3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PPS vs PVDF

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

PPS guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PPS comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
PPS vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPPSHIGHTEMPPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$116.97/kg median; $84.00–$200.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyphenylene sulfide — a semi-crystalline high-temperature polymer[1][2]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.28 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) and 1.33 (ISO 1183, Spectrum PPS AM230)[1][5]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 84–200; the middle of the market is about 117[6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg84-200 across brands and diameters; IEMAI 3D 84 at 1 kg, Spectrum PPS AM230 117 at 750 g, 3DXTech ThermaX PPS 140 at 2.85 mm and 200 at 1.75 mm[6][7][8]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[6]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][7]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[6][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[6]
Typical applicationsChemical-plant and under-bonnet parts needing solvent resistance above 200 °C[2]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C335-345 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); 300-330 (Spectrum)[1][5]Not documented
Bed temperature°C110-130 (3DXTech); 100-120 (Spectrum)[1][5]70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[10][11]Enclosure required (passive)[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C60-80 actively heated (Spectrum PPS AM230)[5]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidAdhesive required — Spectrum specifies Magigoo Pro HT[5]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[10][11]Expert / industrial hardware only[3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[10]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 110 °C pre-dry before every print[12]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[9]
Other hardware wearNot documentedHydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[4]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Polymaker states minimal water absorption at 0.05 %[2]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.01 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570) — effectively non-absorbing[13]Not documented
Drying temperature & timeAt least 3 h at 90 °C in hot dry air if the filament has taken up moisture (Spectrum)[5]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthLittle to measure — equilibrium uptake is 0.05 %; 3DXTech still specifies a 110 °C, 4 h pre-dry before printing[2][12]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[9]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa50 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 65 at break injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 94 at yield on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[1][5][13]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2650 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 3650 injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 5769 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[1][5][13]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) against 2.0 injection-moulded (Spectrum) and 2.5 on extruded stock — the suppliers disagree by nearly an order of magnitude[1][5][13]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa52 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech); 141 on extruded stock (ASTM D790)[1][13]50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2540 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²1.3 notched injection-moulded (ISO 179-1eA, Spectrum); unnotched 18[5]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod notched 33 J/m on extruded PPS stock, converted from 0.62 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[13]Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[14]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded PPS stock (ASTM D785)[13]Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[14]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PPS stock, and Spectrum states that rigidity, strength and creep resistance are unchanged under continuous load at high temperature[13][5]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C90 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 129 injection-moulded (ISO 75, Spectrum); 204 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[1][5][13]149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[14]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C107 injection-moulded (ISO 75 at 1.81 MPa, Spectrum); 104 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[5][13]113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[14]
Melting point / Vicat°C283 melting (ISO 11357, 3DXTech) and 280 on extruded stock; Vicat softening 236 at 50 N injection-moulded (ISO 306, Spectrum)[1][5][13]170 melting (ISO 11357)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F[13]149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[14]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K59.4 (extruded PPS stock, 22-60 °C, ASTM D696; source states 3.3e-5 in/in/°F)[13]127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[14]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[1]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[14]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[3][14]
Chemical resistanceOutstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[2]Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; extruded stock takes up 0.01 % water in 24 h[13]Excellent — essentially unaffected[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — 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[15]Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[4]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedAbove 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[4]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[15]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[4]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedMolten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[4]
Post-Processing
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedThe processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[3][4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNone — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[16][17]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[18]
Softened or crazed byNothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[17]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[18][19]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[16]None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[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

  1. ThermaX PPS Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  3. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  5. Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Spectrum PPS AM230 Natural, 1.75 mm / 750 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  11. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  12. THERMAX PPS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  13. TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  14. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  15. 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
  16. PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds