3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-CF vs PA11

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

Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF) guidePA11 (Nylon 11) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-CF comparisonsMore PA11 comparisons
ABS-CF vs PA11 — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABSPA11 (Nylon 11)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1]Polyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.11 (ISO 1183)[1]1.02 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–125; the middle of the market is about 36[4][5][6][7][8]Not documented
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[4][5][6][7][9][8]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[4][5]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[3]
Typical applicationsStiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1]Tough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament)[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented275 ± 10 (Prusament)[2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented100 ± 10 (Prusament)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[10]Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[2]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented55 ± 5 (Prusament)[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[10][11]PA nylon sheet (Prusament)[2]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[10]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[10]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][13]
Extruder requirementNot documentedPrusa printed its test specimens with a high-flow CHT nozzle[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[10]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[10]Non-abrasive when unfilled[13]
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[14][15][16]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[11]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[11]Not documented
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[18][19][14]High (0.8–2 %) — Prusa measures 0.46 % after 7 days at 22 % RH, but PA11 sits between PA12 and PA6 in the family[2][17]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[2]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[17]Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[20]
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[17]Prusa publishes no dry-versus-conditioned columns; the CoPA reference shows the PA-family response — stiffness and strength fall sharply, impact and elongation rise[20][21]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[17]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[17]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[2]
Young's modulusMPa5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1]1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[2]
Elongation at break%2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[2]
Flexural strengthMPa76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[2]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[2]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2 %[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[2]
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][18][19]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 2 % against 10.5 % for unfilled ABS[1][18]Excellent — living hinges viable[13]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented84 — Prusa publishes a tensile anisotropy coefficient of 0.84, the ratio of Z to XY tensile strength[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]Not documented
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)[22]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[23]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift[20]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[12]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]Bio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[3]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[12]Not documented
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[24][10]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[24]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[24]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[24]≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[24]
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[24][10]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[24]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[24][10]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24]
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[12]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[12]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[23]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[25][10]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[26][23]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[27][26]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[26][28]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[29][23]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[27]

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. Prusament PA11 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2026-07 · tds
  3. Prusament PA11 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. IEMAI CF-ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER ABS CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. CARBONX ABS+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  20. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. 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
  23. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  24. 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
  25. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  28. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc