Filament comparison
ABS-CF vs PETG-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABS | Carbon-fibre PETG (PETG-CF)PETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings | $29.99/kg median; $16.00–$74.22/kg across 11 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1] | PETG reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.11 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.25 (Bambu Lab) to 1.34 (3DXTech), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.27[2][4][3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–125; the middle of the market is about 36[5][6][7][8][9] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 16–74; the middle of the market is about 29[2][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] |
| 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[5][6][7][8][17][9] | 16–74 across brands; ELEGOO 16 in a 5 kg pack, Reli3D 17, SUNLU 20, IEMAI 22, Siraya Tech 25, Bambu Lab 32, Sakata 3D 53, 3DXTech 67, Prusament 70, Filament PM 74 on 0.5 kg spools[18][2][5][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][5][10][18] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[5][6] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][2] |
| Typical applications | Stiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1] | Stiff functional parts and fixtures where PETG's toughness is traded for rigidity and a matte finish[2][3] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | ±0.02 (Prusament)[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 240–270 (Bambu Lab); 265 ± 10 (Prusament)[2][3] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 65–75 (Bambu Lab); 90 ± 10 (Prusament)[2][3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended[19] | Open frame fine; draught shield helps — Bambu Lab specifies a 35–50 °C chamber[2] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 35–50 (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0–60 % (Bambu Lab); 50 % (Prusament)[2][3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[19][20] | Textured PEI or engineering plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 11.5 on My Tech Fun's Bambu Lab PETG-CF profile[21] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[19] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[19] | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive[2] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[22] | Slight — the fibre reduces stringing against unfilled PETG[2][23] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[19] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[2] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[19] | Hardened steel required[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[19] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2] |
| 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[24][25][26] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher, and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[27][25] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[20] | Slightly sensitive[23] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[20] | Hardened steel nozzle; no high-temperature hot-end needed[2][23] |
| 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[28][29][24] | Low — 0.30 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.30 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.10 after 7 days at 22 % RH[2][3] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 65 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[30] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[30] |
| 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[30] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures published; Bambu Lab states PETG-CF must be properly dried before printing and stored dry after use[2][30] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[30] | Sealed with desiccant; Bambu Lab says store dry after use[2][30] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 47 ± 2 at yield (Prusament) printed XY, ISO 527; 56 at break for 3DXTech[2][3][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1] | 2460 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 1700 (Prusament) printed XY, ISO 527[2][3] |
| Elongation at break% | 2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 4.3 at yield (Prusament, printed XY, ISO 527); 3 at break for 3DXTech[3][4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 68 ± 3 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 2300 printed horizontal, 3100 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament)[3] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy unnotched 29 ± 6 printed horizontal and 43 ± 8 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1); Izod 4.91 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun bars[3][21] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 29 ± 4 printed Z (Bambu Lab, ISO 527); 18 ± 3 by Prusa's interlayer adhesion test; 10.7 on My Tech Fun bars[2][3][21] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2 %[1] | Brittle — snaps with little warning[4] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | 77 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[3] |
| 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][28][29] | Below average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 16.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, less than plain PETG's 19.4[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][28] | Moderate — no CF-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[31] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 83 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 74 (Bambu Lab) and 96 (Prusament), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 68 (Bambu Lab) and 80 (Prusament), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 105 (DSC)[1] | 68 (Bambu Lab) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[2][4] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 225 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC) — the carbon fibre lets the PET fraction crystallise[2] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 77 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature, against 61 for Bambu Lab PETG Basic[21] |
| 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)[32] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — a season or two; the carbon fibre does not add UV stabilisation[33] |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[34] | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure, as for unfilled PETG[33] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[22] | Not certified for food contact[33] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[22] | Not biodegradable[33] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[22] | Fibre-filled PETG is not accepted in household plastic collection[33] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (ASTM D257)[1] | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — carbon fibre at this loading is not static-dissipative (3DXTech)[4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[35][19] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[35] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[35] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[35] | Not documented |
| 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[35][19] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[35][19] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[35] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1] | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[22] | Sands to a matte finish more readily than unfilled PETG[23] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[22] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds it[23] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Acetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[34] | No practical vapour smoothing[23] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[36][19] | Support for PLA or its own material (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Matte finish hides layer lines; stringing is reduced against unfilled PETG[2] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[37][34] | No common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[38][39] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[37][40] | Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[38] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[39][34] | Dichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[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
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PETG Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 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
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU PETG-CF (PETG Carbon Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- Fibreheart PETG-CF Pro Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI CF-PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Reli3D Carbon Fiber PETG Filament 1.75 mm, 1 kg Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
- PET-G CF15 Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
- Filament PM CFJet technical data sheet (TDS CFJet ENG.pdf) Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 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
- CARBONX PETG+CF — 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
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- 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
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc