3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-CF vs ASA

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF) guideASA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-CF comparisonsMore ASA comparisons
ABS-CF vs ASA — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABSASAASA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings$28.98/kg median; $17.99–$50.00/kg across 14 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1]Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate — ABS with the butadiene rubber phase replaced by an acrylate rubber that has no UV-vulnerable double bonds[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.11 (ISO 1183)[1]1.05 (Bambu Lab) to 1.13 (PolyLite ASA), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.07[4][5][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–125; the middle of the market is about 36[6][7][8][9][10]1 kg spools cluster near 30[11][12][13]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg22–125 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[6][7][8][9][14][10]18–50 across brands; IEMAI 18, SUNLU 18, Ambrosia 23, Polymaker 26, Bambu Lab 30, YXPOLYER 30, Prusament 41, 3DXTech 50[15][12][11][16][13][6][17][18][19]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Stocked by most mainstream brands[11][12][6][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.8, 1, 4 and 10 kg spools[6][13][11]
Typical applicationsStiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1]Outdoor fittings, signage, automotive exterior trim and anything that has to hold colour and strength in sunlight[20][2]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.04 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented230–270 across brands; Prusament 260 ± 10, Bambu Lab 240–270, PolyLite 230–260[4][5][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented75–110; Prusament 110 ± 5, Bambu Lab 80–100, PolyLite 75–95[4][5][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[21]Enclosure recommended — Polymaker calls a chamber needed at ambient temperature, Bambu Lab requires an enclosed printer and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[5][21]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented45–60 (Bambu Lab)[4]
Part cooling fanNot documentedLow — Prusament 30 % within a 0–50 % range, Bambu Lab 0–80 %, PolyLite off[3][4][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[21][22]Satin, smooth PEI or powder-coated sheet with a glue stick; Prusa advises a 3 mm or taller brim on large parts[3][21]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[23]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[21]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a tall brim and Bambu Lab attributes cracking to cooling stress exceeding interlayer adhesion[3][21]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[21]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[3][21]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[24]Slight[5]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[21]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[21][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[21]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[21]Non-abrasive[21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — 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[25][26][27]Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[28][29]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[22]Slightly sensitive[28]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[22]No special hot-end required[28]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 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[30][31][25]Moderate — 0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab) and 0.40 % equilibrium (Polymaker); Prusa measures only 0.17 % after 7 days at 22 % RH[4][5][3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.45 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.17 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[4][5][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 7 h (Polymaker)[4][5]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[32]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[32]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[32]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published for ASA; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a stated strength delta[32]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[32]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[32]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]37 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) to 43.8 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 42 ± 1 at yield; Formfutura quotes 47.5 at yield[4][5][3][33]
Young's modulusMPa5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1]2379 (PolyLite) to 2450 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1600, Formfutura 2020[4][5][3][33]
Elongation at break%2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]6.7 (PolyLite) to 9.2 (Bambu Lab) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; Formfutura quotes 15 at break, Prusament 3.4 at yield[4][5][33][3]
Flexural strengthMPa76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]64 ± 1 printed horizontal (Prusament, ISO 178); Bambu Lab 65 ± 5, PolyLite 73.4[3][4][5]
Flexural modulusMPa5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1920 ± 130 (Bambu Lab) to 3206 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2000[4][5][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented10.3 (PolyLite) to 19.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1, Formfutura 18[5][4][3][33]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1); Bambu Lab 41.0 ± 2.3 printed XY[3][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented11 ± 1 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 31 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 32 (PolyLite) printed Z tensile, ISO 527[3][4][5]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2 %[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4][3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented78 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good — no creep test found; chopped carbon fibre restrains matrix flow and modulus rises to 5210 MPa against 2200–2330 for unfilled ABS[1][30][31]Moderate — no printed-ASA creep test found; Tg of 98 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening, unlike PLA[5][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 2 % against 10.5 % for unfilled ABS[1][30]Moderate — fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength (8 MPa) on printed specimens, the best of the four polymers in that study[34]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented84 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 73 for PolyLite ASA[4][5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented93 (Prusament) to 103 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 100[3][5][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented86 (Prusament) to 100 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Bambu Lab 92[3][5][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]98 (PolyLite, DSC)[5]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 105 (PolyLite, ISO 306)[5]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[35]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K19–25 along the print bead and 80–84 in the build direction at 30 °C (20 wt% CF, large-format printed, TMA)[36]69 ± 17 in XY and 115 ± 24 in the build direction (printed, TMA, 40–70 °C)[37]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ASA[4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — designed for permanent outdoor use. After 1000 h of QUV exposure to ASTM G154 Stratasys measured yield strength falling only from 30.5 to 30.3 MPa and stress at break by 3.0 %[20]
Outdoor durabilityNot documented1000 h QUV per ASTM G154, cycling 8 h at 60 °C and 4 h at 50 °C with condensation: yield 30.5 → 30.3 MPa, stress at break 30.5 → 29.5 MPa, elongation 2.8 → 2.3 %, modulus 1.82 → 1.95 GPa[20]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[38]Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[5]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — minor absorption[4]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[24]Not food safe[2]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[24]Not biodegradable[2]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[24]Not accepted in household plastic collection[2]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (ASTM D257)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[39][21]High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[39][21]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[39]12–113 styrene, the range measured across the styrenic filaments tested; ASA itself was not among them[39]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[39]2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median for ABS, the closest styrenic tested; ASA itself was not measured[39]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene 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[39][21]Styrene. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea. Azimi et al. measured styrene from every styrenic filament tested but did not test ASA itself[21][39]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[39][21]Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[39][21]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[24]Sands well and takes filler before painting[2]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[24]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSolvent-welds with acetone[5]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[38]Acetone vapour smoothing works — ASA dissolves in acetone[5]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[40][21]HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS that also serves ASA[21]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedWarping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits; Stratasys notes the matte finish as a deliberate aesthetic advantage[21][20]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[41][38]Acetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[41][5]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[41][42]Limonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[42]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[43][38]Acetone vapour, ~20 min at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid (15–40 min across brands); layer adhesion up, tensile slightly down.[43]

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

  1. CarbonX Carbon Fiber ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  3. Prusament ASA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2024-05 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI CF-ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER ABS CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. ASA — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. IEMAI ASA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. SUNLU ASA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. YXPOLYER ASA Purple product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  21. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. CARBONX ABS+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  28. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  32. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. ApolloX Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Mechanical, Fatigue, and Thermal Characterization of ASA, Nylon 12, PC and PC-ABS Manufactured by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) Polymers 18(2):302 · 2026-01 · paper
  35. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  36. 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
  37. Basalt Fiber Composites with Reduced Thermal Expansion for Additive Manufacturing Polymers 14(15):3216 · 2022-08 · paper
  38. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  39. 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
  40. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  41. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  42. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  43. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc