3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-CF vs PLA+

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

Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF) guidePLA+ / Tough PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-CF comparisonsMore PLA+ comparisons
ABS-CF vs PLA+ — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABSPLA+ / Tough PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1]PLA compounded with impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.11 (ISO 1183)[1]1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[2][3]
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 16[9][10]
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][11][8]10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[12][10][13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[12][9][10][13][14]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[4][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[13][14][12]
Typical applicationsStiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1]Functional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[2][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[16]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[2][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[17]Open frame is fine[2][3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[2][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[17][18]Textured or smooth PEI; Bambu Lab recommends glue stick or liquid glue for Tough+[2][3]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[17]None[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[17]Sticks to anything[19]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[20]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[2][19]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[17]Easy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[2][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[17]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[17]Non-abrasive[22][21]
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[23][24][25]Very low[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[18]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[26]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[18]No special hot-end required[19]
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[27][28][23]Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[2][3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[29]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[29]
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[29]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for the modified grades; the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a strength number[29]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[29]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[3][19]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]35–43 (printed XY, ISO 527); 53 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars for Bambu Lab Tough[2][3][30][31]
Young's modulusMPa5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1]1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[2][3][32][33]
Elongation at break%2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[2][3][34][33]
Flexural modulusMPa5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2140–2393 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented38.9–72.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched) — 5–9× plain PLA[2][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 80.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab Tough+); CNC Kitchen measured ~20 vs 5 kJ/m² for PolyLite PLA[3][30]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented20.9–32.4 printed Z (ISO 527); 33.0 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars vs 27.6 for PLA Basic[2][3][31]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2 %[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2][3][30]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented78.8 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[35]
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][27][28]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 20.2 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, the same as plain PLA[31][36]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 2 % against 10.5 % for unfilled ABS[1][27]Below average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[37][3][30]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[2][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (PolyMax) to 61 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (PolyMax) to 58 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]61 (DSC)[2][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented149–151 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 62 (ISO 306)[2][3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented48–57 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature: 48 for Polymaker PLA Pro, 50 for Sunlu PLA+, 52 for Bambu Lab Tough, 57 for PolyTerra PLA+[31][38][35][36]
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)[39]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[40]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[3][2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[26][41]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[42]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2][3]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[20]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[26]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[20]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[43][26]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[20]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[43]
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[44][17]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[44]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[44]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[44]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[44][17]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[44][17]None needed in a normal room[44]
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[20]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[41][26]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[20]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[26][45]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[42]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[26]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[46][17]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[47][42]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[48]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[47][49]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[48][50]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[50][42]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[51][50]

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. PolyMax PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Tough+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · 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. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. CARBONX ABS+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  29. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  31. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  33. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  34. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — 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. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. 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
  40. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  41. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  42. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  43. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. 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
  45. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  46. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  47. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  48. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  49. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  50. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  51. 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