A list of the most common filaments with their most important properties. Quickly and clearly, without verbiage.

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The specified properties vary greatly depending on the filament manufacturer and 3D printer. It is always advisable to trust the information provided by the filament manufacturer. The specifications are therefore only a rough guide to give beginners an initial overview.

Filaments

I deal with the following filaments here

ABS

Expensive, very stable, very difficult to print, hazardous to health during printing

ASA

Expensive, very stable, difficult to print

PETG

Inexpensive, stable, easy to print

PETG Carbon

Slightly more expensive, very stable, more difficult to print

PLA

Verycheap, less stable, very easy to print —> ideal filament for beginners!

PLA Carbon

Somewhat expensive, stable, harder to print

PLA Wood

Inexpensive, less stable, somewhat more difficult to print

Nylon

Expensive, very stable, very difficult to print

TPU

Inexpensive, flexible, easy to print

PLA and PETG are the most common filaments for everyday use by the average user.

Basic criteria

• Temperature resistance: The temperature resistance determines the temperature at which the filament can be used. PLA, for example, is temperature-resistant up to 50 °C, ABS up to 100 °C and nylon up to approx. 120 °C.
• Strength: The strength determines how strong the filament is. PLA is generally less strong than ABS or nylon.
• Elasticity: The elasticity determines how flexible the filament is. TPU is very elastic, while PLA and ABS are less elastic.
• Adhesion: Adhesion determines how well the filaments adhere to each other. PLA has good adhesion, while ABS and nylon have somewhat poorer adhesion.
• Shrinkage: The shrinkage behaviour determines how much the filament shrinks during printing. PLA generally shrinks less than ABS or nylon.

Which filament is suitable for what?

• PLA is a good filament for beginners as it is easy to process and delivers good print quality. PLA is also a good filament for (decorative) models that are not exposed to high temperatures or loads.
• ABS/ASA is a stronger and more temperature-resistant filament than PLA. ABS is therefore a good filament for models that are exposed to high temperatures or loads. However, ABS/ASA is also much more difficult to process than PLA.
• PETG is a filament with a good combination of strength, elasticity and temperature resistance.
• Nylon is a very strong and temperature -resistant filament. Nylon is therefore a good filament for functional parts that are exposed to high loads and temperatures. However, nylon is also a very expensive filament.
• TPU is an elastic filament that is well suited for flexible models. TPU is also a good filament for functional parts that are exposed to shocks or vibrations.

Prices

Printability

The printability of a filament depends on a number of factors, including printing temperature, layer adhesion, shrinkage behaviour and deformation on cooling.

PLA can be printed by any printer. It is simply the standard filament par excellence.

TPU is actually the easiest filament to print, as it has a low printing temperature, good adhesion and low shrinkage. However, you need a print head with a direct extruder, otherwise it will be difficult to print.

PLA Wood is somewhat more difficult to print than PLA as it contains wood fibres that can impair adhesion.

ASA, Nylon and ABS are the most difficult filaments to print. They have high printing temperatures and tend to shrink and deform, resulting in warping. The component lifts from the printing plate at the corners and the print is unusable.

Recommended extruder type

Recommended nozzles

Minimum recommendations for the nozzles used for different materials. Personally, I would not use pure brass nozzles, but only coated brass (nickel-plated or PTFE-coated). This prevents blockages and ensures a slightly cleaner pressure.

Printing temperature

This table is sorted by printing temperature, with ABS at the top, followed by ASA and PETG Carbon. These filaments are therefore best suited for 3D printers with a hotend that can reach these high temperatures.

PLA, PETG and PLA Wood have a lower printing temperature and can therefore also be used with 3D printers with a lower temperature hotend.

Health hazards during printing

PLA is the most harmless filament in terms of health. It consists of polylactic acid, which does not release any harmful gases or vapours during processing.

TPU is a filament that is moderately harmful to health. It consists of thermoplastic polyurethane, which can release small quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during processing.

PLA Wood and PETG are also filaments that are moderately hazardous to health. PLA Wood contains wood fibres that can release small amounts of dust during processing. PETG can release small amounts of acetone during processing.

PLA Carbon and PETG Carbon are also filaments that are moderately hazardous to health. PLA Carbon contains carbon fibres that can release small amounts of dust during processing. PETG Carbon can release small amounts of acetone during processing.

ASA is a highly hazardous filament. It consists of acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate, which can release considerable quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during processing.

Nylon is a highly hazardous filament. It consists of polyamide, which can release considerable quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during processing.

ABS is a very harmful filament. It consists of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, which can release considerable quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during processing.

As filaments may contain admixtures of other substances, it is essential to observe the manufacturer’s instructions!

Printing speed

The recommended printing speeds vary depending on the filament manufacturer and 3D printer. It is always advisable to observe the recommended printing speeds of the filament manufacturer.

I myself print normal PLA and PETG at speeds of up to 200 mm/s with my Qidi X-Smart 3, especially the excellent PLA from Kingroon. This also manages the 16-minute benchmark without complaint and can therefore be printed even faster than my 200 mm/s.

I just want to protect the material of my printer, so I don’t print any faster. Ultimately, I have more time than money.

Impact resistance

As you can see, ABS, Nylon, PLA Carbon and PETG Carbon have the highest impact strength. These filaments are therefore best suited for applications where high impact strength is required, such as toys, household appliances or tools.

Tensile strength

The tensile strength of a filament is its ability to withstand tensile forces without tearing. It is measured in megapascals (MPa).

Nylon, PLA Carbon and PETG Carbon have the highest tensile strength. These filaments are therefore best for stressed components, tools or machine parts.

Abrasion resistance

Shore hardness

Available Shore hardness results. The Shore hardness is a measure of the hardness of a material. It is measured using a Shore hardness tester. The higher the Shore hardness, the harder the material. Filaments with a high Shore hardness are more abrasion-resistant than filaments with a low Shore hardness.

TPU has a relatively high Shore hardness, although it is flexible. The high hardness of TPU is due to the chemical bond between the polyurethane and elastomer molecules. This bond is very strong and gives the material its strength and hardness.

Flexibility

Temperature resistance

Weather resistance

5UV resistance

Filaments with a surface treatment such as a coating or varnish are generally more UV-resistant than untreated filaments.

Salt water resistance

Filaments with a surface treatment such as a coating or varnish are generally more resistant to salt water than untreated filaments.

Hygroscopicity