Polycarbonate and PC blends

Polycarbonate filamentLoad-bearing and transparent.

PC is the strongest common filament: high heat deflection, high impact energy, optically clear if you print it hot and slow. It demands a chamber, a dry spool and a printer that can reach 300 °C.

Process: FDM (filament)
Families: 2
SKUs: 3
Price: On request

Grades

The grades in this family.

Print settings and mechanical properties are published per grade. A colour change never alters these numbers.

PC Core

Polycarbonate does not compromise: highest impact energy, highest heat deflection, and enough stiffness to carry real load. It asks for a 300 °C hot end and a warm chamber.

Best for

Machine guards and load-bearing frames
High-temperature fixtures
Light housings and lenses

Watch out

Delaminates if you print it too cool. Under 260 °C the layers never properly fuse.

300 °C hot endEnclosure 50–60 °CDry storage

Print settings

Nozzle: 265–300 °C
Bed: 100–120 °C
Chamber: 50–60 °C
Speed: 30–60 mm/s
Cooling: 0–10 %
Drying: 80 °C / 8 h
Diameter: 1,75 mm

Print settings are the common starting window for this material class, not measurements. Calibrate with a temperature tower and a flow test on your own machine.

Properties

Density: 1,19 g/cm³ISO 1183 · PolyLite™ – PolyMax™ PC
Tensile strength: 53,4–69,1 MPaISO 527 · XY · PolyMax™ – PolyLite™ PC
Tensile modulus: 2 497 MPaISO 527 · XY · PolyLite™ PC
Elongation at break: 4,8 %ISO 527 · XY · PolyLite™ PC
Bending strength: 106,1 MPaISO 178 · XY · PolyLite™ PC
Heat deflection (HDT): 111–114 °CHDT 0,45 MPa · PolyLite™ – PolyMax™ PC
Impact strength: 4,1–21,3 kJ/m²ISO 179 · notched, XY · PolyLite™ – PolyMax™ PC
Vicat softening: 117–120 °CPolyMax™ – PolyLite™ PC

Benchmarked on published grades: Polymaker PolyLite™ PC, Polymaker PolyMax™ PC · Polymaker · 27/08/2026

PC Blend

Polycarbonate alloyed for printability. It gives up around 15 °C of heat resistance and returns most of PC's difficulty — warping, adhesion and nozzle temperature all drop to ABS territory.

Best for

First move up from ABS
Large functional parts
Tooling that must not warp

Watch out

Still needs an enclosure. It is easier than PC, not easy.

Enclosure 45–55 °CDry storage

Print settings

Nozzle: 250–275 °C
Bed: 95–110 °C
Chamber: 45–55 °C
Speed: 40–80 mm/s
Cooling: 0–20 %
Drying: 75 °C / 6 h
Diameter: 1,75 mm

Print settings are the common starting window for this material class, not measurements. Calibrate with a temperature tower and a flow test on your own machine.

Properties

Density: 1,10 g/cm³ISO 1183 · Polymaker PC-ABS
Tensile strength: 39,9 MPaISO 527 · XY · Polymaker PC-ABS
Impact strength: 25,8 kJ/m²ISO 179 · notched, XY · Polymaker PC-ABS
Heat deflection (HDT): 112 °CHDT 0,45 MPa · Polymaker PC-ABS
Vicat softening: 135 °CPolymaker PC-ABS

Benchmarked on published grades: Polymaker PC-ABS · Polymaker · 27/08/2026

The properties on this page are values published in the named manufacturers' data sheets, measured on their grades to the standard printed against each row — not measurements of a ZORVA spool. Use them to compare material classes, not as an acceptance specification.

Buy

In stock, by colour.

Each SKU carries its own batch number and Material Passport. Colours are named like tools, not like paint charts.

PC Core

Clear

Transparent tinted as printed. Water clear needs thin layers and near-zero cooling.

TranslucentOn request

PC Core

Graphite

Structural PC where transparency is irrelevant and cost is not.

GlossOn request

PC Blend

Steel Grey

The sensible first step past ABS, in the palette's technical grey.

MatteOn request

Questions

PC, answered.

What temperature does polycarbonate need?

260–300 °C at the nozzle and 100–120 °C at the bed, with a chamber above 50 °C. Below 260 °C the layers do not fuse and the part delaminates under exactly the load you bought PC for.

How heat resistant is 3D printed polycarbonate?

Printed PC parts typically stay dimensionally stable to around 110–120 °C, well beyond ABS. Annealing raises it further but shrinks the part, so print it to the annealed dimension or design in the allowance.

Can I print clear polycarbonate?

Optically clear needs high temperature, a 0.1 mm layer height or thinner, near-zero cooling and 100 % concentric infill so there are no internal boundaries to refract. Expect trial parts. Transparent-tinted is much easier than water clear.