3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PPA vs PVA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PPA (polyphthalamide)PA | PVA (soluble support)SUPPORT |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings | $65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyphthalamide — a semi-aromatic polyamide in which aromatic diacid units replace part of the aliphatic backbone; Raise3D and Bambu Lab both label it high-temperature nylon[1][2] | Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[5] | 0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[6] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[7][8][9][10] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 45 for the only unfilled PPA filament found — Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA at 1 kg; every other PPA in retail is carbon- or glass-filled[6] | 42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[7][8][9][11][10] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[6] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][9][11][10] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm, 1 kg[6] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[7][8] |
| Typical applications | Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[5] | Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 280–300 (Siraya Tech)[5] | 215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4] |
| Bed temperature°C | 70–80 (Siraya Tech)[5] | 25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[5] | Open frame is fine[4] |
| Part cooling fan | 20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[5] | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[12] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[5] | PEI sheet or painter's tape[12] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Sticks to most surfaces[12] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[5] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[13][4] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[4] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[5] | Brass fine indefinitely[4] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[5] | Non-abrasive[4] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[5] | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[13] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Not documented | High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[12] |
| Hotend requirement | High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[5] | No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[12] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | High (0.8–2 %) — Siraya Tech publishes 2.59 % by ISO 62 immersion for the unfilled grade; on the equilibrium basis Bambu Lab uses, its 15 % carbon-filled PPA reaches 1.30 % against 2.35 % for the same maker's PA6-CF[5][2][14] | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[4] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 2.59 by ISO 62 water immersion (Siraya Tech, unfilled) — an immersion figure, not the 25 °C / 55 % RH equilibrium basis the filled grades are quoted on, so the two are not directly comparable[5] | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[5] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[13] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Siraya Tech publishes dry against saturated for the same grade: tensile 70 → 60 MPa, flexural 114 → 87 MPa, HDT at 1.8 MPa 73.5 → 48.5 °C, while Charpy rises 10 → 14.5 kJ/m²[5][6] | Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[13] |
| Storage requirement | Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[5] | Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[13][4] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[5][6] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[5][6] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[5] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[5] | Not documented |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[1] | Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[3] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Poor — fails after a few cycles[3] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[5] | Not documented |
| Wear resistance & friction | Siraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[5][6] | 3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 73.5 dry and 48.5 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa, Siraya Tech) — unfilled PPA deflects near its Tg; the 190–227 °C figures quoted for PPA are carbon-filled grades[5][2] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[5] | 60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[5] | Not documented |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[3] |
| Annealing response | Siraya Tech's product page offers annealing for strength while its own data sheet says annealing is not recommended because the print can warp; on its 15 % carbon-filled PPA, annealing lifts HDT at 1.8 MPa from 82.5 to 119 °C[5][6][15] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[3] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[4] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands fuels, oils and industrial chemicals; Bambu Lab rates semi-aromatic nylon better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis and most organic solvents[5][2] | Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[4][12] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Absorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[5][6] | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[4][3] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not offered as a food-contact material[3] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[12] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[12] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[3] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Not documented | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[16] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Not documented | Open a window / occasional ventilation[16] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[12] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[12] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[4] |
| Support material pairing | Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[5] | This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[4] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[17] | Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[18][19] |
| Softened or crazed by | Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[17] | Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[20] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[17] | None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[18] |
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
- Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 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
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds