| Category | PLA Filament | PC Filament |
|---|---|---|
| Polymer Type | Polylactic Acid (PLA) | Polycarbonate (PC) |
| Glass Transition (Tg) | 59.1 °C | 107.7 °C |
| Melting Temperature (Tm) | 151.8 °C | — (listed as amorphous) |
| Heat Deflection (HDT) @ 0.455 MPa | 58.8 ± 0.4 °C | 104.5 ± 0.7 °C |
| Vicat Softening (A120) | 64.5 ± 0.4 °C | 114.7 ± 0.4 °C |
| Specific Gravity | 1.24 g/cm3 | 1.18–1.20 g/cm3 |
| Melt Flow (MFR) | 6.1 g/10 min (210 °C, 2.16 kg) | 23–26 g/10 min (300 °C, 1.2 kg) |
| Tensile Modulus (XY / Flat) | 3250 ± 119 MPa | 2394 ± 98 MPa |
| Tensile Stress At Yield (XY / Flat) | 52.5 ± 0.9 MPa | 53.3 ± 1.2 MPa |
| Elongation At Break (XY / Flat) | 7.8 ± 1.2% | 9.2 ± 0.9% |
| Charpy Impact (Notched, 23 °C) | 3.9 ± 0.4 kJ/m2 | 11.6 ± 1.4 kJ/m2 |
| Hardness (Shore D) | 84 | 81 |
| Temperature Note In Data Sheet | Parts commonly kept below 59 °C exposure note | Parts commonly kept below 105 °C exposure note |
For PC filament and PLA filament, the big story is how each material handles heat, load, and impact. The table above uses measured values from manufacturer technical data sheets, so it’s clean, comparable data. Real prints still vary with printer model, build orientation, and profile settings, yet the material tendencies stay consistent.
- PLA Data Sheet Used for the Table
- PC Data Sheet Used for the Table
- Material Identity and Polymer Basics
- Thermal Profile and Temperature Behavior
- What The Thermal Numbers Usually Mean In Practice
- Mechanical Behavior In FFF Parts
- Processing Temperature and Test Conditions
- PLA Test Specimen Print Conditions (Example)
- PC Test Specimen Print Conditions (Example)
- Moisture, Storage, and Shelf Stability
- Surface Finish, Detail, and Visual Traits
- Common Application Patterns by Environment
- PLA Filament Common Patterns
- PC Filament Common Patterns
How To Read This Page: Values like Tg, HDT, and Charpy impact are measured using standardized methods. That makes them useful for PC vs PLA comparisons, even when brands differ.
PLA Data Sheet Used for the Table
Ultimaker PLA TDS (v5.00) provides the thermal, mechanical, and specific gravity values listed for PLA filament.✅Source
PC Data Sheet Used for the Table
Ultimaker PC TDS (v5.00) provides the thermal, mechanical, and specific gravity values listed for PC filament.✅Source
- PC: Higher Heat Window
- PLA: Higher Stiffness
- PC: Higher Impact Energy
- PLA: Lower Processing Temperature
- PC: Higher Vicat
Relative Visuals From the Table (not absolute scales)
Material Identity and Polymer Basics
- PLA Filament (Polylactic Acid)
- PLA is a thermoplastic often used in FFF/FDM for its clean detail and a thermal profile centered around a ~59 °C Tg and a ~152 °C melting point.
- PC Filament (Polycarbonate)
- PC is a high-performance thermoplastic in FFF/FDM where the focus is temperature resistance and higher thermal limits. In the referenced data sheet it’s listed as amorphous, so no single melting point is given.
Thermal Profile and Temperature Behavior
Glass transition is where a plastic shifts from a glassy feel to a more rubbery response as temperature rises. That single number, Tg, is why PC filament typically holds shape deeper into warm environments than PLA filament in comparable conditions.✅Source
Heat deflection temperature (HDT) is measured under load, so it speaks to real bending behavior when a part is stressed and warmed. The table’s PLA HDT and PC HDT numbers are useful precisely because the method is standardized.✅Source
What The Thermal Numbers Usually Mean In Practice
- Tg is where PLA starts feeling less rigid in warm conditions, while PC keeps its glassy response further up the scale.
- HDT is tied to load; it’s a good checkpoint for brackets, jigs, and parts that carry weight.
- Vicat gives another angle on softening behavior that often aligns with shape retention.
Mechanical Behavior In FFF Parts
PLA filament stands out for stiffness in the table: a higher tensile modulus compared with PC filament. That stiffness is why sharp edges and crisp geometry are common with PLA prints when the same design is used.
PC filament shines in impact energy absorption in the measured data: the notched Charpy value is higher than the PLA filament value in the same reporting style. It’s a simple way to describe how a part handles a hit or shock load in everyday use.
Orientation Matters: For both PLA and PC, data sheets often report values by print direction. XY (flat) can differ from Z (upright) because layer interfaces behave like engineered seams inside the part.
- Stiffness signal: Higher tensile modulus usually means less flex under the same load.
- Strength signal: Tensile stress at yield gives a feel for load before permanent change.
- Impact signal: Notched Charpy helps compare how PC and PLA respond to sharp shocks.
Processing Temperature and Test Conditions
Instead of treating nozzle and bed temperatures as a single “rule,” it’s more accurate to treat them as processing context. The most reliable public numbers are often found in the test specimen notes inside technical sheets for PLA filament and PC filament.
PLA Test Specimen Print Conditions (Example)
One published set of specimen settings lists 210 °C nozzle temperature and a 60 °C build plate for PLA test parts, giving a grounded reference point for how those mechanical values were produced.✅Source
PC Test Specimen Print Conditions (Example)
One published set of specimen settings lists 260 °C nozzle temperature and a 110 °C build plate for PC filament test parts, matching the “higher temperature” identity of polycarbonate processing.✅Source
Moisture, Storage, and Shelf Stability
Filament is still a plastic, so storage conditions shape how consistent a spool feels over time. A manufacturer guideline for filament storage mentions keeping materials in a dry, cool place and lists a broad storage range of -20 °C to +30 °C for most materials in their lineup.✅Source
For PLA filament coming from an Ingeo grade used in 3D printing monofilament, published processing notes include a dryness focus and describe strong build plate adhesion, often with no bed heating needed on many setups. It also lists a 3D printing temperature window of 190–230 °C as processing guidance for that grade.✅Source
- Moisture effect is most visible in extrusion consistency and surface appearance, so stable storage supports predictable results.
- Spool sealing pairs well with repeatable dimensional output in long projects.
- Material-specific notes are worth checking because PLA and PC can be sold as different blends across brands.
Surface Finish, Detail, and Visual Traits
PLA filament is widely associated with fine detail and clean edges, helped by its lower processing temperatures and strong stiffness signal in data sheets. That stiffness often translates to sharp corners on small features when the design is geometry-heavy.
PC filament often shows its personality in tough functional parts and temperature-resistant geometry. Many PC product families also offer translucent options, which can be useful when a part benefits from light transmission rather than full opacity.
Common Application Patterns by Environment
PLA Filament Common Patterns
- Detail-first parts where stiffness and surface finish matter.
- Indoor fixtures and models that stay near room temperature.
- Educational and presentation prints where clean geometry is the main goal.
PC Filament Common Patterns
- Heat-exposed parts where shape retention matters more than maximum stiffness.
- Functional prototypes with impact energy in mind.
- Tools and jigs where HDT and Vicat are meaningful checkpoints.
