3D Printing Info
Specialty materials · Material guide

PVB

Prints close to PLA and smooths to a layer-free surface with isopropyl alcohol rather than a hot solvent — the only common filament with a genuinely safe vapour-smoothing route. Equilibrium…

3 product listings2 brands
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At a glance

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Prints close to PLA and smooths to a layer-free surface with isopropyl alcohol rather than a hot solvent — the only common filament with a genuinely safe vapour-smoothing route. Equilibrium moisture 2.36 %.

Applications

PVB filaments have two distinct useful roles. Smoothable grades such as PolySmooth and Prusament PVB are appearance materials: isopropyl alcohol can reduce visible layer texture on shapes that are awkward to sand. The benefit is a smoother presentation surface, rather than a claim that the part has become optically precise or mechanically stronger.

PolyCast is a separate PVB formulation intended for investment-casting patterns. Its low-residue burnout lets a printed pattern become an intermediate in producing a metal part. That application depends on the casting grade and process, not merely the polymer name. Both uses make moisture control important, and alcohol smoothing requires appropriate handling of a flammable solvent. Smoothing and burnout should not be assumed interchangeable across every PVB spool.

  • Investment-casting patterns ↗

    FDM · Polymaker PolyCast PVB casting-pattern filament · Manufacturer-listed applications

    Polymaker markets PolyCast for foundries, jewelry making and custom manufacturing. The printed PVB pattern is removed during the casting process; the final working part is cast metal, rather than the filament itself.

Sources
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Representative catalog values. Check the exact grade and its linked conditions before using a setting.

04

Drying

Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)

Full value & sources

Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)

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Properties & source data

45 documented fields

Open a topic to explore the complete data. Each value keeps its original conditions, units and dated sources.

Material & market8 fields
PVB — Identity & Market
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Base polymer / chemistryPolyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent
1 source
Density (g/cm³)1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10
2 sources
Typical price (USD/kg)1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80
2 sources
Price range across brands (USD/kg)49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g
2 sources
Market availability (1–5)Available from several mainstream brands
2 sources
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools
2 sources
Typical applicationsDisplay models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength
1 source
Diameter tolerance (± mm)+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)
1 source
Print settings6 fields
PVB — Printing Parameters
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Nozzle temperature (°C)215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)
1 source
Bed temperature (°C)75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)
1 source
Enclosure / chamber requirement (1–5)Open frame is fine
1 source
Part cooling fan100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)
1 source
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary
1 source
Overall printing difficulty (1–5)Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA
1 source
Nozzle wear & reliability3 fields
PVB — Hardware Wear & Reliability
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Nozzle hardness required (1–4)Brass fine indefinitely
1 source
Abrasiveness (1–5)Non-abrasive
1 source
Nozzle clog risk (1–5)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
2 sources
Moisture & drying5 fields
PVB — Moisture Behaviour
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity) (1–5)Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here
1 source
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
3 sources
Drying temperature & timeMaximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)
1 source
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly
2 sources
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant
1 source
Strength & mechanical properties12 fields
PVB — Mechanical Properties
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
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)
3 sources
Young's modulus (MPa)2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)
2 sources
Elongation at break (%)5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)
1 source
Flexural strength (MPa)72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)
1 source
Flexural modulus (MPa)2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)
2 sources
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)
1 source
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)
1 source
Layer adhesion / Z tensile (MPa)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
2 sources
Brittleness (1–5)Moderate
1 source
Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell)Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)
1 source
Elasticity / flexibility (1–5)Rigid
1 source
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
1 source
Heat & temperature4 fields
PVB — Thermal Properties
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
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)
3 sources
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)
3 sources
Glass transition (Tg) (°C)70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast
2 sources
Melting point / Vicat (°C)Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306
2 sources
Health & safety2 fields
PVB — Health & Safety
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Fume toxicity (1–5)Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study
1 source
Ventilation / filtration requirement (1–5)Open a window / occasional ventilation
1 source
Finishing & post-processing3 fields
PVB — Post-Processing
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Vapour / chemical smoothingIsopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface
1 source
Support material pairingPolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)
1 source
Dimensional accuracy & detailPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed
1 source
Solvents & solubility2 fields
PVB — Solvents & Solubility
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Soluble inIsopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.
1 source
Solvent welding & smoothing agentIsopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.
2 sources
How to read these values

Values describe representative grades, not every spool. Manufacturer datasheets and independent tests retain their source labels and dates. Printed orientation, test method, conditioning and formulation can change results. Unknown values are —. A listed use is not a certification. Shore A, Shore D and Rockwell hardness are separate scales.

Find a specific filament

Product listings and datasheets

3 listings

Historical USD/kg snapshots. Read each listing’s sale/from qualifiers, spool mass, source date, shipping and tax notes. Product figures are separate from the material summary.

Browse 3 products from 2 brands
PolymakerPolySmooth49.32 USD/kg

$36.99 / 0.75 kg spool = $49.32/kg, Polymaker product catalogue, Aug 2026

Handle polysmooth. Alcohol-smoothable PVB; equilibrium water absorption 2.36 %.

Open product listing ↗
Polymaker PolySmooth — product-specific figures
Density (g/cm³)1.10 (ISO 1183)
Nozzle temperature (°C)190–220
Bed temperature (°C)25–70
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%)2.36 equilibrium water absorption
Tensile strength (XY) (MPa)51.8 ± 0.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)
Young's modulus (MPa)2199 ± 43 (printed XY, ISO 527); Z 2010
Elongation at break (%)14.5 ± 2.9 (printed XY, ISO 527); Z 2.8
Flexural strength (MPa)75.9 ± 0.8 (printed XY, ISO 178)
Flexural modulus (MPa)2198 ± 57 (printed XY, ISO 178)
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)3.1 ± 0.8 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)
Layer adhesion / Z tensile (MPa)38.9 ± 0.8 (printed Z, ISO 527)
Z strength as % of XY (%)75 (printed Z 38.9 vs XY 51.8, ISO 527)
HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C)68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)
HDT at 1.8 MPa (°C)66 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)
Glass transition (Tg) (°C)70 (DSC)
Melting point / Vicat (°C)Vicat 70 (ISO 306)
PolymakerPolyCast66.65 USD/kg

$49.99 / 0.75 kg spool = $66.65/kg, Polymaker product catalogue, Aug 2026

Handle polycast. The investment-casting variant of the same PVB chemistry.

Open product listing ↗
Polymaker PolyCast — product-specific figures
Density (g/cm³)1.1 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)
Nozzle temperature (°C)190–220
Bed temperature (°C)25–70
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%)2.09 equilibrium water absorption
Tensile strength (XY) (MPa)53.2 ± 1.1 (printed XY, ISO 527)
Young's modulus (MPa)2215 ± 42 (printed XY, ISO 527); Z 2111
Elongation at break (%)5.7 ± 0.5 (printed XY, ISO 527); Z 1.3
Flexural strength (MPa)78.0 ± 2.3 (printed XY, ISO 178)
Flexural modulus (MPa)2233 ± 106 (printed XY, ISO 178)
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)2.9 ± 0.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)
Layer adhesion / Z tensile (MPa)26.3 ± 2.1 (printed Z, ISO 527)
Z strength as % of XY (%)49 (printed Z 26.3 vs XY 53.2, ISO 527)
HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C)67 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)
HDT at 1.8 MPa (°C)53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)
Glass transition (Tg) (°C)70 (DSC)
Melting point / Vicat (°C)Vicat 67 (ISO 306)
Prusa PolymersPrusament PVB79.98 USD/kg

$39.99 / 500 g spool = $79.98/kg, printedsolid.com product catalogue, Aug 2026; NFC spools list at $50.99 ($101.98/kg)

Handle prusament-pvb-1-75mm-500g-bright-green-transparent.

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Prusa Polymers Prusament PVB — product-specific figures
Density (g/cm³)1.10 (Prusa Polymers method)
Diameter tolerance (± mm)0.03
Nozzle temperature (°C)215 ± 10
Bed temperature (°C)75 ± 5
Part cooling fan100 %
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%)0.35 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (0.18 after 24 h)
Drying temperature & timeMaximum 60 °C; 4–8 h depending on how wet the material is
Tensile strength (XY) (MPa)50 ± 5 yield printed horizontal, 49 ± 5 printed vertical xz (ISO 527-1)
Young's modulus (MPa)1700 printed horizontal and vertical xz (ISO 527-1)
Elongation at break (%)4.6 ± 0.7 at yield, printed horizontal (ISO 527-1)
Flexural strength (MPa)72 ± 1 printed horizontal, 73 ± 3 vertical xz (ISO 178)
Flexural modulus (MPa)2200 printed horizontal, 2300 vertical xz (ISO 178)
Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²)7 ± 1 notched printed horizontal, 10 ± 1 vertical xz (ISO 179-1, edgewise)
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 55 ± 7 kJ/m² horizontal, 59 ± 12 vertical xz (ISO 179-1)
Layer adhesion / Z tensile (MPa)9 ± 1 interlayer adhesion (Prusa Polymers method)
Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell)77 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method, filament)
HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C)63 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)
HDT at 1.8 MPa (°C)58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)
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