HIPS
High-Impact Polystyrene
11 products from 10 makers. Bambu Lab does not list this material for the H2C; its published process temperatures are within the printer's limits.
- Tensile modulus (XY)
- 1.59GPa
- 3 products · 1.35–2
- Tensile strength (XY)
- 18.4MPa
- 3 products · 16–40
- Tensile strength (Z)
- 18.6MPa
- 2 products · 13.7–23.5
- Notched Charpy impact
- 8.75kJ/m²
- 2 products · 6.5–11
- HDT at 0.45 MPa
- 88°C
- 5 products · middle half 88–91
- Price
- 43CAD/kg
- one product
HIPS is high-impact polystyrene. Makers sell it for jigs, fixtures, prototypes and light parts with a matt finish, and a printer maker names it for support interfaces. Its HDT at 0.45 MPa is 88 °C. On the H2C it prints at 230–250 °C, and a maker recommends a closed chamber for larger prints.
Partly documented Price rests on 1 product, tensile strength (Z) and notched Charpy impact on 2 products each and tensile modulus (XY) and tensile strength (XY) on 3 products each. 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
- 230–250 °C
- most products that give one
- Bed
- 90–105 °C
- most products that give one
- Heated chamber
- 90 °C
- one product; beyond the H2C's 65 °C
- Drying
- 60–80 °C, 2–16 h
- 4 of 11 products call for it; 2 more give it as optional
- Nozzle type
- standard
- 1 says a standard nozzle is enough; the rest are silent
Beyond the H2C's limits (nozzle 350 °C, bed 120 °C, heated chamber 65 °C): chamber for 1 product.
Among the materials
Against PETG, HIPS is 61 % weaker flat, 38 % weaker across the layers and 46 % tougher in notched impact. Against ABS, HIPS is 56 % less tough in notched impact, 47 % weaker flat and 32 % weaker across the layers. Among the materials, HIPS has a low tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (XY), tensile strength (Z), density and price: each is in the lowest quarter of the materials that publish it. The rest of its key properties sit in the middle half.
Against its alternatives, HIPS has the lowest tensile modulus, tensile strength and tensile strength (Z)
How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?
- HIPS: its products' median and middle half
- an alternative
- lowest to highest
- each material's median (top row)
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIPS (this material) | 1.59 · 3 | 18.4 · 3 | 18.6 · 2 | 8.75 · 2 | 88 (88–91) · 5 | 43 · 1 |
| 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 |
| PC | 2.15 (2.02–2.41) · 12 | 60 (54.2–65.3) · 15 | 46 (35.9–52.3) · 6 | 9.75 (6.65–14.3) · 4 | 123 (113–139) · 15 | 51 (45–67) · 5 |
| PET | 2.25 · 2 | 58.4 · 2 | — | 1.2 · 1 | 89 · 1 | 115 · 1 |
| ASA | 2.1 (2–2.32) · 13 | 38.6 (35.9–41.5) · 15 | 25.8 (21.5–28.9) · 7 | 12 (10.5–12.9) · 5 | 96 (92–100) · 12 | 39 (39–57) · 5 |
Each cell is the median of the products ranked, its middle half in brackets, and how many.
Where HIPS sits among the 128 rigid materials on file
Where is it in the landscape: stiffness against strength, heat resistance against price?
- HIPS: median, middle half as a cross
- a HIPS product
- an alternative
- another material
- beyond the scale
Tensile strength (XY) against tensile modulus (XY)
MPa, log scale
Tensile modulus (XY), GPa, log scale
HDT at 0.45 MPa against price
°C
Price, CAD/kg, 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) | Price | HDT at 0.45 MPa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIPS (this material) | 1.59 GPa · 3 | 18.4 MPa · 3 | 43 CAD/kg · 1 | 88 °C · 5 |
| PETG | 1.69 GPa · 24 | 47 MPa · 34 | 26 CAD/kg · 11 | 70 °C · 32 |
| ABS | 2.2 GPa · 13 | 34.5 MPa · 18 | 40 CAD/kg · 9 | 95 °C · 18 |
| PC | 2.15 GPa · 12 | 60 MPa · 15 | 51 CAD/kg · 5 | 123 °C · 15 |
| PET | 2.25 GPa · 2 | 58.4 MPa · 2 | 115 CAD/kg · 1 | 89 °C · 1 |
| ASA | 2.1 GPa · 13 | 38.6 MPa · 15 | 39 CAD/kg · 5 | 96 °C · 12 |
Mechanical properties
Printed flat (XY), HIPS typically reaches a tensile strength of 18.4 MPa at a modulus of 1.59 GPa, and breaks at 9.7 % elongation. In bending, its flexural strength is typically 50.9 MPa at a flexural modulus of 1.62 GPa.
| Product | Tensile strength (XY) | Tensile modulus (XY) | Tensile strength (Z) | Elongation at break (XY) | Notched Charpy impact | Notched Izod impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DXTECH 3DXMAX HIPS | 40 MPa | 1.35 GPa | not published | 18 % | not published | not published |
| Spectrum hipsx | 16 MPanot described as printed | not published | not published | 50 %not described as printed | 7 kJ/m²not described as printed | not published |
| Fabru High impact | 16 MPanot described as printed | 2 GPanot described as printed | not published | 50 %not described as printed | not published | not published |
| Fillamentum HIPS Extrafill | 26 MPanot described as printed | 2 GPanot described as printed | not published | 40 %not described as printed | 17 kJ/m²not described as printed | not published |
| Stratasys FDM HIPS | not published | not published | 23.5 MPaZ (ZX) | not published | not published | not published |
| FormFutura EasyFil HIPS | 22 MPanot described as printed | 1.55 GPanot described as printed | not published | 50 %not described as printed | 15 kJ/m²not described as printed | not published |
| BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse HiPS | 18.4 MPa | 1.59 GPa | 13.7 MPa | 1.4 % | 6.5 kJ/m² | 6.9 kJ/m² |
| Nanovia HIPS | 16 MPa | 2 GPa | not published | not published | 11 kJ/m² | not published |
| Fiberlogy HIPS | 25 MPanot described as printed | 1.85 GPanot described as printed | not published | 31 %not described as printed | 12 kJ/m²not described as printed | 10 kJ/m²not described as printed |
| FormFutura LimoSolve | 22 MPanot described as printed | 1.55 GPanot described as printed | not published | 50 %not described as printed | 15 kJ/m²not described as printed | not published |
In grey, a value a product reads from a data sheet it shares, where its own sheet is silent.
Across the layers (Z), HIPS keeps 74 % of its flat strength and 101 % 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 %
- HIPS's median share
- an alternative
Tensile strength
Z keeps 74 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), MPa
Share kept: PC 75 % · HIPS 74 % · ABS 73 % · PETG 69 % · ASA 59 %
Tensile modulus
Z keeps 101 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), GPa
Share kept: HIPS 101 % · ABS 89 % · PC 88 % · PETG 88 % · ASA 88 %
Elongation at break
Z keeps 93 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), %
Share kept: HIPS 93 % · PETG 59 % · PC 59 % · ASA 50 % · ABS 38 %
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 HiPS | Tensile strength | 18.4 MPa | 13.7 MPa | 74 % |
| BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse HiPS | Tensile modulus | 1.59 GPa | 1.6 GPa | 101 % |
| BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse HiPS | Elongation at break | 1.4 % | 1.3 % | 93 % |
| PETG (alternative) | Tensile strength | 69 % · 13 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Tensile strength | 73 % · 9 | ||
| PC (alternative) | Tensile strength | 75 % · 5 | ||
| ASA (alternative) | Tensile strength | 59 % · 5 | ||
| PETG (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 88 % · 10 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 89 % · 7 | ||
| PC (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 88 % · 3 | ||
| ASA (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 88 % · 5 | ||
| PETG (alternative) | Elongation at break | 59 % · 13 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Elongation at break | 38 % · 9 | ||
| PC (alternative) | Elongation at break | 59 % · 4 | ||
| ASA (alternative) | Elongation at break | 50 % · 5 |
Tensile strength: one more product is in the median across the layers but gives no share, with no flat value of the same test from the same sheet: Stratasys FDM HIPS (no flat value compared). Tensile modulus: one more product is in the median across the layers but gives no share, with no flat value of the same test from the same sheet: Stratasys FDM HIPS (no flat value compared). Elongation at break: one more product is in the median across the layers but gives no share, with no flat value of the same test from the same sheet: Stratasys FDM HIPS (no flat value compared).
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 | 18.4 | 3 | 18.6 | 2 | 74 %1 product |
| Tensile modulus GPa | 1.59 | 3 | 1.77 | 2 | 101 %1 product |
| Elongation at break % | 9.7 | 2 | 2.05 | 2 | 93 %1 product |
| Flexural strength MPa | 50.9 | 2 | — | — | |
| Flexural modulus GPa | 1.62 | 2 | — | — | |
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. Where it counts fewer products than the Z median, the others publish no flat value of the same test from the same sheet; the figure's table names them. How XY and Z differ.
Thermal properties
HIPS is amorphous as printed, so it softens at its glass transition, typically 100 °C: its HDT is 88 °C under 0.45 MPa and 85 °C under 1.8 MPa. One product publishes far more at 0.45 MPa: Stratasys FDM HIPS (103 °C). As published, Vicat softening is typically 90 °C.
Most HIPS products deflect at 88–91 °C under 0.45 MPa
Where do its products soften under load?
- a product
- set apart: test bar not described as printed, or no stated load
- middle half and median
One mark per product on each property's scale (zoomed where its products sit close together, as its label says); the band is the middle half of the products the median counts, and the line the median.
Hover or select a product to find it in every figure; its name opens its card on the Products page.
The figure as a table
| Property | In the median | Median | Middle half | Lowest in the median | Highest in the median | As published | Added filler or additive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C) | 5 | 88 | 88–91 | 3DXTECH 3DXMAX HIPS, 80 | Stratasys FDM HIPS, 103 | 1 | 0 |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa (°C) | 5 | 85 | 74–86 | Spectrum hipsx, 73 | Stratasys FDM HIPS, 102 | 1 | 0 |
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | 5 | 100 | 100 | BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse HiPS, 99 | Stratasys FDM HIPS, 101 | 0 | 0 |
Every HIPS product that publishes these values is drawn; each value, with its document and conditions, is on the Products page.
Printing on the H2C
HIPS's heated chamber runs past what the H2C gives
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
- the H2C's limit, and beyond it
- a product
- HIPS: 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 | 230–250 °C | 10 | 350 °C |
| Bed | 90–105 °C | 10 | 120 °C |
| Heated chamber | 90 °C | 1 | 65 °C |
| Drying | 60–80 °C, 2–16 h | 6 | — |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa | 85 °C (74–86 °C) | 5 | — |
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 88 °C (88–91 °C) | 5 | — |
| Vicat softening temperature | 74–96 °C | 5 | — |
| Glass transition (Tg) | 100 °C (100 °C) | 5 | — |
Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.
| Setting | Most HIPS products |
|---|---|
| Nozzle | 230–250 °C most products that give one |
| Bed | 90–105 °C most products that give one |
| Heated chamber | 90 °C one product; beyond the H2C's 65 °C |
| Drying | 60–80 °C, 2–16 h 4 of 11 products call for it; 2 more give it as optional |
| Nozzle type | standard 1 says a standard nozzle is enough; the rest are silent |
Where a product's own sheet is silent, its setting comes from a sheet it shares or from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide; each product's card says which.
What makers say about printing it
Supports and removal
If HIPS is used as support material for overhangs, a second nozzle package is required.
Fabru High impact Polystyrol (HIPS), data sheet, p. 1
Warping and shrinkage
lower shrinkage rate than classic ABS
Spectrum hipsx, data sheet, p. 1
More from makers: moisture sensitivity, nozzle wear, printing advice and odour and emissions
Moisture sensitivity
Dry box not necessary
Spectrum hipsx, data sheet, p. 1
Nozzle wear
Ruby or hardened nozzle not necessary
Spectrum hipsx, data sheet, p. 1
Printing advice
Closed chamber recommended for larger prints
Spectrum hipsx, data sheet, p. 1
Odour and emissions
During printing of HIPS filament small quantities of styrene is released into the atmosphere.
Fillamentum HIPS Extrafill, data sheet, p. 1
Products
11 products from 10 makers; the most from FormFutura (2).
- Most documented: BASF Forward AM Ultrafuse HiPS, with values for more properties than any other.
- Highest tensile strength (XY): 3DXTECH 3DXMAX HIPS, 40 MPa.
- Highest HDT at 0.45 MPa: Stratasys FDM HIPS, 103 °C.
These are published values, not recommendations: the selector judges each product against your requirements.
Uses, limitations and chemicals
What it is sold for
The material complies with the requirements for materials intended to come into contact with food.
Fillamentum HIPS Extrafill, data sheet, p. 1It offers similarities to ABS but has high impact resistance making it suitable for printing lower-requirement jigs, fixtures and prototypes at a reduced cost.
Stratasys FDM HIPS, data sheet, p. 2EasyFil HIPS is a versatile high-performance Polystyrene type of 3D printer filament that can be used for 3D printing light and durable parts with a matt surface finish.
FormFutura EasyFil HIPS, maker's product page or guide, p. 1- Support interfaces and low-cost styrenic prototypes after checking the model/solvent pair. after Prusa Research, HIPS | Prusa Knowledge Base
What makers warn about
Bad weather and UV resistance (not suitable for outdoor use)
Fabru High impact Polystyrol (HIPS), data sheet, p. 1Soluble in many solvents
Fabru High impact Polystyrol (HIPS), data sheet, p. 1- Do not assume the common ABS/HIPS pairing permits unlimited soaking; test short exposures and mechanical removal. after Prusa Research, HIPS | Prusa Knowledge Base
Finish and accuracy
EasyFil™ HIPS printed object will have a really beautiful matt coloured finish.
FormFutura EasyFil HIPS, data sheet, p. 1Finished parts can, for example, ideally be painted with acrylic varnishes.
Fabru High impact Polystyrol (HIPS), data sheet, p. 1Its viscosity allows for smooth and precise 3D prints.
Nanovia HIPS, data sheet, p. 1
Chemicals and environment
| Exposure | What makers say |
|---|---|
| Organic solvent resistance | Described in words, with no rating, in its one statement |
| Oil and grease resistance | Described in words, with no rating, in its one statement |
What guides and references say of HIPS in general (2)
- HIPS dissolves in d-limonene. Long solvent exposure can also attack ABS/ASA models. Organic solvent resistance after Prusa Research, HIPS | Prusa Knowledge Base
- Original study examines mineral-oil exposure coupled with low-cycle loading. The exposure and loading protocol must be matched; a generic oil-resistance label is insufficient. Oil and grease resistance after Głowacki et al., Polymers, Change in the Low-Cycle Performance on the 3D-Printed Materials ABS, ASA, HIPS, and PLA Exposed to Mineral Oil
Makers rarely give the concentration, temperature or duration: treat them as indications, not design data. Each product's statements are on its card.
Where no maker of these products speaks to an exposure, reference data for plain HIPS resin is shown. Fillers, pigments and printing change it, so it does not stand for these products.
| HIPS resin | Verdict | Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Acid resistance | limited | Dilute mineral acids (resistant) and Concentrated sulfuric acid; strong oxidizing agents (nitric acid, chlorine water, bromine water, sodium hypochlorite solution) (not resistant) |
| Alkali resistance | resistant | Alkalis (resistant) |
| Water solubility | resistant | Water (resistant) |
| UV and outdoor | not resistant | UV / outdoor weathering, unstabilised (not resistant) |
Density and price
HIPS's density is typically 1,040 kg/m³, the middle half 1,040–1,050 kg/m³, across 10 products. One product has a sampled price: Spectrum hipsx at 43 CAD/kg.
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Spectrum hipsx | 43 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
10 more properties are published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.
The 10 properties, lowest to highest
| Property | Products | Lowest–highest |
|---|---|---|
| Elongation at yield | 4 | 1.5–1.6 % |
| Melt volume-flow rate | 3 | 3.4–29.3 cm³/10 min |
| Melt mass-flow rate | 2 | 12 g/10 min |
| Melting temperature | 2 | 180–260 °C |
| Water absorption | 2 | 0.1 % |
| Continuous service temperature | 1 | 50 °C |
| Dielectric strength | 1 | 155 kV/mm |
| Flexural elongation at break | 1 | 4.6–5.4 % |
| Hardness | 1 | 55 Rockwell R |
| Tensile strain at strength | 1 | 1 % |
Sources
24 documents from 13 publishers (12 data sheets, 10 makers' product pages and guides, 1 printer document and 1 peer-reviewed study), read 10 Sep–19 Oct 2026. Each value on HIPS'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 10 products.
Every document (24), by publisher
| Publisher | Documents | Values | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| FormFutura | 4 | 15 | 2 |
| Fiberlogy | 3 | 23 | 1 |
| Spectrum | 3 | 16 | 1 |
| 3DXTECH | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Fillamentum | 2 | 14 | 1 |
| Nanovia | 2 | 9 | 1 |
| Stratasys | 1 | 38 | 1 |
| BASF Forward AM | 1 | 29 | 1 |
| Fabru | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| eSUN | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Głowacki et al., Polymers | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Prusa Research | 1 | 0 | 0 |
- 3DXTECH, 3DXMAX HIPS
- 3DXTECH, 3DXMAX® HIPS
- 3DXTECH, 3DXMAX® HIPS
- Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide | Bambu Lab Wiki
- BASF Forward AM, Ultrafuse HiPS
- eSUN, HIPS Technical Data Sheet
- Fabru, High impact Polystyrol (HIPS)
- Fiberlogy, HIPS Filament
- Fiberlogy, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Fiberlogy HIPS
- Fiberlogy, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Fiberlogy HIPS
- Fillamentum, Drying of filaments before processing on 3D printer
- Fillamentum, HIPS Extrafill
- FormFutura, EasyFil HIPS
- FormFutura, LimoSolve
- FormFutura, Technical Data Sheet EasyFil™ HIPS
- FormFutura, Technical Data Sheet LimoSolve™
- Głowacki et al., Polymers, Change in the Low-Cycle Performance on the 3D-Printed Materials ABS, ASA, HIPS, and PLA Exposed to Mineral Oil
- Nanovia, Nanovia HIPS : Soluble support : Nanovia
- Nanovia, Nanovia HIPS as a soluble support material for 3D printing
- Prusa Research, HIPS | Prusa Knowledge Base
- Spectrum, 3D Printing Filament Manufacturer PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
- Spectrum, Filament drying - Spectrum Filaments
- Spectrum, hipsx
- Stratasys, FDM HIPS Data Sheet