3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-CF vs PC-ABS

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

Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF) guidePC/ABS blend guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-CF comparisonsMore PC-ABS comparisons
ABS-CF vs PC-ABS — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABSPC/ABS blendPC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1]Polycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.11 (ISO 1183)[1]1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[2][3][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 spools cluster near 50[10][5]
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][11][9]35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[10][5][12][13]
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; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[10][5]
Typical applicationsStiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1]Automotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented250–270 (Polymaker)[2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented90–105 (Polymaker)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[14]Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[2]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented90–100 (Polymaker)[2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedOff (Polymaker)[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[14][15]PEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[16]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented20 at Polymaker's 250 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][17]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[14]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[2][14]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16][18]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[19]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[18]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[14]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][14]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[14]Brass fine indefinitely[14]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[14]Non-abrasive[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]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry of 4 h or more[23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[15]Slightly sensitive[16]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[15]All-metal hot end required (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]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h or more pre-dry[26][27][23]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[2]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[28]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[28]
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[28]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[18][28]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[28]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[18]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]39.9 ± 1.0 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 60 at break for its FR PC/ABS[2][3]
Young's modulusMPa5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1]1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[2][3]
Elongation at break%2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[2][3]
Flexural modulusMPa5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[2][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedNotched Charpy still 13 ± 2 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA), against 1.5 in Z. Stratasys prints Izod notched at 241 J/m XZ against 34.0 J/m ZX, and unnotched 655 against 101 J/m (ASTM D256, F900 T16).[2][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented25.9-30.2 at break printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the F900 and Fortus 450mc); 22.9 +/- 1.2 printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[2][4]
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 documentedRockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a PC/ABS filament[29]
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]Good. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC/ABS was still running unbroken at 30 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window at 39-47 MPa (ASTM D638)[30]
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]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented75-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638) against 57 (Polymaker, printed Z against XY tensile)[2][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented112 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 117.9 in XY and 126.1 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi), against 125.0 moulded[2][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented106 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 107.5 in XY and 112.0 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi), against 102.9 moulded[2][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[2][3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[27]
Annealing responseNot documented90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[2]
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)[31]59.9 over -50 to 35 °C and 73.0 over -50 to 95 °C (printed XY, ASTM E831)[4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[18]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[32]Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[18]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[19]Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[18]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Not biodegradable[18]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[19]Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[18]
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[33][14]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[33]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[33]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[33]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[33]
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[33][14]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[33][14]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[33][14]
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 and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[16]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[19]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[16]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[32]Acetone attacks the ABS phase, so surface smoothing is partial rather than full[2]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[34][14]Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[16]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[35][32]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[36][35]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[35][37]Petrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[36][35]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[38][32]Acetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[2][39]

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. Polymaker PC-ABS Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · 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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Reli3D PC-ABS Filament, Black, 1000 g spool Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. SUNLU PC-ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 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. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  28. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  31. 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
  32. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. 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
  34. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  37. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  39. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds