3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PVA vs PVB
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PVA (soluble support)SUPPORT | PVBSPECIALTY |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings | $66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[1][2] | Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[1][2] | 1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[5][6][7][8] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[6][9] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 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[5][6][7][10][8] | 49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[6][9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][6][7][10][8] | Available from several mainstream brands[6][9] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5][6] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[6][9] |
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[2] | Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | +/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4] |
| Bed temperature°C | 25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[2] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[11] | 100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet or painter's tape[11] | Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Sticks to most surfaces[11] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[11] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[12][2] | Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[3] |
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[2] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[2] | Brass fine indefinitely[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[2] | Non-abrasive[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[12] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[13][12] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[11] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[11] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[2] | Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[3][14][4] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[12] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | 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[12] | Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][12] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[12][2] | Sealed with desiccant[12] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | Not documented | 51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[3][14][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][4] |
| Elongation at break% | Not documented | 5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[14] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[14][4] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[14][4] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Moderate[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[1] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Poor — fails after a few cycles[1] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Not documented | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4] |
| Wear resistance & friction | 3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[1] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][14][4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][14][4] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[1] | 70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][14] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][14] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[1] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[2] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[2][11] | Not documented |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[2][1] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not offered as a food-contact material[1] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[11] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[11] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[15] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[15] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[15] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[15] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[11] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[11] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[2] | Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3] |
| Support material pairing | This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[2] | PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[2] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[14] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[16][17] | Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[13] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[18] | Not documented |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[16] | Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[19][13] |
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
- 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
- PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- 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
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 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
- Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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
- 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
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc