3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-CF vs PLA-CF

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

Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF) guideCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-CF comparisonsMore PLA-CF comparisons
ABS-CF vs PLA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABSCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLA
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; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1]PLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.11 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[4][3][5]
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 span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[11][12][5][13][14]
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][15][10]19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[12][11][5][16][13][17][14]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Stocked by most mainstream brands[11][12][5][16]
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; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[16][5][18]
Typical applicationsStiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1]Stiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[4][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[11]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[19]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[4][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[19][20]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[4][21][3][22]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[19]None[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[19]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[23]Slight[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[19]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[21][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[21]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[19]Hardened steel required[21][3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[19]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[21][24]
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]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[20]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[20]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[24][21]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[21][3]
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[28][29][25]Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h[4][3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[30]Not documented
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[30]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[30]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[30]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Young's modulusMPa5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1]2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Elongation at break%2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Flexural strengthMPa76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[4][3]
Flexural modulusMPa5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[4][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[4][3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2 %[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[31]
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][28][29]Poor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[32][33][31]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 2 % against 10.5 % for unfilled ABS[1][28]Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[34][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[4][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]62–63 (DSC)[4][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[4][3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[32][33][31]
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)[35]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[36]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[37]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[23]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[23]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[23]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[38][19]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[38]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[38]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[38]Not documented
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[38][19]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[38][19]None needed in a normal room[38]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon 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[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[23]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[23]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[37]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[39][19]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[4][3][40][41]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[42][37]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[43]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[42][44]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[43][45]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[45][37]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[46][45]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  3. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · 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. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab 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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  30. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  35. 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
  36. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  37. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  38. 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
  39. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  40. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  41. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  42. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  43. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  44. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  45. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  46. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper