS

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

Stone-filled PLA guidePPS guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Stone comparisonsMore PPS comparisons
PLA Stone vs PPS — documented properties and sources
PropertyStone-filled PLAPLAPPSHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$22.99/kg median; $15.99–$49.16/kg across 6 dated product listings$116.97/kg median; $84.00–$200.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with stone or mineral powder — Formfutura StoneFil declares 40–50 wt% stone powder[1][2]Polyphenylene sulfide — a semi-crystalline high-temperature polymer[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Bambu Lab PLA Marble) and 1.50–1.70 (Formfutura StoneFil), ISO 1183[2][1]1.28 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) and 1.33 (ISO 1183, Spectrum PPS AM230)[3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 21[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 84–200; the middle of the market is about 117[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–49 across brands; SUNLU 16, ELEGOO 19, Polymaker 21, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 38, Filament PM MarbleJet 49 on 0.5 kg spools[11][7][6][12][13][14]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[6][7][11]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools plus refills[7][1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[8][9]
Typical applicationsArchitectural models, sculpture and props with a matte mineral surface[2]Chemical-plant and under-bonnet parts needing solvent resistance above 200 °C[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 (Bambu Lab)[2]335-345 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); 300-330 (Spectrum)[3][5]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab)[2]110-130 (3DXTech); 100-120 (Spectrum)[3][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2]Actively heated chamber required[15][16]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented60-80 actively heated (Spectrum PPS AM230)[5]
Part cooling fanFan on[2]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedAdhesive required — Spectrum specifies Magigoo Pro HT[5]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[17]Expert / industrial hardware only[15][16]
Extruder requirementNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[17]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass 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[17]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — stone fill[17][1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[17]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 110 °C pre-dry before every print[18]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.44 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Polymaker states minimal water absorption at 0.05 %[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.44 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]0.01 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570) — effectively non-absorbing[19]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedAt least 3 h at 90 °C in hot dry air if the filament has taken up moisture (Spectrum)[5]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[20]Little to measure — equilibrium uptake is 0.05 %; 3DXTech still specifies a 110 °C, 4 h pre-dry before printing[4][18]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa33 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]50 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 65 at break injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 94 at yield on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][5][19]
Young's modulusMPa2330 ± 240 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]2650 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 3650 injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 5769 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][5][19]
Elongation at break%6.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]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[3][5][19]
Flexural strengthMPa75 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]52 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech); 141 on extruded stock (ASTM D790)[3][19]
Flexural modulusMPa2920 ± 180 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]2540 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²9.5 ± 2.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2]1.3 notched injection-moulded (ISO 179-1eA, Spectrum); unnotched 18[5]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 24.0 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2]Izod notched 33 J/m on extruded PPS stock, converted from 0.62 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[19]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[2]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded PPS stock (ASTM D785)[19]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no stone-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[21][22][23]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[19][5]
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 and the mineral filler leaves a brittle compound[24][2]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%91 by tensile, 73 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C56 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2]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)[3][5][19]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]107 injection-moulded (ISO 75 at 1.81 MPa, Spectrum); 104 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[5][19]
Glass transition (Tg)°C56 (DSC)[2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C156 peak melt (DSC); Formfutura gives a 120–170 melting range for StoneFil[2][1]283 melting (ISO 11357, 3DXTech) and 280 on extruded stock; Vicat softening 236 at 50 N injection-moulded (ISO 306, Spectrum)[3][5][19]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F[19]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented59.4 (extruded PPS stock, 22-60 °C, ASTM D696; source states 3.3e-5 in/in/°F)[19]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[25]Not documented
Chemical resistanceNot documentedOutstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected; extruded stock takes up 0.01 % water in 24 h[19]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[26]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[26]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[26]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[26]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFormfutura'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[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands to a stone-like matte surface[1]Not documented
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte mineral surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[27]None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[28][29]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[27][30]Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[29]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[31][30]None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[28]

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. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Marble Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. ThermaX PPS Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  5. Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
  6. PLA Marble — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 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. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. SUNLU High Speed PLA Marble 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Filament PM PLA MarbleJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  15. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  16. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. THERMAX PPS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  19. TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. 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
  27. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  28. PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  31. 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