3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PPA vs HT soluble
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PPA (polyphthalamide)PA | High-temperature supportSUPPORT |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings | $209.00/kg median; $100.00–$290.00/kg across 4 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] | 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/cm³ | 1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[5] | 1.37 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, ISO 1183)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[6] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 168[7] |
| 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] | 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[7][8] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[6] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][8] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm, 1 kg[6] | 1.75 mm; 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg and 2 kg spools[7] |
| 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] | Support for PEEK, PEI and PC-class prints, where PVA and PLA-based supports would decompose[3][4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 280–300 (Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 70–80 (Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[5] | Actively heated chamber required — it is used inside high-temperature builds[3] |
| Part cooling fan | 20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[5] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[5] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | 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[9] |
| 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[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[5] | Non-abrasive[3] |
| 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] | 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[9][10] |
| Hotend requirement | High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| 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][11] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not documented |
| 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] | 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[9][10] |
| Storage requirement | Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[5] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not documented |
| 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 support grades — they are not characterised as structural materials[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] | 205 (THERMAX HTS1, printed XY, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[5] | 225 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, DSC) — high enough to stay solid inside a PEI or PEEK build[3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[5] | Not documented |
| 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][12] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| 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] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq on all three THERMAX support grades (ASTM D257) — insulating[3][13][4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Not documented | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[14] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Not documented | Open a window / occasional ventilation[14] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Support material pairing | Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[5] | This is the support material. MTS1 is matched to PC/ABS and PC; HTS1 and HTS2 to the higher-temperature classes[4][3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[15] | Aqueous alkali, not water: IEMAI specifies an alkaline bath in an ultrasonic cleaner until the support dissolves.[8] |
| Softened or crazed by | Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[15] | Not documented |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[15] | None — the alkaline bath dissolves the support rather than welding anything.[8] |
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
- THERMAX HTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · 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
- IEMAI 3D HT-SP alkaline-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- THERMAX MTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- 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
- THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 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
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds