3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
Breakaway vs HT soluble
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Break-away supportSUPPORT | High-temperature supportSUPPORT |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 dated product listings | $209.00/kg median; $100.00–$290.00/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[1][2] | Break-away support compounded to survive high-temperature print chambers; 3DXTech sells separate grades for PC/ABS and for the PAEK and PEI class[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[1][2] | 1.37 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, ISO 1183)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[5][6][7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 168[8] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 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] | 100–290 across grades; 3DXTech THERMAX MTS1 100 at 2 kg, HTS2 168 at 250 g, HTS1 250 at 500 g, IEMAI 3D HT-SP 290 at 1 kg[8][9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][8] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8][9] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5] | 1.75 mm; 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg and 2 kg spools[8] |
| Typical applications | Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[1] | Support for PEEK, PEI and PC-class prints, where PVA and PLA-based supports would decompose[3][4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[1] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[1] | Actively heated chamber required — it is used inside high-temperature builds[3] |
| 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[1] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Easy — minor profile tuning[1] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3] |
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer[1] | A dual-extruder machine rated for high-temperature materials; 3DXTech states the grade is intended for dual-extruder printers designed to print high-temp materials[10] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[1] | Non-abrasive[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | 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[1][2] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1[10][11] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[1] | Not documented |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[1] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[12] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1 because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[10][11] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | 3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its support grades — they are not characterised as structural materials[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 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[2] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 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[2] | 205 (THERMAX HTS1, printed XY, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 225 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, DSC) — high enough to stay solid inside a PEI or PEEK build[3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Vicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[2] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[13][4] | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq on all three THERMAX support grades (ASTM D257) — insulating[3][13][4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[14] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[14] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[14] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[14] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Support material pairing | 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[1][2] | This is the support material. MTS1 is matched to PC/ABS and PC; HTS1 and HTS2 to the higher-temperature classes[4][3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[10] | Aqueous alkali, not water: IEMAI specifies an alkaline bath in an ultrasonic cleaner until the support dissolves.[9] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — there is no solvent to weld or smooth with.[10] | None — the alkaline bath dissolves the support rather than welding anything.[9] |
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
- PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PolySupport for PA12 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- THERMAX HTS1 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
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 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
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D HT-SP alkaline-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- THERMAX MTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- 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
- 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