3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PVA vs Breakaway
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PVA (soluble support)SUPPORT | Break-away supportSUPPORT |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings | $42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[1][2] | Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[1][2] | 1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[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 span 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[6][9][10] |
| 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][11][8] | 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[6][9][10] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][6][7][11][8] | Available from several mainstream brands[6][5] |
| 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] |
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[2] | Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[2] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[12] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet or painter's tape[12] | 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] | 4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Sticks to most surfaces[12] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[13][2] | Easy — minor profile tuning[3] |
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[2] | A second extruder or a tool changer[3] |
| 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[13] | 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[3][4] |
| 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[12] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[12] | 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] | Moderate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[13] | 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[13] | Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[13] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[13][2] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| 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 |
| 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 | 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[4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 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[4] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[1] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | Vicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[4] |
| 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][12] | 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[12] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[12] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[1] | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[14][15] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[16] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[16] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[16] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[16] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[12] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[12] | 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] | This 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[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.[17][18] | None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[19] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[20] | Not documented |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[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
- 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
- PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PolySupport for PA12 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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
- YXPOLYER Breakaway Support Filament 1 kg Black — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE breakaway 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
- PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- THERMAX HTS2 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
- 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
- THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds