PC-ABS
Polycarbonate / Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Blend
13 products from 11 makers. Bambu Lab does not list this material for the H2C; its published process temperatures are within the printer's limits.
- Tensile modulus (XY)
- 1.84GPa
- 4 products · middle half 1.58–1.94
- Tensile strength (XY)
- 41.8MPa
- 6 products · middle half 39.9–43.5
- Tensile strength (Z)
- 26.4MPa
- 2 products · 22.9–29.9
- Notched Charpy impact
- 40kJ/m²
- 3 products · 25.8–45
- HDT at 0.45 MPa
- 112°C
- 7 products · middle half 111–120
- Price
- 64CAD/kg
- 3 products · 50–112
PC-ABS is a blend of polycarbonate and ABS. Makers sell it for prototyping, tooling, low-volume production and automotive trim, and say it takes metal plating well. Its HDT at 0.45 MPa is 112 °C. On the H2C it prints at 260–280 °C, but some sheets ask for a heated chamber beyond what the H2C reaches, and a maker advises a temperature-controlled chamber for large parts.
Partly documented Tensile strength (Z) rests on 2 products, notched Charpy impact and price on 3 products each and tensile modulus (XY) on 4 products. 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
- 260–280 °C
- most products that give one
- Bed
- 90–105 °C
- most products that give one
- Heated chamber
- 90 °C
- most products that give one; beyond the H2C's 65 °C
- Drying
- 60–120 °C, 4–12 h
- 7 of 13 products call for it; 4 more give it as optional
- Nozzle type
- standard
- 4 say 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 4 products.
Among the materials
Against PC-CF, PC-ABS is 60 % less stiff and 40 % weaker flat, and its HDT at 0.45 MPa is 16 °C lower. Against PC-GF, PC-ABS is 28 % stronger across the layers and 10 % stronger flat. Among the materials, PC-ABS has a high notched Charpy impact: it is in the top quarter of the materials that publish it. The rest of its key properties sit in the middle half.
Against its alternatives, PC-ABS has the highest notched Charpy impact and the lowest tensile modulus
How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?
- PC-ABS: 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC-ABS (this material) | 1.84 (1.58–1.94) · 4 | 41.8 (39.9–43.5) · 6 | 26.4 · 2 | 40 · 3 | 112 (111–120) · 7 | 64 · 3 |
| PC-CF | 4.65 (2.98–6.39) · 4 | 70 (64–72) · 5 | — | 12 · 1 | 128 (120–136) · 4 | 152 · 1 |
| PC-GF | 2.67 · 1 | 38 · 2 | 20.6 · 2 | 6.1 · 1 | 134 · 1 | 53 · 1 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| PVDF | 2.45 · 1 | 51 · 1 | — | — | 158 · 1 | 356 · 1 |
Each cell is the median of the products ranked, its middle half in brackets, and how many.
Where PC-ABS sits among the 128 rigid materials on file
Where is it in the landscape: stiffness against strength, heat resistance against price?
- PC-ABS: median, middle half as a cross
- a PC-ABS 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC-ABS (this material) | 1.84 GPa · 4 | 41.8 MPa · 6 | 64 CAD/kg · 3 | 112 °C · 7 |
| PC-CF | 4.65 GPa · 4 | 70 MPa · 5 | 152 CAD/kg · 1 | 128 °C · 4 |
| PC-GF | 2.67 GPa · 1 | 38 MPa · 2 | 53 CAD/kg · 1 | 134 °C · 1 |
| ABS | 2.2 GPa · 13 | 34.5 MPa · 18 | 40 CAD/kg · 9 | 95 °C · 18 |
| ASA | 2.1 GPa · 13 | 38.6 MPa · 15 | 39 CAD/kg · 5 | 96 °C · 12 |
| PVDF | 2.45 GPa · 1 | 51 MPa · 1 | 356 CAD/kg · 1 | 158 °C · 1 |
Mechanical properties
Printed flat (XY), PC-ABS typically reaches a tensile strength of 41.8 MPa at a modulus of 1.84 GPa, and breaks at 16 % elongation. In bending, its flexural strength is typically 70.8 MPa at a flexural modulus of 2.3 GPa.
PC-ABS's products spread most in elongation at break: the middle half runs 6.5–24 %
How strong, stiff and tough are its products, and which stand out?
- a product
- set apart: test bar not described as printed, or no stated load
- middle half and median
- beyond the scale
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 6 | 41.8 | 39.9–43.5 | SUNLU PC/ABS, 38 | 3DXTECH 3DXMAX PCABS, 59 | 4 | 0 |
| Tensile modulus (XY) (GPa) | 4 | 1.84 | 1.58–1.94 | Flashforge PC/ABS, 0.8 | 3DXTECH 3DXMAX PCABS, 2.2 | 6 | 0 |
| Elongation at break (XY) (%) | 6 | 16 | 6.5–24 | Polymaker PC ABS, 4.2 | 3DXTECH 3DXMAX PCABS, 75 | 4 | 0 |
| Notched Izod impact (kJ/m²) | 4 | 31.8 | 18.8–45.1 | SUNLU PC/ABS, 15 | Nanovia PC-ABS V0, 50 | 4 | 0 |
Every PC-ABS product that publishes these values is drawn; each value, with its document and conditions, is on the Products page.
| Product | Tensile strength (Z) | Notched Charpy impact | Shore D hardness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polymaker PC ABS | 22.9 MPa | 25.8 kJ/m² | not published |
| SUNLU PC/ABS | not published | not published | 80 Shore D |
| Fillamentum PC/ABS | not published | 53 kJ/m²not described as printed | not published |
| Nanovia PC-ABS Rail | not published | 45 kJ/m² | not published |
| Nanovia PC-ABS V0 | not published | 40 kJ/m² | not published |
| Stratasys PC-ABS | 29.9 MPaZ (ZX) | not published | not published |
| Fiberlogy PC/ABS | not published | 53 kJ/m²not described as printed | not published |
Across the layers (Z), PC-ABS keeps 57 % of its flat strength and 91 % 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 %
- PC-ABS's median share
- an alternative
Tensile strength
Z keeps 57 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), MPa
Share kept: ABS 73 % · ASA 59 % · PC-ABS 57 % · PC-GF 53 %
Tensile modulus
Z keeps 91 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), GPa
Share kept: PC-ABS 91 % · ABS 89 % · ASA 88 % · PC-GF 46 %
Elongation at break
Z keeps 36 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), %
Share kept: PC-GF 62 % · ASA 50 % · ABS 38 % · PC-ABS 36 %
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polymaker PC ABS | Tensile strength | 39.9 MPa | 22.9 MPa | 57 % |
| Polymaker PC ABS | Tensile modulus | 1.83 GPa | 1.68 GPa | 91 % |
| Polymaker PC ABS | Elongation at break | 4.2 % | 1.5 % | 36 % |
| PC-GF (alternative) | Tensile strength | 53 % · 2 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Tensile strength | 73 % · 9 | ||
| ASA (alternative) | Tensile strength | 59 % · 5 | ||
| PC-GF (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 46 % · 1 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 89 % · 7 | ||
| ASA (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 88 % · 5 | ||
| PC-GF (alternative) | Elongation at break | 62 % · 2 | ||
| ABS (alternative) | Elongation at break | 38 % · 9 | ||
| 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 PC-ABS (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 PC-ABS (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 PC-ABS (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 | 41.839.9–43.5 | 6 | 26.4 | 2 | 57 %1 product |
| Tensile modulus GPa | 1.841.58–1.94 | 4 | 1.77 | 2 | 91 %1 product |
| Elongation at break % | 166.5–24 | 6 | 1.65 | 2 | 36 %1 product |
| Flexural strength MPa | 70.867.8–71.5 | 6 | — | — | |
| Flexural modulus GPa | 2.32.08–2.37 | 5 | — | — | |
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
PC-ABS's HDT is typically 112 °C under 0.45 MPa and 90–108 °C under 1.8 MPa, with its glass transition typically at 109 °C. As published, Vicat softening is typically 113 °C.
Most PC-ABS products deflect at 111–120 °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
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) | 7 | 112 | 111–120 | SUNLU PC/ABS, 102 | 3DXTECH 3DXMAX PCABS, 126 | 2 | 0 |
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | 5 | 109 | 106–123 | Stratasys PC-ABS, 105 | 3DXTECH 3DXMAX PCABS, 137 | 0 | 0 |
Every PC-ABS product that publishes these values is drawn; each value, with its document and conditions, is on the Products page.
| Product | HDT at 1.8 MPa |
|---|---|
| Polymaker PC ABS | 106 °C |
| Spectrum pc abs fr v0 | 90 °Cglassy: counts |
| Stratasys PC-ABS | 108 °C |
Printing on the H2C
PC-ABS softens near 112 °C, above the H2C's 65 °C chamber; 4 products ask for more than 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
- PC-ABS: 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 | 260–280 °C | 11 | 350 °C |
| Bed | 90–105 °C | 11 | 120 °C |
| Heated chamber | 90 °C | 5 | 65 °C |
| Drying | 60–120 °C, 4–12 h | 11 | — |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa | 106 °C | 3 | — |
| Glass transition (Tg) | 109 °C (106–123 °C) | 5 | — |
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 112 °C (111–120 °C) | 7 | — |
| Vicat softening temperature | 104–135 °C | 5 | — |
Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.
| Setting | Most PC-ABS products |
|---|---|
| Nozzle | 260–280 °C most products that give one |
| Bed | 90–105 °C most products that give one |
| Heated chamber | 90 °C most products that give one; beyond the H2C's 65 °C |
| Drying | 60–120 °C, 4–12 h 7 of 13 products call for it; 4 more give it as optional |
| Nozzle type | standard 4 say 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.
After printing
It is recommended to anneal the printed part right after the printing process to release the residual internal stress.
Polymaker PC ABS, data sheet, p. 4Annealing settings: 90˚C for 2h
Polymaker PC ABS, data sheet, p. 4
What makers say about printing it
Printing advice
For large part it is recommended to use a heated chamber.
Polymaker PC ABS, data sheet, p. 4
Moisture sensitivity
It is highly recommended to use the PolyBox™ or PolyDryer™ Box when printing or storing Polymaker™ PC-ABS.
Polymaker PC ABS, data sheet, p. 1
More from makers: warping and shrinkage, nozzle wear, supports and removal and adhesion between layers
Warping and shrinkage
Because of the relative high percentage of added PolyCarbonate, ABSpro – Flame Retardant has a tendency to warp and therefore it is recommended to use a temperature-controlled build chamber and to prepare your heat bed with DimaFix fixative spray when 3D printing large(r) scaled objects with ABSpro – Flame Retardant.
FormFutura ABSpro - Flame Retardant, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Nozzle wear
Ruby or hardened nozzle not necessary
Spectrum pc abs fr v0, data sheet, p. 2
Supports and removal
Recommended support material PolyDissolve™ S2
Polymaker PC ABS, data sheet, p. 4
Adhesion between layers
It 3D prints strong and self-extinguishing parts with superb interlayer bonding and high dimensional accuracy.
FormFutura ABSpro - Flame Retardant, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Products
13 products from 11 makers; the most from 3DXTECH (2) and Nanovia (2).
- Most documented: Polymaker PC ABS, with values for more properties than any other.
- Highest tensile strength (XY): 3DXTECH 3DXMAX PCABS, 59 MPa.
- Highest HDT at 0.45 MPa: 3DXTECH 3DXMAX PCABS, 126 °C.
- Highest notched Charpy impact: Nanovia PC-ABS Rail, 45 kJ/m².
- Lowest price: Spectrum pc abs fr v0, 50 CAD/kg.
These are published values, not recommendations: the selector judges each product against your requirements.
Uses, limitations and chemicals
What it is sold for
can be used to create secure componants for enclosed spaces.
Nanovia PC-ABS Rail, data sheet, p. 1Automotive trim, electronic 3C, toy decoration
SUNLU PC/ABS, data sheet, p. 1PC-ABS is suitable for a variety of applications that include prototyping, tooling and low-volume production.
Stratasys PC-ABS, data sheet, p. 2
What makers warn about
For an outdoor usage, it’s recommended either paint or apply a protective UV coating, both polycabonate and ABS are sensitive to UV radiation, and might “yellow” or crack otherwise in the long term.
Nanovia PC-ABS Rail, data sheet, p. 1
Finish and accuracy
Good combination with metal coating, plastic plating
SUNLU PC/ABS, data sheet, p. 1Polymaker™ PC-ABS is a PC/ABS polymer blend which offers excellent toughness and heat resistance while displaying good surface finish and good compatibility with metal plating.
Polymaker PC ABS, data sheet, p. 2Flame Retardant you can 3D print extremely strong and high gloss, self-extinguishing objects with a remarkable fine detail.
FormFutura ABSpro - Flame Retardant, data sheet, p. 1
Chemicals and environment
| Exposure | What makers say |
|---|---|
| Acid resistance | Not resistant, in both statements |
| Alkali resistance | Mixed, 2 statements disagree |
| Organic solvent resistance | Not resistant, in its one statement |
| Oil and grease resistance | No data published |
| Fatigue evidence | Described in words, with no rating, in its one statement |
Makers rarely give the concentration, temperature or duration: treat them as indications, not design data. Each product's statements are on its card.
Density and price
PC-ABS's density is typically 1,140 kg/m³, the middle half 1,100–1,170 kg/m³, across 12 products. PC-ABS typically costs 64 CAD/kg, across the 3 products with a regular price in the sample; the lowest is Spectrum pc abs fr v0 at 50 CAD/kg.
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Polymaker PC ABS | 64 CAD/kg |
| Spectrum pc abs fr v0 | 50 CAD/kg |
| FormFutura ABSpro - | 112 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
9 more properties are published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.
The 9 properties, lowest to highest
| Property | Products | Lowest–highest |
|---|---|---|
| Melt mass-flow rate | 4 | 11–22 g/10 min |
| Continuous service temperature | 2 | 130 °C |
| Elongation at yield | 2 | 2–4 % |
| Water absorption | 2 | 0.352–0.8 % |
| Compression strength | 1 | 96.5–172 MPa |
| Fatigue life | 1 | 455–1 × 10⁶ cycles |
| Flexural elongation at break | 1 | 3.51 % |
| Flexural stress at conventional deflection | 1 | 61.9 MPa |
| Melt volume-flow rate | 1 | 15 cm³/10 min |
Sources
28 documents from 13 publishers (16 data sheets, 10 makers' product pages and guides, 1 peer-reviewed study and 1 printer document), read 10 Sep–19 Oct 2026. Each value on PC-ABS'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 13 products.
Every document (28), by publisher
| Publisher | Documents | Values | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DXTECH | 5 | 16 | 2 |
| Spectrum | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| Fiberlogy | 3 | 13 | 1 |
| Polymaker | 2 | 31 | 1 |
| SUNLU | 2 | 20 | 1 |
| Fillamentum | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| Nanovia | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| SIDDAMENT | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| FormFutura | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Stratasys | 1 | 46 | 1 |
| Flashforge | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Rodrigues et al., Polymers 18(2), 302 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
- 3DXTECH, 3DXMAX PC-ABS Filament
- 3DXTECH, 3DXMAX PCABS
- 3DXTECH, 3DXMAX® PC/ABS
- 3DXTECH, Technical Data Sheet: Triton™ PC/ABS Model Material
- 3DXTECH, TRITON3D™ PC/ABS - Stratasys® Compatible
- Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide | Bambu Lab Wiki
- Fiberlogy, PC/ABS Filament
- Fiberlogy, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Fiberlogy PC/ABS
- Fiberlogy, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Fiberlogy PC/ABS
- Fillamentum, Drying of filaments before processing on 3D printer
- Fillamentum, PC/ABS
- Flashforge, Technical Data Sheet PC/ABS Filament
- FormFutura, ABSpro Flame Retardant
- FormFutura, Technical Data Sheet ABSpro™ - Flame Retardant
- Nanovia, Nanovia PC-ABS Rail : EN 45545-2 : Nanovia
- Nanovia, Nanovia PC-ABS V0 : Demanding technical applications : Nanovia
- Polymaker, Polymaker PC ABS
- Polymaker, Polymaker™ PC-ABS Technical Data Sheet
- Rodrigues et al., Polymers 18(2), 302, Mechanical, Fatigue, and Thermal Characterization of ASA, Nylon 12, PC, and PC-ABS Manufactured by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
- SIDDAMENT, PC ABS Technical Data Sheet
- SIDDAMENT, White PC-ABS
- Spectrum, 3D Printing Filament Manufacturer PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
- Spectrum, Filament drying - Spectrum Filaments
- Spectrum, pc abs fr v0
- Spectrum, Spectrum Filaments Product Portfolio 2025 — Prografen pp28–29
- Stratasys, PC-ABS Data Sheet
- SUNLU, PC-ABS
- SUNLU, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET ISO PC/ABS