FDM Plastics Reference¶

PLA¶

Polylactic Acid — polyester from lactic acid
C₃H₆O₃ , CH3CHOHCOOH

Property	Value	FDM parameter	Typical
Tg	~60 °C	Nozzle	190–220 °C
Tm	~170–180 °C	Bed	0–60 °C
Density	~1.24 g/cm³	Cooling	Strong
Strength	~50–60 MPa	Enclosure	Not required

Notes

very easy to print
stiff but brittle
excellent surface finish
poor heat resistance (~50 °C limit)

Use

prototypes, visual parts, detailed models

PETG¶

Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol-modified — glycol-modified PET polyester It's related to PET.

C₁₈H₁₄O₈

PETG on PubChem PETG on Prusa

Property	Value	FDM parameter	Typical
Tg	~80 °C	Nozzle	230–250 °C
Tm	~220–260 °C	Bed	70–90 °C
Density	~1.27 g/cm³	Cooling	Moderate
Strength	~45–50 MPa	Enclosure	Optional

Notes

excellent layer adhesion
tough, slightly flexible
low warping
tends to string
glossy surface
softens near ~80 °C

Use

functional parts, brackets, containers, moderately outdoor parts

ABS¶

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene — engineering thermoplastic terpolymer. Terpolymer is made of three monomers, see ABS monomer components.

(C₈H₈ · C₄H₆ · C₃H₃N)_n , CH2=CH–Ph + CH2=CH–CH=CH2 + CH2=CH–CN

ABS on PubChem ABS ABS on Prusa

Property	Value	FDM parameter	Typical
Tg	~105 °C	Nozzle	230–250 °C
Tm	—	Bed	90–110 °C
Density	~1.04 g/cm³	Cooling	Low
Strength	~40–45 MPa	Enclosure	Recommended

Notes

strong and tough
higher temperature resistance than PETG
prone to warping and cracking
acetone smoothing possible
characteristic odor while printing

Use

mechanical parts, enclosures, tools, prototypes requiring heat resistance

ASA¶

Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate — weather-resistant ABS-like terpolymer

(C₈H₈ · C₃H₃N · C₄H₆O₂)_n , CH2=CH–Ph + CH2=CH–CN + CH2=CH–COO–R

ASA ASA on Prusa

Property	Value	FDM parameter	Typical
Tg	~105 °C	Nozzle	240–260 °C
Tm	—	Bed	90–110 °C
Density	~1.07 g/cm³	Cooling	Low
Strength	~45 MPa	Enclosure	Recommended

Notes

similar to ABS but UV stable
good heat resistance
strong functional parts
prone to warping
acetone vapor smoothing possible

Use

outdoor parts, enclosures, mechanical components, automotive-like parts

PET¶

Polyethylene Terephthalate — aromatic polyester

C₁₀H₈O₄ , C6H4(CO2CH2CH2O)2

PET on PubChem PET

Relation to PETG

PETG is a modified form of PET.

PET already contains ethylene glycol in its backbone.

In PETG, part of the ethylene glycol is replaced by cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM).
The bulky cyclohexane ring disrupts chain packing and reduces crystallization, making the polymer amorphous and easier to process.

CHDM is therefore the key monomer responsible for the G in PETG (glycol-modified PET).

Property	Value	FDM parameter	Typical
Tg	~70–80 °C	Nozzle	240–260 °C
Tm	~250–260 °C	Bed	70–90 °C
Density	~1.38 g/cm³	Cooling	Moderate
Strength	~55–75 MPa	Enclosure	Optional

Notes

highly crystalline polymer
strong and stiff
excellent chemical resistance
low gas permeability
difficult to print in FDM
tends to warp and crystallize during cooling

Use

bottles, fibers (polyester), films, engineering plastics, packaging

ABS, ASA monomers¶

ABS is a terpolymer produced by polymerizing three monomers:

acrylonitrile — provides chemical resistance and stiffness
butadiene — provides toughness and impact resistance
styrene — provides rigidity and easy processing
ASA has butyl acrylate instaed of butadiene

Acrylonitrile¶

C₃H₃N , CH2=CH–CN

Acrylonitrile on PubChem

Styrene¶

C₈H₈ , C6H5–CH=CH2

Styrene on PubChem

1,3-Butadiene¶

C₄H₆ , CH2=CH–CH=CH2

1,3-Butadiene on PubChem

Butyl Acrylate¶

C₇H₁₂O₂

Butyl Acrylate on PubChem