Material sheet · Specialty

PVB Filament: Parts You Can Smooth with Alcohol

The filament you smooth with isopropyl alcohol instead of acetone. Datasheet data and how to get glossy, nearly transparent parts.

Nozzle 205–225 °C 3 datasheets

Bed 70–75 °C 3 datasheets

Density 1.1 g/cm³ 3 datasheets

Tg 70 °C 2 datasheets

Drying 50 °C 1 sheet

PVB filament properties

Data taken from 3 datasheets from manufacturers in Spain, Europe, the United States and China, reviewed on October 26, 2026. The shaded bar marks the median of the declared values and each colored tick is a different datasheet. The scales are the same across the whole library, so you can compare materials at a glance.

Nozzle temperature °C · 3 datasheets

205–225 °C range 200–230

Bed temperature °C · 3 datasheets

70–75 °C range 50–80

Density g/cm³ · 3 datasheets

1.1 g/cm³ range 1.08–1.1

Glass transition (Tg) °C · 2 datasheets

70 °C range 70–70

HDT at 0.45 MPa °C · 2 datasheets

59 °C range 56–63

Vicat softening °C · 2 datasheets

65 °C range 60–70

Tensile strength MPa · 3 datasheets

50 MPa range 48–51

Tensile modulus MPa · 2 datasheets

2,375 MPa range 1,700–3,050

Elongation at break % · 2 datasheets

51 % range 14–88

Flexural strength MPa · 3 datasheets

77 MPa range 72–78

Flexural modulus MPa · 3 datasheets

2,250 MPa range 2,200–2,350

Drying temperature °C · 1 sheet

50 °C range 50–50

Spain · 0 Europe · 2 US · 0 China · 1 Band: median of the declared values

PVB temperature and print settings

Setting	Typical value	Range in datasheets
Nozzle	205–225 °C	200–230 °C
Bed	70–75 °C	50–80 °C
Print speed	125–200 mm/s	50–200 mm/s
Drying temperature	50 °C	50–50 °C

Difficulty Low Prints almost like PLA; post-processing is the key.

Enclosed printer Not needed 1 of 1 datasheets

Hardened nozzle Not needed 1 of 1 datasheets

Drying before printing 50 °C Manufacturer values for spools that have absorbed moisture.

PVB vs PLA, ABS, and PETG: comparison

Setting	PVB	PLA	ABS	PETG
Nozzle temperature °C	205–225	192–230	235–260	230–260
Bed temperature °C	70–75	40–60	90–100	65–80
Density g/cm³	1.1	1.23	1.04	1.27
Glass transition (Tg) °C	70	61	105	80
HDT at 0.45 MPa °C	59	56	95	69
Tensile strength MPa	50	50	39	48
Tensile modulus MPa	2,375	2,865	2,150	2,311
Elongation at break %	51	8	10	11
Drying temperature °C	50	50	80	65

Medians from each material's datasheets. Click a material to see its full range.

Meters of PVB per spool

Spool weight	1.75 mm	2.85 mm
250 g	94 m	36 m
500 g	189 m	71 m
1 kg	378 m	143 m
3 kg	1,134 m	428 m

Calculated with the median density from the datasheets (1.1 g/cm³). Real spools can vary by a few meters because of diameter tolerance.

What is PVB

PVB (polyvinyl butyral) is the plastic of the film between the two glass layers of a windshield. As a filament, its appeal is that it dissolves in isopropyl alcohol: exposed to its vapors, the surface melts slightly and the layers disappear, leaving a smooth, glossy part. The 3 datasheets analyzed print it with the nozzle at 205–225 °C.

How to smooth PVB with isopropyl alcohol

Print the part with enough wall thickness: smoothing consumes a thin layer of material.
Place it in a closed container with atomized isopropyl alcohol or in a vapor-smoothing device.
Let it work for just the right amount of time; too long rounds off details and edges.
Take it out and let the alcohol evaporate until the surface hardens.

It is an alternative to smoothing ABS with acetone, with a solvent that is easier to get and to handle, though just as flammable: ventilate and work away from any flame.

FAQ