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Part 3: Material Comparisons

Alternatives

Before substituting a more expensive or difficult-to-print material, consider a different formulation of ABS or a blend with additives. The simplest way to modify the characteristics of an ABS resin is to vary the ratio of the three ingredient monomers, and this is the reason different manufacturers offer ABS with varying properties. For the same reason, good filament manufacturers offer Technical Data Sheets for their products.

ASA and ABS Blends

One issue with ABS is that it degrades under UV light (particularly direct sunlight). ASA is an alternative polymer:

  1. It behaves much like ABS when printed.
  2. It offers a higher heat tolerance, weather-resistance, and UV-stability.
  3. It is, however, more expensive than ABS, harder to source, and generally available in fewer colors.

Instead of completely replacing with ASA or another filament, a blended resin can be used. Filament made from resin with additives can greatly enhance specific properties. Materials commonly added to ABS include PMMA (translucency), PC (heat resistance), and ASA (UV stability, weatherability).

As ASA grows in popularity and more manufacturers carry ASA filament, prices will drop and sourcing options increase.

PC-ABS Blends

Blending ABS and PC is a popular method of introducing fire retardance to ABS.

Fiber "Fills"

Fiber "fills" are another option. Within the last few years, manufacturers began selling filaments with up to 30% fiber content. These glass- and carbon-fiber doped filaments have higher heat resistance, greater stiffness, and improved dimensional stability than regular ABS. Carbon-fiber-filled ABS (CF-ABS) is the most common form of ABS fill.

Both CF-ABS and GF-ABS have similar print requirements to their non-filled counterparts, but notably require a hardened metal nozzle. Most FDM printers use brass for nozzles; the fibers will erode a non-hardened nozzle.

More ABS blends and alternatives are likely to make their way into filament. As FDM 3D printing popularity grew in the last decade, filament manufacturers increased the variety of resins used to make filament. This trend will likely continue: for example, Sabic distributes more than 20 ABS resins grades. Larger filament manufacturers now carry filament in three or more ABS resin grades, but this is a far cry from Sabic's full catalogue.

Material Comparisons

Filament manufacturers consider nozzle temperature when choosing a base resin for their filament, particularly for materials that have high requirements. As a result, the Print Temperatures section contains averages developed from multiple sources.

Values are sourced from Polymaker for the remaining tables on this page. Polymaker was chosen because their products include Technical Data Sheets, they carry a wide range of materials, and they are competitively priced.

Material Nozzle Temp. Bed Temp. Air Temp. Notes
PLA 180-220°C 25-65°C 15-30°C Most common 3D-printed material due to low melting point.
TPU 210-250°C 25-60°C 15-30°C High flexibility makes this material difficult to print.
PETG 230-250°C 70-80°C 15-30°C PETG is at the upper range of capabilities for most entry-level printers.
ABS 230-250°C 90-110°C 45°C+
ASA 235-255°C 90-110°C 45°C+
PA 230-260°C 60-110°C 45°C+ Some forms of PA do not require a heated enclosure.
PP 220-250°C 85-100°C 45-60°C
PC 260-300°C 80-120°C 45°C+ Must be annealed after printing to relieve stress.

Price

Prices are current May 2023.

Material Unit Price ($/kg) Source Filament
ABS 22 PolyLite ABS
ASA 30 PolyLite ASA
PA6 67 PolyMide CoPA
PC 52 PolyMax PC
PETG 22 PolyLite PETG
PLA 23 PolyLite PLA
PLA+/Pro 25 PolyLite PLA Pro
PP 83 SmartMaterials Polypropylene
TPU (Shore 95A) 40 PolyFlex TPU95A

General Properties

Property/Material ABS ASA PA6 PC PC-ABS PETG PLA
Density (g/cm3) 1.12 1.13 1.12 1.19 1.1 1.25 1.19
HDT @ 0.45MPa (°C) 100 102 111 114 106 78 60
HDT @ 1.8MPa (°C) 98 100 70 99 112 75 58
Vicat Softening Temperature (°C) 104 105 117 120 135 84 158

Source: Polymaker

Mechanical Properties

The layers used to make FDM printed materials cause the finished material to have different properties on the X- and Y-axes (horizontal) than the Z-axis (vertical), so values are given here for each (where available).

Property ABS ASA PA6 PC PC-ABS PETG PLA
XY Axis Tensile Strength (MPa) 33 43.8 66 59.7 39.9 32 52
Z Axis Tensile Strength (MPa) 25 32 43 29.1 22.9 13 41
XY Axis Young's Modulus (GPa) 2.17 2.79 2.22 2.05 1.84 1.47 3.43
Z Axis Young's Modulus (GPa) 1.84 1.96 2.56 1.84 1.68 1.09 3.01
Flexural Modulus (GPa) 2.8 3.2 1.67 2.0 2.08 1.17 3.28
Elongation at Break (%) 2.4 6.7 4.6 12.25 4.2 1.3 1.8
Charpy Impact Test (KJ/m2) 12.6 10.3 17.2 25.1 25.8 5.1 3.3

Source: Polymaker

Summary

ABS plastic is an excellent all-purpose plastic for 3D printing functional parts. Although it requires an enclosure to print safely and well, it is both the easiest engineering-grade plastic to print and the most affordable.

End-users familiar who are familiar with open-air filaments and inexperienced in ABS find that chamber temperature and appropriate cooling are a critical factors in quality ABS prints.

When a UV-stable and weather-resistant alternative is needed, ASA can be substituted at a higher price point. Blends and fills are available to give ABS other desired properties.

Further Reading

ABS

General Plastics

Material Properties