3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-CF vs PVDF

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

Carbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF) guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-CF comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
ABS-CF vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ABS (ABS-CF)ABSPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$35.99/kg median; $22.00–$125.00/kg across 7 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.11 (ISO 1183)[1]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–125; the middle of the market is about 36[4][5][6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[4]
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][9][8]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[4]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4][10]
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; 750 g spools[4]
Typical applicationsStiff tooling and fixtures that must survive above 100 °C[1]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[2]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[11]Enclosure required (passive)[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[11][12]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ABS[11]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[13]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[11]Expert / industrial hardware only[2][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[11]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[11]Non-abrasive when unfilled[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[14][15][16]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[10]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]Not documented
Other hardware wearNot documentedHydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[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[17][18][14]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[2]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19]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[19]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[10]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[19]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa46 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Young's modulusMPa5210 (printed XY, ISO 527) — more than double unfilled ABS[1]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%2 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Flexural strengthMPa76 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa5260 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[20]
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 M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[20]
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][17][18]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 2 % against 10.5 % for unfilled ABS[1][17]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[20]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[20]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented170 melting (ISO 11357)[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[20]
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)[21]127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[20]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[20]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[2][20]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[22]Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[2]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[13]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[13]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[13]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[23][11]Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[3]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[23]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[23]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[23][11]Above 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[23][11]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[3]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Molten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[13]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[13]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone smoothing is blunted by the fibre — only the resin fraction dissolves[22]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[24][11]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedThe processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[2][3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[25][22]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[26]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[25][27]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[26][28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[29][22]None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[26]

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. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  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. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-CF Core Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. CARBONX ABS+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. 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
  22. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. 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
  24. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  27. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc