3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PSU vs Breakaway

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

PSU guideBreak-away support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PSU comparisonsMore Breakaway comparisons
PSU vs Breakaway — documented properties and sources
PropertyPSUHIGHTEMPBreak-away supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$168.00/kg median; $168.00–$168.00/kg across 1 dated product listings$42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolysulfone — the lowest-temperature and cheapest of the sulfone family[1]Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 250[4]1 kg-equivalent spools span 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[5][6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg168-250 across formats; 250 g spool $42 (168/kg), 500 g $125 (250/kg) — 3DXTech is the only filament supplier found[4]26–80 across brands and grades; IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE 26, Polymaker PolySupport for PLA 40 at 750 g, YXPOLYER 45, PolySupport for PA12 80 at 500 g[5][6][7]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4]Available from several mainstream brands[5][4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 250 g and 500 g spools[4]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5]
Typical applicationsTransparent high-temperature housings, medical trays and hot-water fittings[1]Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Bed temperature°C120–140 (3DXTech)[1]25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[8][9]Open frame is fine[2]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[8][9]Easy — minor profile tuning[2]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer[2]
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[8]Brass fine indefinitely[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[10]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Polymaker specifies a 55 °C dry for the PLA grade and warns brass nozzle life falls to about 9 h on the PA12 grade[2][3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.30 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[11]0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo 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[10]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa52 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 81 at break on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[1][11]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2100 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%8 (printed XY, ISO 527) against 50 on extruded stock — nearly three times PPSU's printed 3 %[1][13][11]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa87 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2050 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod notched 69 J/m on extruded PSU stock, converted from 1.3 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[11]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Not documented
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M120 on extruded PSU stock (ASTM D785)[11]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. 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[11]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C172 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 181 on extruded stock, converted from 358 °F at 66 psi[1][11]43 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, PolySupport for PA12). Polymaker's sheet prints a higher figure at the higher load, which is physically inverted; treat both HDT numbers as approximate[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C174 on extruded PSU stock, converted from 345 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[11]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, PolySupport for PA12) — printed above the 0.45 MPa figure on Polymaker's own sheet, which cannot be right; treat both as approximate[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C187 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 185 on extruded stock (ASTM D3418), against 230 for PPSU[1][13][11]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedVicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C141 long-term service on extruded PSU stock, converted from 285 °F[11]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K55.8 (extruded PSU stock, ASTM D696; source states 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[11]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 on extruded PSU stock[11]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an insulator (IEC 60093)[1]Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[14][15]
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[16]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[16]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[16]Open a window / occasional ventilation[16]
Post-Processing
Support material pairingNot documentedThis is the support material. Polymaker publishes an adhesion matrix per model material, from very good to unusable, because break-away supports only work against the polymer they were matched to[2][3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane, chloroform — dissolve polysulfone; ketones and esters attack it as well.[17][18]None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[19]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, MEK, ethyl acetate, benzene and toluene craze or stress-crack it; methanol and isopropanol only marginally.[18][17]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PSU and NMP softens residual resin. Both are laboratory reagents.[17]None — there is no solvent to weld or smooth with.[19]

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 PSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. PolySupport for PA12 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. YXPOLYER Breakaway Support Filament 1 kg Black — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE breakaway support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  9. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  10. THERMAX PSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  11. TECASON S natural (PSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  12. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  14. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  15. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  16. 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
  17. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor