3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA vs PVB

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

PLA (standard) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PLA vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA (standard)PLAPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[1][2]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3]
Densityg/cm³1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[1][4][2]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[11][12][13][14]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[9][10]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[15][16]Available from several mainstream brands[9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[6][17][18][13][19]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[9][10]
Typical applicationsConcept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[20]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[1][6][21]+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[1][4][2]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Bed temperature°C25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[1][4][2]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[4][15]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fan100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[1][16]100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[4][22][16]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[5]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[23]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[24][15]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[4][2][16]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[4][16][25]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[15][16]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[3]
Extruder requirementAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[15]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[15]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[24][15]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[15][16]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[26][27]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[22][28]Not documented
Hotend requirementAny standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[15]Not documented
Other hardware wearNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[24][15]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[2][4][29]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[2][4]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[3][30][5]
Drying temperature & time50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[4][2][28]Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[5]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[27]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[27]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][27]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[2][16]Sealed with desiccant[27]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[1][4][2][31][32]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)[3][30][5]
Young's modulusMPa2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][4][2]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][5]
Elongation at break%6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[4][2][1]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[30]
Flexural strengthMPa76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[1][4][2][33]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[5]
Flexural modulusMPa2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[1][4][2][33]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[30][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[4][2]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[5]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[1][2]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[1][2][32]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[30][5]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[22][24]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[1][34]Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[5]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[35][36]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[37][22]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[24]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[4][2][32]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[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1][4][2]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][30][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1][4][2]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][30][5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55–61 (DSC)[1][4][2]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][30]
Melting point / Vicat°C145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[20][4][2]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][30]
Continuous service temperature°C50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[24][32]Not documented
Annealing responseBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[2][38]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[39]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[2][4]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[22][20]Not documented
Outdoor durabilityNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[20][22]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[4][22]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[2][40]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[22][40]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[40][22][2]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[40]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[41]
VOC emission rateµg/min4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[41]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[41]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedLactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[41]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[41]Open a window / occasional ventilation[41]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[20][22]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[22][21]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3]
Support material pairingPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4][2]PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[42]
Dimensional accuracy & detailGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[24][2][16]PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[30]
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.[43]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[26]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[43][44]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[45][44]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[44][26]

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. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  6. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  21. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  31. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  32. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  38. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  40. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  41. 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
  42. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  43. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · 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