3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PVA vs PVDF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PVA (soluble support)SUPPORT | PVDFENGINEERING |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings | $250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[1][2] | Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[1][2] | 1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[3] |
| 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 251[5] |
| 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][9][8] | 251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[5] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][6][7][9][8] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[5][10] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5][6] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[5] |
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[2] | Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[2] | Enclosure required (passive)[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[11] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet or painter's tape[11] | Not documented |
| 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 |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Not documented | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[3] |
| 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] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3][4] |
| 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 for unfilled grades[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[2] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[12] | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[10] |
| 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 |
| Other hardware wear | Not documented | Hydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[4] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[2] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | Not documented |
| 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] | Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[10] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[12][2] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | Not documented | 51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Elongation at break% | Not documented | 25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[13] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[13] |
| 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 | Slightly flexible in thin sections[3] |
| 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 | 149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[13] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[13] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[1] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 170 melting (ISO 11357)[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[1] | 149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[13] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 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[13] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1] | UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[13] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[2] | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[3][13] |
| Chemical resistance | Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[2][11] | Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[2][1] | Excellent — essentially unaffected[3] |
| 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[14] | Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[4] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Not documented | Above 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 requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[14] | Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[4] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Molten 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 | ||
| 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] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[2] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | The 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 in | Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[15][16] | THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[17] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[18] | Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[17][19] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[15] | None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[17] |
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
- FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
- 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
- FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 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
- PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
- Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
- Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds