MASTER REFERENCE MANUAL40 Materials IndexedREV // 2026-10-21

3D Printer Filament Density, Yield & Drying Reference Chart

Verified: 2026-10-21•9 min manual

TL;DR FORMULA & INDUSTRIAL SPEC BENCHMARKSingle Source of Truth

V = M / ρ | L_1.75 = M / (ρ · 2.405) | L_2.85 = M / (ρ · 6.379)

Standard 1.75mm PLA has a density of 1.24 g/cm³ (≈ 335 meters per 1kg spool), PETG is 1.27 g/cm³ (≈ 327m/kg), ABS is 1.04 g/cm³ (≈ 400m/kg), and TPU 95A is 1.21 g/cm³ (≈ 343m/kg). Lower-density filaments yield up to 20% more linear meters per kilogram.

Provenance & Tolerance Notice: Polymer blends, masterbatch colorants, and mineral fillers alter density by ±0.03 g/cm³. Drying specs reflect manufacturer glass transition temperature (Tg) safety margins.

Master Reference Lookup Table

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Showing 40 of 40 records(scroll ↔)Sorted by Material (asc)

3D Printer Filament Density and Drying Reference Chart
						Action
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)	1.04	39976m	15073m	240°C–265°C	70°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
ABS-CF (Carbon Fiber ABS)	1.09	38142m	14381m	250°C–275°C	70°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate)	1.07	38855m	14650m	245°C–270°C	70°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Bamboo Fill PLA	1.16	35841m	13513m	190°C–220°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Bronze / Copper Metal Fill PLA	3.50	11879m	4479m	195°C–220°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
BVOH (Fast Dissolve Support)	1.14	36469m	13750m	190°C–215°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
ESD-Safe Conductive PLA	1.26	32996m	12441m	210°C–230°C	50°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
ESD-Safe PETG	1.30	31981m	12058m	240°C–260°C	65°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Glow in the Dark PLA (Phosphorescent)	1.25	33260m	12540m	205°C–225°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
High-Speed Hyper PLA	1.24	33528m	12642m	215°C–235°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)	1.04	39976m	15073m	230°C–250°C	55°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Magnetic Iron PLA	1.85	22473m	8473m	195°C–220°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Matte PLA	1.24	33528m	12642m	200°C–220°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
PA-CF (Carbon Fiber Nylon)	1.15	36152m	13631m	260°C–290°C	80°C @ 8h	Material Specs →
PA12 (Nylon 12)	1.01	41164m	15520m	250°C–280°C	75°C @ 6h	Material Specs →
PA6-CF (High Tensile Nylon 6 CF)	1.18	35233m	13284m	270°C–300°C	85°C @ 8h	Material Specs →
PA6-GF (Glass Fiber Nylon)	1.22	34078m	12849m	260°C–290°C	80°C @ 8h	Material Specs →
PC (Polycarbonate)	1.20	34646m	13063m	270°C–310°C	80°C @ 6h	Material Specs →
PC-CF (Carbon Fiber Polycarbonate)	1.25	33260m	12540m	280°C–320°C	80°C @ 6h	Material Specs →
PCTG (High Clarity Glycol)	1.23	33801m	12744m	250°C–270°C	60°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone)	1.30	31981m	12058m	390°C–430°C	120°C @ 6h	Material Specs →
PET-GF (Glass Fiber PET)	1.35	30796m	11611m	260°C–285°C	70°C @ 5h	Material Specs →
PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol)	1.27	32736m	12343m	230°C–250°C	65°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
PETG-CF (Carbon Fiber PETG)	1.30	31981m	12058m	240°C–265°C	65°C @ 5h	Material Specs →
PLA (Polylactic Acid)	1.24	33528m	12642m	195°C–220°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
PLA-CF (Carbon Fiber PLA)	1.29	32229m	12152m	210°C–235°C	50°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
PLA+ / Tough PLA	1.24	33528m	12642m	210°C–230°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
PP (Polypropylene)	0.90	46195m	17417m	220°C–245°C	Non-hygroscopic	Material Specs →
PP-GF (Glass Fiber Polypropylene)	1.05	39595m	14929m	235°C–260°C	Non-hygroscopic	Material Specs →
PVA (Water Soluble Support)	1.23	33801m	12744m	185°C–205°C	45°C @ 5h	Material Specs →
PVDF (Fluoropolymer Chemical Resistant)	1.78	23357m	8806m	250°C–275°C	70°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Recycled rPLA (Eco Upcycled)	1.24	33528m	12642m	200°C–220°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Silk PLA (Gloss Lustre)	1.24	33528m	12642m	205°C–225°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Stainless Steel Metal Fill PLA	3.20	12992m	4899m	200°C–225°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
Thermal Color-Changing PLA	1.24	33528m	12642m	200°C–220°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
TPU 64D (Semi-Rigid Engineering TPU)	1.22	34078m	12849m	230°C–250°C	60°C @ 4h	Material Specs →
TPU 85A (Soft Flexible)	1.18	35233m	13284m	210°C–230°C	50°C @ 6h	Material Specs →
TPU 95A (Flexible Elastomer)	1.21	34360m	12955m	215°C–235°C	55°C @ 5h	Material Specs →
ULTEM 9085 / PEI (Aerospace High Temp)	1.34	31026m	11698m	360°C–400°C	120°C @ 6h	Material Specs →
Wood Fill PLA	1.15	36152m	13631m	190°C–215°C	45°C @ 4h	Material Specs →

MetriFab Precision GuaranteeFormulas cross-verified against Blum, Smooth-On, Polymaker, and eSun technical data sheets.

Zero-Lag SSG

Core Mathematical & Engineering Breakdown

Datasheet equations, derivations, and step-by-step worked shop math.

§1

Why 1kg of ABS Gives You 65 More Meters Than 1kg of PLA

3D filament is purchased by mass (kilograms) but consumed by volume (cubic centimeters). Because ABS has a density of only 1.04 g/cm³ compared to PLA's 1.24 g/cm³, one kilogram of ABS provides 961 cm³ of material versus 806 cm³ for PLA. In 1.75mm diameter, this difference translates to roughly 400 meters of ABS versus 335 meters of PLA—granting print farms 19.4% more parts per kilogram purchased.

§2

Metal-Filled & Carbon-Fiber Density Modifiers

Adding functional micro-particles drastically alters polymer mass. BronzeFill and CopperFill composites incorporate powdered metallic alloys, driving density up to 3.90 g/cm³ to 4.10 g/cm³. A 1kg spool of BronzeFill yields only 106 meters of filament. Conversely, short carbon fiber filaments (PETG-CF, PA-CF) maintain densities around 1.15 g/cm³ to 1.26 g/cm³ while boosting tensile modulus.

§3

Hygroscopic Moisture Absorption & Steam Bubble Defects

Polyamide (Nylon), TPU, and PETG absorb atmospheric moisture rapidly. When wet filament reaches the 240°C–280°C hotend, trapped water boils instantly into steam micro-pockets. This explosive vaporization causes nozzle popping, severe retraction stringing, and delamination. Filaments must be desiccated below their glass transition temperature (Tg): PLA at 45°C–50°C, PETG at 65°C, and Nylon at 70°C–80°C for 6 to 12 hours.

Interactive Micro-Tool: Real-Time Calculation

Adjust sliders and inputs below to calculate custom dimensions instantly.

Live Interactive Filament & Job Cost EngineZero-Reload CAD Spec

Input Parameters & Presets

Filament Material & Density1.27 g/cm³

Pre-loads exact volumetric density required to calculate length.

Spool Brand & Empty Tare WeightTare: 245g

Pre-loads empty spool deduction (Plastic).

Total Weight on Kitchen Scale

g(43.9 oz)

Min: 245 g83%Max: 1445 g

Weigh your half-used spool directly on any digital kitchen scale.

Preset Values: Quick Weight Presets

Filament Diameter

Job Electricity Costing$0.14

3D Printer Model (Wattage)110W

Print Time (Hours)

Power Cost ($/kWh)

2D Orthographic Cross-Section

100% REMAINING

NET: 1000g•DIA: 1.75mm•100% REM

Remaining LengthKEY RESULT

327.4meters

1074.1 ft

100% of 1000g reference spool

Net Filament Weight

1000grams

35.27 oz

Excludes 245g empty tare

Electricity Cost

$0.14USD

8 hrs on Bambu Lab P1S

Material Density

1.27g/cm³

1.75mm diameter profile

Verified Material Reference Spec

Order Fresh 1kg Spool of PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol)

High-speed, tangle-free PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) filament with ±0.02mm tolerance for reliable prints.

Check Amazon PriceSearch reference

Failure Modes & Workshop Troubleshooting Matrix

Common fabrication failures, caliper inspection methods, and prevention rules.

Failure Mode	Root Cause	Caliper / Scale Check	Shop Prevention
Hissing, popping sounds with cloudy rough surface extrusion	Moisture boiling into steam inside nozzle chamber during melt transition	Filament snaps brittlely when bent 90° or weighs 2-4g more than dry baseline	Bake spool in active convection dryer for recommended hours before printing
Filament melting into a fused solid mass inside dryer	Dryer temperature exceeded the polymer's glass transition temperature (Tg)	Drying PLA at 60°C instead of 45°C–50°C causes thermal crystallization softening	Strictly adhere to datasheet Tg limits and calibrate dryer thermistor
Under-extrusion on metal-filled composite filaments	Slicer volume calculation incorrect due to unadjusted high material density	Standard slicer assumes 1.24 g/cm³ while BronzeFill is 3.90 g/cm³	Update slicer material profile with exact lab density to calculate correct mass

Frequently Asked Engineering Questions

High-intent technical fabrication inquiries verified against lab standards.

Q1Which 3D printer filament has the lowest density?

Polypropylene (PP) and Lightweight PLA (LW-PLA) have the lowest densities. Standard PP has a density of ~0.90 g/cm³, while active-foaming LW-PLA can reach 0.45–0.60 g/cm³, yielding over 600 meters per kilogram.

Q2Why does moisture cause stringing and popping in 3D prints?

Trapped water molecules expand ~1,600 times in volume when vaporized into steam at 200°C+. This internal pressure forces molten plastic out of the nozzle orifice involuntarily, bypassing extruder retraction.

Q3Can you dry filament above its glass transition temperature?

Never. Above Tg, amorphous polymer chains become rubbery and fuse together, warping the spool flanges and welding the filament strands into an unusable solid block.

Q4How many meters of 1.75mm PLA filament are in a 1kg spool?

A standard 1kg (1,000g) spool of pure PLA with 1.24 g/cm³ density contains approximately 335.5 meters (1,100 feet) of 1.75mm filament.

Related Programmatic Calculators in this Silo

Launch individual entity calculators pre-configured with exact manufacturer specifications:

PLA Filament Spool Calculator PETG Filament Spool Calculator ABS Filament Spool Calculator