3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PVB vs PVDF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PVBSPECIALTY | PVDFENGINEERING |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings | $250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[1] | Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[1][4] | 1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[2] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[5][6] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[7] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[5][6] | 251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[7] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[7][8] |
| 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[7] |
| Typical applications | Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[1] | Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[2] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | +/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4] | Not documented |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4] | 70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[1] | Enclosure required (passive)[2] |
| Part cooling fan | 100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Not documented | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[2] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[1] | Expert / industrial hardware only[2][3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[1] | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | 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[9][10] | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[8] |
| Other hardware wear | Not documented | Hydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[3] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[1] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[2] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 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[1][11][4] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[1][10] | Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[8] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant[10] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 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)[1][11][4] | 51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[1][4] | 2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | 5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[11] | 25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4] | 50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[11][4] | 1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4] | Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[12] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 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[11][4] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4] | Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[12] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Slightly flexible in thin sections[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 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] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[1][11][4] | 149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[12] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[1][11][4] | 113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[12] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[1][11] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[1][11] | 170 melting (ISO 11357)[2] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[12] |
| 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[12] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[12] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[2][12] |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[2] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — essentially unaffected[2] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[13] | Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[3] |
| 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[3] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[13] | Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[3] |
| 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[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[1] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[14] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[11] | The processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[2][3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[9] | THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[15] |
| Softened or crazed by | Not documented | Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[15][16] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[17][9] | None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[15] |
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
- PolySmooth 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
- Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- 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 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
- Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc