Filament comparison
ABS-CF vs ABS-GF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABS | Glass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF)ABS |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings | $34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1] | ABS reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 10 wt%[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.11 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[3][2] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–125; the middle of the market is about 36[4][5][6][7][8] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 24–73; the middle of the market is about 35[9][4][10][11] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 22–125 across brands; IEMAI 22, Siraya Tech 28 and 36 for the core-shell grade, YXPOLYER 35, Push Plastic 50 at 2 kg, 3DXTech 64 at 750 g; Stratasys-compatible cartridges run far higher[4][5][6][7][12][8] | 24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[9][4][10][11] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[4][5] | Available from several mainstream brands[9][4] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[4][5] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[4][9] |
| Typical applications | Stiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1] | Stiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 240–280 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended[13] | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[3][13] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0–80 % (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[13][14] | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[13][14] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 14 at Bambu Lab's 180 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][15] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[13] | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; Bambu Lab positions the fibre as reducing warping[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13] | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[16] | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[16] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[13] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[13] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[13] | Hardened steel required[13] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[13] | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[13] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened nozzle of 0.4 mm minimum and 0.25 mm layers or higher, and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[17][18][19] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher for the glass-filled grade[20][18] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[14] | Slightly sensitive[14] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[14] | No special hot-end required[14] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — the ABS matrix takes up 0.51–0.65 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 80 °C, 4 h pre-dry[21][22][17] | Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[23] | Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[23] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[23] | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[23] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[3][2] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1] | 3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[3][2] |
| Elongation at break% | 2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[3][2] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[3][2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[3][2] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy unnotched 14.5 ± 1.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[3] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 29 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2 %[1] | Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy falls from 21.5 to 4.2 kJ/m² against unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[3][21] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good — no creep test found; chopped carbon fibre restrains matrix flow and modulus rises to 5210 MPa against 2200–2330 for unfilled ABS[1][21][22] | Good — no creep test found; chopped glass fibre lifts modulus to 3160 MPa against 2200 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[3][21] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 2 % against 10.5 % for unfilled ABS[1][21] | Below average — no S-N curve found; notched Charpy falls to 4.2 kJ/m² against 21.5 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[3][21] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 99 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 87 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[3][21] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[3][21] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 105 (DSC)[1] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 19–25 along the print bead and 80–84 in the build direction at 30 °C (20 wt% CF, large-format printed, TMA)[24] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[25] | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[25] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[16] | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[16] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[16] | Not biodegradable[16] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16] | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (ASTM D257)[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[26][13] | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[26][13] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[26] | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[26] |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[26] | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[26] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Styrene dominates. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea[26][13] | Styrene dominates. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea[26][13] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[26][13] | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[26][13] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1] | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[2] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[16] | Sands well and takes filler before painting[16] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[16] | Paints readily after light abrasion[16] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Acetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[25] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[27][13] | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[27][13] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Bambu Lab describes a smooth matte finish with micro-spot gloss that blurs layer lines[3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[28][25] | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[28][25] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[28][29] | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[28][29] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[30][25] | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[30][25] |
Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.
Sources for this comparison
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- FibreX ABS+GF10 Glass Fiber ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ABS-GF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI CF-ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER ABS CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS-GF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU ABS-GF (ABS Glass Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- CARBONX ABS+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- FIBREX ABS+GF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
- PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
- HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc