3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA vs HT soluble

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

PLA (standard) guideHigh-temperature support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA comparisonsMore HT soluble comparisons
PLA vs HT soluble — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA (standard)PLAHigh-temperature supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings$209.00/kg median; $100.00–$290.00/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[1][2]Break-away support compounded to survive high-temperature print chambers; 3DXTech sells separate grades for PC/ABS and for the PAEK and PEI class[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[1][5][2]1.37 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 168[9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[10][11][12][13]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[9][14]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[15][16]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[9][14]
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][12][19]1.75 mm; 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg and 2 kg spools[9]
Typical applicationsConcept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[20]Support for PEEK, PEI and PC-class prints, where PVA and PLA-based supports would decompose[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[1][6][21]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[1][5][2]Not documented
Bed temperature°C25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[1][5][2]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5][15]Actively heated chamber required — it is used inside high-temperature builds[3]
Part cooling fan100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[1][16]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][22][16]Not documented
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[5][2][16]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][16][25]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[15][16]Expert / industrial hardware only[3]
Extruder requirementAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[15]A dual-extruder machine rated for high-temperature materials; 3DXTech states the grade is intended for dual-extruder printers designed to print high-temp materials[26]
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; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1[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][5][29]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[2][5]Not documented
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[5][2][28]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[30]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[30]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[26][27]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[2][16]Not documented
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][5][2][31][32]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][5][2]Not documented
Elongation at break%6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][2][1]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[1][5][2][33]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[1][5][2][33]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[5][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[1][2]Not documented
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]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[22][24]Not documented
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]Not documented
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]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][2][32]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[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1][5][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1][5][2]205 (THERMAX HTS1, printed XY, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55–61 (DSC)[1][5][2]225 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, DSC) — high enough to stay solid inside a PEI or PEEK build[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[20][5][2]Not documented
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][5]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[5][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
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq on all three THERMAX support grades (ASTM D257) — insulating[3][41][4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[42]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[42]
VOC emission rateµg/min4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[42]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[42]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedLactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[42]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[42]Open a window / occasional ventilation[42]
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]Not documented
Support material pairingPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5][2]This is the support material. MTS1 is matched to PC/ABS and PC; HTS1 and HTS2 to the higher-temperature classes[4][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[24][2][16]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.[43]Aqueous alkali, not water: IEMAI specifies an alkaline bath in an ultrasonic cleaner until the support dissolves.[14]
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]None — the alkaline bath dissolves the support rather than welding anything.[14]

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. THERMAX HTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. IEMAI 3D HT-SP alkaline-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 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. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  27. THERMAX MTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  28. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  42. 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
  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