3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PMMA vs PSU
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PMMA (acrylic)ENGINEERING | PSUHIGHTEMP |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings | $168.00/kg median; $168.00–$168.00/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Poly(methyl methacrylate) — acrylic, sold for 3D printing as a transparent glass substitute[1] | Polysulfone — the lowest-temperature and cheapest of the sulfone family[2] |
| Densityg/cm³ | Not documented | 1.24 (ISO 1183)[2] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 50[3] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 250[4] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 50 at Push Plastic's 1 kg listing; 3 kg spools run the same per kilogram[3] | 168-250 across formats; 250 g spool $42 (168/kg), 500 g $125 (250/kg) — 3DXTech is the only filament supplier found[4] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[3] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[3] | 1.75 mm; 250 g and 500 g spools[4] |
| Typical applications | Transparent covers and light guides where PC's yellowing or cost rules it out[1] | Transparent high-temperature housings, medical trays and hot-water fittings[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 120–140 (3DXTech)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Not documented | Actively heated chamber required[5][6] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Expert / industrial hardware only[5][6] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Not documented | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[5] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Not documented | Non-abrasive when unfilled[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[7] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.30 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[8] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not documented | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[7] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | Not documented | 52 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 81 at break on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][8] |
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 2100 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | Not documented | 8 (printed XY, ISO 527) against 50 on extruded stock — nearly three times PPSU's printed 3 %[2][9][8] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 87 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 2050 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Izod notched 69 J/m on extruded PSU stock, converted from 1.3 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[8] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Moderate[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell M120 on extruded PSU stock (ASTM D785)[8] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PSU stock, which is rated to 173 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa[8] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Not documented | Rigid[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 172 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 181 on extruded stock, converted from 358 °F at 66 psi[2][8] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 174 on extruded PSU stock, converted from 345 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[8] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 187 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 185 on extruded stock (ASTM D3418), against 230 for PPSU[2][9][8] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 141 long-term service on extruded PSU stock, converted from 285 °F[8] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 55.8 (extruded PSU stock, ASTM D696; source states 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[8] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | UL 94 V-0 on extruded PSU stock[8] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an insulator (IEC 60093)[2] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Not documented | 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[10] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Not documented | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[10] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone, MEK, ethyl and butyl acetate, THF, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride dissolve it; the last two are laboratory reagents.[11] | Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane, chloroform — dissolve polysulfone; ketones and esters attack it as well.[12][13] |
| Softened or crazed by | Alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils and phthalate plasticisers craze it, and the threshold falls as stress rises.[11] | Acetone, MEK, ethyl acetate, benzene and toluene craze or stress-crack it; methanol and isopropanol only marginally.[13][12] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane acrylic cement (IPS Weld-On 3): 2–5 min soak, 17.2 MPa lap shear at one week. Controlled carcinogen.[14] | Dichloromethane cement welds PSU and NMP softens residual resin. Both are laboratory reagents.[12] |
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
- PMMA Filament 1.75mm 1kg — product page Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- ThermaX PSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
- Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- THERMAX PSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- TECASON S natural (PSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Chemical resistance of PMMA products Mitsubishi Chemical (Acrypet) · 2026-08 · tds
- Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds