3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PMMA vs POM

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

PMMA (acrylic) guidePOM (acetal) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PMMA comparisonsMore POM comparisons
PMMA vs POM — documented properties and sources
PropertyPMMA (acrylic)ENGINEERINGPOM (acetal)ENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listingsNot documented
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(methyl methacrylate) — acrylic, sold for 3D printing as a transparent glass substitute[1]Polyoxymethylene, normally the copolymer POM-C. Apium's filament grade is POM-C with antistatic additives; no unfilled POM filament was found on sale[2][3]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.41 (extruded POM-C stock)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[4]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50 at Push Plastic's 1 kg listing; 3 kg spools run the same per kilogram[4]Not documented
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4]Special order, 1-2 makers worldwide — Apium sells a POM-C ESD filament through its own shop and states its printers are the only ones able to process POM-C; no POM filament appears in the 3DJAKE or igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid[3][5][6][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[4]Not documented
Typical applicationsTransparent covers and light guides where PC's yellowing or cost rules it out[1]Gears, bushings, bearings, conveyor and food-machinery parts; Apium markets its POM-C ESD grade for semiconductor insulators, aerospace fasteners and sliding parts[2][3]
Printing Parameters
Extruder requirementNot documentedApium states that the adaptive heating system on its industrial machines is what makes POM-C printable, and that no other 3D printer can process it[3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedLow (0.1-0.3 %) — extruded POM-C stock takes up 0.18 % in 24 h and 0.80 % at saturation (ASTM D570)[2]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented66.9 at break and 64.1 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 9700 and 9300 psi)[2]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2275 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 330,000 psi)[2]
Elongation at break%Not documented40 at break and 9 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638)[2]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented89.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 13,000 psi)[2]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2758 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 400,000 psi)[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 53 J/m on extruded POM-C stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in[2]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedTough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; extruded stock elongates 40 % before failing. No printed figure is published[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell 86 (and R120) — the source names only the R scale on extruded POM-C stock (ASTM D785)[2]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedWear factor 65e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) and a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.21 at 40 psi and 50 fpm (ASTM D3702, extruded stock) — the properties that make acetal the default gear and bushing plastic; Apium lists good sliding properties as the reason for its grade[2][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented158 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 316 °F)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented110 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 230 °F)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented165 melting (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 329 °F)[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented91 long term and 141 intermittent (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 195 °F and 285 °F)[2]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented84.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.7e-5 in/in/°F)[2]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 HB on extruded POM-C stock[2]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood chemical resistance, particularly to bases; Apium lists resistance to bases as a headline property[2][3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — minor absorption; 0.80 % water at saturation (ASTM D570, extruded stock)[2]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedVolume resistance 1e14 ohm-cm, dielectric strength 500 V/mil and dielectric constant 3.7 at 60 Hz on extruded stock (ASTM D257, D149, D150); Apium's filament grade adds antistatic agents[2][3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedEasy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of POM-C stock[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone, MEK, ethyl and butyl acetate, THF, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride dissolve it; the last two are laboratory reagents.[8]Hexafluoroisopropanol dissolves it at room temperature; NMP and DMF only when hot. Laboratory reagents.[9]
Softened or crazed byAlcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils and phthalate plasticisers craze it, and the threshold falls as stress rises.[8]Acids, oxidants, halogens and hot concentrated zinc chloride attack it; alcohols, ketones and esters do not.[9][10]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane acrylic cement (IPS Weld-On 3): 2–5 min soak, 17.2 MPa lap shear at one week. Controlled carcinogen.[11]None — no solvent softens POM below its melting point, which is why it is bolted or heat-welded rather than glued.[9]

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. PMMA Filament 1.75mm 1kg — product page Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. TECAFORM AH natural (POM-C) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  3. POM-C ESD 3D printing — material page Apium 3D Technologies · 2026-08 · doc
  4. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Chemical resistance of PMMA products Mitsubishi Chemical (Acrypet) · 2026-08 · tds
  9. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  10. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  11. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds