3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs PA6

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guidePA6 (Nylon 6) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore PA6 comparisons
ABS-FR vs PA6 — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSPA6 (Nylon 6)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS with a flame-retardant package; 3DXTech rates the base resin UL 94 V-0[1]Polyamide 6, ring-opened from caprolactam — the most hygroscopic of the common nylons[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][4]1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 45–120; the middle of the market is about 52[6][7][8][9]1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–136; the middle of the market is about 104, though budget unfilled PA6 has now arrived at 39[6][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg45–120 across brands; SUNLU 45, YXPOLYER 50, Coex 3D 52, 3DXTech 107 at 750 g pricing; the FR PC/ABS grade runs 120[6][7][8][9]39–136 across brands; YXPOLYER 39, 3DXTech iOn Nylon 6 Alloy 104, WearX Nylon 6 136. Unfilled PA6 filament stays rare — most PA6 reaches the market glass- or carbon-filled[6][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[6]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]Wear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[2][11]
Bed temperature°CNot documented70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[2][11]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[12]Enclosure required (passive)[13][2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[11]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[12][14]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[11][2]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[12]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11][2]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[15]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[12]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; the filament must be kept dry throughout the print[2][16]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[12]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its FR-ABS, only an 80 °C pre-dry[17]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet nylon pops and cracks in the melt[18][16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[14]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[11]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[14]May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[11]
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[4][19][17]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker groups nylon with PVA as the most moisture-prone class, and its own PA6-based composites reach 2.35–3.33 % equilibrium[16][20]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[13][21]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]Popping and cracking during extrusion, then defects that Polymaker describes as very hard to diagnose[18]
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[16]Measured dry against wet on printed specimens at 6.16 % moisture (Polymaker CoPA): tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa, Young's modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, flexural strength 109.8 → 22.6 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m² and elongation 12.7 → 13.2 %[13][18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[16]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[21][16]
Hydrolysis at melt temperatureNot documentedPolymaker requires a 100 °C dry for 8 h and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the published wet data is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[13][21]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]62 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned to 20 °C / 50 % RH gives 67.6 ultimate and 49.3 at yield printed XZ (ASTM D638)[5][22]
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2110 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2232 printed XZ and 1817 ZX (ASTM D638)[5][22]
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][23]9 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 38 printed XZ against 3.2 in ZX (ASTM D638)[5][22]
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]78 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 97.2 printed XZ and 82 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][22]
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2200 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2196 printed XZ and 1879 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][22]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 106 J/m printed XZ against 43 J/m in ZX; unnotched 2873 against 192 J/m (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D256 Method A) — a 15x anisotropy unnotched[22]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented36.5 ultimate and 28.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D638)[22]
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][23]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785); no figure is published for a PA6 filament[24]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][23]Moderate[2]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 4 % against 10 % for unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][23]Excellent — living hinges viable[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[18]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented54 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned, ZX against XZ ultimate tensile, ASTM D638); 59 on the yield figures[22]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech sells a dedicated wear-resistant PA6 grade; abrasion resistance is the usual reason to choose PA6 over PA12[6]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented93 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[22]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a PA6 filament, and PA6 and PA66 expand almost identically[24]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin rather than the printed part[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedMonths outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[2]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[25]Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis — the usual reason to choose a polyamide[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift — a conditioned part is measurably softer and larger than the same part dry[18][13]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[15]Polymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[2]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]Not biodegradable[2]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[15]Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[3][12]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[3]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[3]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[3]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[3]≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[3]
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[3][12]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[3][12]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[15]Sands poorly — the toughness makes it gum rather than powder[11]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[15]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[11]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[26][12]PVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[11]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedParts grow as they absorb moisture after printing; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[18]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[27][25]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[28]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[27][29]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[30]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[28]

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. Firewire Flame Retardant ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  3. 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
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. iOn PA6-based Nylon Alloy Technical Data Sheet v2.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. SUNLU ABS-FR (ABS Flame Retardant) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER ABS Flame-Retardant product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Flame Retardant Black ABS Coex 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PA6 Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  14. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. FIREWIRE FR-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  20. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  21. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  22. FDM Nylon 6 — data sheet (conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH) Stratasys · 2017-11 · tds
  23. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  24. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  26. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  29. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc