3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-CF vs PLA HS

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

Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF) guideHigh-Speed PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-CF comparisonsMore PLA HS comparisons
ABS-CF vs PLA HS — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABSHigh-Speed PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1]PLA with rheology and crystallisation tuned for high volumetric flow; melt index 15.4 g/10 min vs 7–11 for standard PLA[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.11 (ISO 1183)[1]1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–125; the middle of the market is about 36[4][5][6][7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][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[4][5][6][7][12][8]11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[16][11][17]
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[9][11]
Typical applicationsStiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1]Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[18][16]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[19]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[2][16]
Bed temperature°CNot documented30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[2][20]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[21]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[21][22]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented≈24 at 300 mm/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer; 30 % more flow than regular PLA at the same temperature[2][16][18][23]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[21]None[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[21]Sticks to anything[24]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[25]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[21]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[16][2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[21]Brass fine indefinitely[26]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[21]Non-abrasive[27][26]
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[28][29][30]Very low[26]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[22]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[31]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[22]No special hot-end required[24]
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[32][33][28]Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[2]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2][20]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[34]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[34]
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[34]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[34]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[34]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[20][24]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]43.9 at 300 mm/s and 46.0 at 46.7 mm/s (printed XY, ISO 527); 58.6 on My Tech Fun bars for Creality Hyper PLA[2][35]
Young's modulusMPa5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1]2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Flexural strengthMPa76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedPrinting at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[2]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented32.4 at 300 mm/s, 37.3 at classic speed (printed Z, ISO 527); 35.3 for Creality Hyper PLA vs 23.0 for average PLA on identical bars[2][35]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2 %[1]Moderate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[36]
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][32][33]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[35]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 2 % against 10.5 % for unfilled ABS[1][32]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[37][31]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]59 (DSC)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[35]
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)[38]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[39]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[20][3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[31][40]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[41]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[20]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[25]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[31]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[25]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[42][31]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[25]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[42]
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[43][21]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[43]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[43]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[43]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[43][21]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[43][21]None needed in a normal room[43]
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[25]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[40][31]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[25]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[31][44]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[41]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[31]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[45][21]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[46][41]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[47]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[46][48]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[47][49]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[49][41]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[50][49]

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. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  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. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  19. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  28. CARBONX ABS+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  34. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  38. 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
  39. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  40. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  41. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  42. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  43. 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
  44. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  45. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  46. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  47. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  48. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  49. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  50. 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