3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-CF vs PA12

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

Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF) guidePA12 (Nylon 12) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-CF comparisonsMore PA12 comparisons
ABS-CF vs PA12 — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABSPA12 (Nylon 12)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings$64.33/kg median; $36.00–$170.67/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1]Polyamide 12 — the longest-chain common nylon, with the fewest amide groups per unit mass and so the least moisture uptake[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.11 (ISO 1183)[1]1.01 specific gravity (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D792)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–125; the middle of the market is about 36[5][6][7][8][9]1 kg-equivalent spools span 36–171; the middle of the market is about 64[10][11]
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[5][6][7][8][12][9]36–171 across brands; IEMAI 3D 36, Fiberlogy 64 at 3DJake, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 12 171[10][5][11]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[10][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[5][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[5][10]
Typical applicationsStiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1]Dimensionally stable functional parts, ducting and living hinges where PA6 would move too much with humidity[2][13]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[14]
Bed temperature°CNot documented110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[14]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[15]Enclosure required (passive)[2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[16]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[15][17]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[16][2]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented12 at Extrudr's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[14][18]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[15]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[15]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16][2]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[19]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[15]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[15]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[15]Non-abrasive when unfilled[2]
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[20][21][22]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[13][23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[17]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[16]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[17]May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[16]
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[24][25][20]High (0.8–2 %) — Polymaker's PA12-CF10 reaches 1.5 % equilibrium against 3.33 % for its PA6-GF25, and Polymaker developed the PA12 grade specifically for lower moisture sensitivity[3][13]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60–80 °C for 8–12 h (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[14][26]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[13]
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[23]Polymaker states its PA12 grade changes little between wet and dry, unlike its PA6-based materials; the CoPA dry-to-wet reference shows what the PA6-type response looks like[13][26]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[23]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[23]
Hydrolysis at melt temperatureNot documentedPolymaker requires a 100 °C dry for 8 h and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the published wet data is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[26][27]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]49.3 at yield and 33.4 at break printed XZ (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]
Young's modulusMPa5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1]1510 printed XZ and 1250 ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]
Elongation at break%2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]30 at break printed XZ against 6.5 in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented11 at +23 °C and 6.0 at -30 °C (Extrudr DuraPro PA12, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[14]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 138 J/m printed XZ against 71.0 J/m in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D256)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented41.8 at yield and 41.2 at break printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638) — higher than the XZ break figure, because XZ specimens draw and neck first[4]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2 %[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[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][24][25]Moderate — the long-chain polyamides hold load better than PLA but below PC[2]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 2 % against 10.5 % for unfilled ABS[1][24]Excellent — living hinges viable. Stratasys sells FDM Nylon 12 specifically for repetitive-flex parts such as snap-fit clips and press-fit inserts on the strength of its fatigue properties[2][4]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[13]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented85 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638) — one of the least anisotropic unfilled filaments measured[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented94.7 printed XY and 91.9 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented84.3 printed XY and 75.3 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]34.0 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D7426 inflection point)[4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedVicat A 142 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12, ISO 306)[14]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a Vicat softening point of 142 °C (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); no loaded-bar service figure is published[14]
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)[28]84-103 printed (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM E831: 84.4 in XY and 85.6 in XZ/ZX over -50 to 10 °C, 89.1 over 10-45 °C, 98.2 over 45-70 °C); Extrudr quotes 100 for DURAPRO PA12 (ISO 11359-2)[14][4]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled grades surveyed[14]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedMonths outdoors before embrittlement[2]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[29]Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — minor absorption; the least moisture-sensitive of the common nylons[13]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[19]Not food-contact certified as filament[2]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Not biodegradable[2]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[19]Mechanically recyclable but 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[30][15]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[30]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[30]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[30]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[30]≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[30]
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[30][15]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[30]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[30][15]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[30]
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[19]Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[16]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[19]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[16]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[29]No practical vapour smoothing[16]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[31][15]Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport matched to PA12[16]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedHolds dimensions better than PA6 after conditioning — Polymaker singles its PA12 grade out on exactly this point[13]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[32][29]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[33][32]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[32][34]Not resistant to 10 % formic acid, phenol, chloroform or dichloromethane (Ensinger); zinc chloride stress-cracks nylon.[32][33]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[35][29]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[33]

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. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  3. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  4. FDM Nylon 12 — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2021-09 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI CF-ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER ABS CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Nylon PA12 — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  15. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. CARBONX ABS+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  26. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  27. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  28. 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
  29. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. 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
  31. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  34. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc