BVOH
Butenediol Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer
A support material, 4 products from 4 makers. Bambu Lab lists BVOH as a material type for the H2C; the listing covers the type, not each brand.
- Tensile modulus (XY)
- 2.34GPa
- one product
- Tensile strength (XY)
- 33.7MPa
- one product
- Tensile strength (Z)
- 8.7MPa
- one product
- Not published:
- notched Charpy impact,
- Not published:
- HDT at 0.45 MPa.
- Price
- 329CAD/kg
- one product
BVOH is butenediol vinyl alcohol copolymer, a support material. A maker made it for dual-extruder printers, and resin reference data lists it as water soluble. Its glass transition is 68 °C, and a maker warns that it can soften in warm environments. On the H2C it prints at 190–210 °C without chamber heat, but makers call for drying.
Partly documented Tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (XY), tensile strength (Z) and price rest on 1 product each and notched Charpy impact and HDT at 0.45 MPa are not published. Each figure is the median of the products that publish it comparably, and beside it the middle half of them; a value on a test bar no document describes as printed, or with no stated test load, is set apart, except a heat deflection of a plastic that cannot crystallise, which its glass transition sets, unless its document points to a moulded or resin bar.
On the H2C
Printing in full- Nozzle
- 190–210 °C
- most products that give one
- Bed
- 60–75 °C
- most products that give one
- Heated chamber
- none needed
- 2 of 4 products
- Drying
- 50–60 °C, 4–16 h
- 3 of 4 products call for it; 1 more gives it as optional
- Nozzle type
- not stated
No product's setting is beyond the H2C's limits: nozzle 350 °C, bed 120 °C, heated chamber 65 °C.
Among the materials
Among the materials, BVOH has a high price and a low tensile strength (XY) and tensile strength (Z): each is in the top or bottom quarter of the materials that publish it. The rest of its key properties sit in the middle half.
Against its alternatives, BVOH has the highest price and the lowest tensile strength (Z)
How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?
- BVOH: its products' median and middle half
- an alternative
- lowest to highest
- each material's median (top row)
- beyond the scale
Each row is a material, each column a property: the bar is the middle half of a material's products, the tick their median, the hairline their lowest to highest; the ticks above the rows are every material's median.
The figure as a table
| Material | Modulus (XY) (GPa) | Strength (XY) (MPa) | Strength (Z) (MPa) | Notched Charpy (kJ/m²) | HDT 0.45 MPa (°C) | Price (CAD/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BVOH (this material) | 2.34 · 1 | 33.7 · 1 | 8.7 · 1 | — | — | 329 · 1 |
| PLA | 2.58 (2–2.88) · 61 | 45 (39.5–53) · 83 | 30.3 (22.1–34) · 40 | 6 (3.97–7.9) · 14 | 56 (53–58) · 50 | 33 (28–40) · 27 |
| PETG | 1.69 (1.42–1.95) · 24 | 47 (40.3–50.6) · 34 | 30.2 (28–36.5) · 16 | 6 (4.76–8) · 10 | 70 (69–71) · 32 | 26 (25–32) · 11 |
| ABS | 2.2 (2.02–2.25) · 13 | 34.5 (33–35.6) · 18 | 27.3 (24.6–28.3) · 12 | 20 (18–21.5) · 7 | 95 (89–99) · 18 | 40 (31–52) · 9 |
| PA6/66 | 2.34 · 2 | 61 · 3 | 45.8 · 1 | 6.9 · 1 | 119 · 3 | 40 · 3 |
| PET | 2.25 · 2 | 58.4 · 2 | — | 1.2 · 1 | 89 · 1 | 115 · 1 |
BVOH publishes no notched Charpy impact or HDT at 0.45 MPa.
Where BVOH sits among the 128 rigid materials on file
Where is it in the landscape: stiffness against strength, heat resistance against price?
- BVOH: median, middle half as a cross
- a BVOH product
- an alternative
- another material
- beyond the scale
Tensile strength (XY) against tensile modulus (XY)
MPa, log scale
Tensile modulus (XY), GPa, log scale
Grey points are every other rigid material's medians; the alternatives are named.
The figure as a table
| Material | Tensile modulus (XY) | Tensile strength (XY) |
|---|---|---|
| BVOH (this material) | 2.34 GPa · 1 | 33.7 MPa · 1 |
| PLA | 2.58 GPa · 61 | 45 MPa · 83 |
| PETG | 1.69 GPa · 24 | 47 MPa · 34 |
| ABS | 2.2 GPa · 13 | 34.5 MPa · 18 |
| PA6/66 | 2.34 GPa · 2 | 61 MPa · 3 |
| PET | 2.25 GPa · 2 | 58.4 MPa · 2 |
Mechanical properties
Printed flat (XY), BVOH typically reaches a tensile strength of 33.7 MPa at a modulus of 2.34 GPa, and breaks at 15 % elongation. In bending, its flexural strength is typically 53.8 MPa at a flexural modulus of 2.24 GPa.
| As each sheet publishes it | BigRep BVOH | BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH | FormFutura BVOH | Fiberlogy BVOH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) | 34 MPanot described as printed | 33.7 MPa | not published | 45 MPanot described as printed |
| Tensile modulus (XY) | 2.4 GPanot described as printed | 2.34 GPa | not published | not published |
| Tensile strength (Z) | not published | 8.7 MPaZ (ZX) | not published | not published |
| Elongation at break (XY) | 9 %not described as printed | 15 % | not published | 9 %not described as printed |
Across the layers (Z), BVOH keeps 26 % of its flat strength and 61 % of its flat stiffness
What does a printed part lose across the layers (Z) against flat (XY), and is that usual?
- a product
- equal share: 100, 75, 50 and 25 %
- BVOH's median share
- an alternative
Tensile strength
Z keeps 26 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), MPa
Share kept: ABS 73 % · PETG 69 % · PLA 60 % · PA6/66 59 % · BVOH 26 %
Tensile modulus
Z keeps 61 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), GPa
Share kept: ABS 89 % · PLA 89 % · PETG 88 % · PA6/66 82 % · BVOH 61 %
Elongation at break
Z keeps 4 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), %, log scale on both axes
Share kept: PETG 59 % · PLA 59 % · ABS 38 % · PA6/66 10 % · BVOH 4 %
Each point is a product that publishes both from one sheet: below the 100 % ray it keeps less across the layers than flat. Under each plot, the median share its alternatives' products keep.
The figure as a table
| Product | Property | Flat (XY) | Across (Z) | Z as a share of XY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH | Tensile strength | 33.7 MPa | 8.7 MPa, Z (ZX) | 26 % |
| BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH | Tensile modulus | 2.34 GPa | 1.43 GPa, Z (ZX) | 61 % |
| BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH | Elongation at break | 15 % | 0.6 %, Z (ZX) | 4 % |
| PLA (alternative) | Tensile strength | 60 % · 39 | ||
| PETG (alternative) | Tensile strength | 69 % · 13 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Tensile strength | 73 % · 9 | ||
| PA6/66 (alternative) | Tensile strength | 59 % · 1 | ||
| PLA (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 89 % · 29 | ||
| PETG (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 88 % · 10 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 89 % · 7 | ||
| PA6/66 (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 82 % · 1 | ||
| PLA (alternative) | Elongation at break | 59 % · 35 | ||
| PETG (alternative) | Elongation at break | 59 % · 13 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Elongation at break | 38 % · 9 | ||
| PA6/66 (alternative) | Elongation at break | 10 % · 1 |
Flat and across the layers, property by property
Flat and across the layers
| Property | Printed flat (XY) | Across the layers (Z) | Z as a share of XY | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | Products | Median | Products | ||
| Tensile strength MPa | 33.7 | 1 | 8.7 | 1 | 26 %1 product |
| Tensile modulus GPa | 2.34 | 1 | 1.43 | 1 | 61 %1 product |
| Elongation at break % | 15 | 1 | 0.6 | 1 | 4 %1 product |
| Flexural strength MPa | 53.8 | 1 | — | — | |
| Flexural modulus GPa | 2.24 | 1 | — | — | |
The middle half of the products under each median. The share is each product's Z value as a part of its XY value, from one sheet and one state, and the median of those shares. How XY and Z differ.
Not published for BVOH: notched impact.
Thermal properties
Its glass transition is 68–69 °C. As published, Vicat softening is typically 90 °C and melting typically 175 °C.
| As each sheet publishes it | BigRep BVOH | BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH | FormFutura BVOH | Fiberlogy BVOH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass transition (Tg) | 68 °C | 69 °C | not published | 68 °C |
Not published for BVOH: HDT at 0.45 MPa and HDT at 1.8 MPa.
Printing on the H2C
BVOH prints within the H2C's limits and softens near 68 °C, above its 65 °C chamber
What does printing it on the H2C take, and how hot can a part get?
- share of the products that accept each temperature
- what most products accept
- one end given ("at least")
- the H2C's limit, and beyond it
- a product
- BVOH: its products' median and middle half
- as published, under each sheet's own test
Printing it on the H2C
In service
°C
One temperature axis for the settings a print needs and the temperatures a part meets. A setting's shade is how many of the products whose sheets give a window accept each degree; the H2C's limit closes its row.
The figure as a table
| Setting or property | Most products, or the median | Products | H2C limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 190–210 °C | 4 | 350 °C |
| Bed | 60–75 °C | 3 | 120 °C |
| Heated chamber | — | 0 | 65 °C |
| Drying | 50–60 °C, 4–16 h | 3 | — |
| Glass transition (Tg) | 68 °C | 3 | — |
| Vicat softening temperature | 63–92 °C | 3 | — |
| Melting temperature | 175–176 °C | 4 | — |
No BVOH product gives a heated chamber window. Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.
| Setting | BigRep BVOH | BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH | FormFutura BVOH | Fiberlogy BVOH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 190–210 °C | 190–210 °C | 200–230 °C | 190–220 °C |
| Bed | at least 60 °C | 60–100 °C | 65–75 °C | 50–70 °C |
| Heated chamber | not published | no setpoint | none needed | none needed |
| Drying | 60 °C for 4–6 h | 60 °C for 4–16 h | optional | 50 °C for 4 h |
| Nozzle type | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated |
What makers say about printing it
Supports and removal
Use especially for PLA based model materials max. 30°C water temperature.
BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH, data sheet, p. 7
Moisture sensitivity
Use the BigRep Keep-Dry Box for best material printability.
BigRep BVOH, data sheet, p. 2
More from makers: printing advice and odour and emissions
Printing advice
Ultrafuse® BVOH can show softening effects in environments >60°C. Ensure a proper filament cooling before the filament enters the nozzle to avoid extrusion issues.
BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH, data sheet, p. 4
Odour and emissions
Nontoxic and Odorless
BigRep BVOH, data sheet, p. 1
Products
4 products, one from each of 4 makers.
Uses, limitations and chemicals
What it is sold for
Its thermal stability is optimized to eliminate any risk of your hot-end clogging up by thermal degradation.
FormFutura BVOH, data sheet, p. 1
Finish and accuracy
When the surface appearance of your part is paramount, BigRep BVOH results in better surface quality with less postprocessing effort.
BigRep BVOH, data sheet, p. 1
Chemicals and environment
Resin reference data (for plain BVOH, where no maker of these products speaks): it dissolves in water. Fillers, pigments and printing change this, so it does not stand for these products.
Density and price
BVOH's density is typically 1,140 kg/m³, the middle half 1,140–1,140 kg/m³, across 4 products. One product has a sampled price: Fiberlogy BVOH at 329 CAD/kg, from Texas Filament Supply's listing in USD, converted at the Bank of Canada rate of 29 Sep 2026. No Canadian shop in the sample sells it.
| As each sheet publishes it | BigRep BVOH | BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse BVOH | FormFutura BVOH | Fiberlogy BVOH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | not published | not published | not published | 329 CAD/kg |
Regular prices, never sale prices, from 9 Canadian shops and 10 foreign shops, sampled 10 Sep–20 Oct 2026, not live; shipping and tax are not included.
Other properties, as published
3 more properties are published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.
The 3 properties, lowest to highest
| Property | Products | Lowest–highest |
|---|---|---|
| Crystallization temperature | 1 | 122 °C |
| Flexural elongation at break | 1 | 1–4.8 % |
| Melt volume-flow rate | 1 | 11.4 cm³/10 min |
Estimated values
No product publishes a HDT at 0.45 MPa that can be ranked, so the selector estimates it from the products' related values and similar materials. An estimate is a range, never a product's value, and nothing above rests on it.
| Property | Likely | Plausible | Precision | Beside what is published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 60–77 °C | 57–80 °C | 17 °C between its ends | no product publishes it |
What likely and plausible mean
Tested against known values, a likely range held the true value 8 times in 10, and a plausible range 19 times in 20. How the estimates are made.
Sources
9 documents from 6 publishers (5 data sheets, 3 makers' product pages and guides and 1 printer document), read 10 Sep–4 Oct 2026. Each value on BVOH's Products page names its document and page, and links to the original.
Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide (the H2C's printer guide): print settings for 4 products.
Every document (9), by publisher
| Publisher | Documents | Values | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| BASF Forward AM | 2 | 35 | 1 |
| Fiberlogy | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| FormFutura | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| BigRep | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| Prusa Research | 1 | 0 | 0 |
- Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide | Bambu Lab Wiki
- BASF Forward AM, Ultrafuse BVOH
- BASF Forward AM, Ultrafuse BVOH Extended TDS: Complete Technical Documentation and Testing Summary
- BigRep, BVOH Water Soluble Support
- Fiberlogy, BVOH Filament
- Fiberlogy, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Fiberlogy BVOH
- FormFutura, BVOH
- FormFutura, Technical Data Sheet BVOH
- Prusa Research, Water soluble (BVOH/PVA) | Prusa Knowledge Base