Filament comparison
ABS-GF vs PA blend
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF)ABS | PA6/66 copolymer blendsPA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings | $65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ABS reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 10 wt%[1][2] | PA6/66 copolymer — a nylon alloy that lowers the melting point and improves printability against straight PA6[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1] | 1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 24–73; the middle of the market is about 35[5][6][7][8] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[9][10][11] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[5][6][7][8] | 62–113 across brands; add:north Adura 62, PrimaCreator NylonPower PA6/66 65 at 500 g, Polymaker CoPA 67, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 6-66 113[9][6][10][11] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6] | Available from several mainstream brands[9][6] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[6][5] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[9][6][10][11] |
| Typical applications | Stiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[2] | General-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 240–280 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2][12] | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[3] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | 0–80 % (Bambu Lab)[2] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[12][13] | Not documented |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 14 at Bambu Lab's 180 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][14] | 16 at Polymaker's 200 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][14] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; Bambu Lab positions the fibre as reducing warping[2] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[15] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[12] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[3][16] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[12] | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[17] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[12] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[17] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher for the glass-filled grade[18][19] | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[20][16] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[13] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[13] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker's own wet-state specimens reached 6.16 % moisture content after 48 h immersion at 60 °C[3][16] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2] | 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16] | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[20] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker 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 %[3][20] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[16] | Polymaker states CoPA must always be stored and used below 20 % relative humidity[3] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Not documented | Polymaker 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[3][21] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[2][1] | 78.0 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 34.3 ± 2.5 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[2][1] | 2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Elongation at break% | 6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[2][1] | 12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1] | 109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[2][1] | 2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2] | 6.9 ± 1.4 printed XY dry and 27.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker CoPA) — impact quadruples when conditioned[3] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 14.5 ± 1.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2] | Not documented |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 29 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy falls from 21.5 to 4.2 kJ/m² against unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][22] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Shore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785)[23] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good — no creep test found; chopped glass fibre lifts modulus to 3160 MPa against 2200 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][22] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below average — no S-N curve found; notched Charpy falls to 4.2 kJ/m² against 21.5 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][22] | Excellent — living hinges viable[17] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Semi-flexible[20] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2] | 59 dry (45.8 Z against 78.0 XY) and 40 wet, printed[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 99 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 87 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][22] | 111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][22] | 70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | 80 °C for 6 h (Polymaker CoPA)[3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F) — the same chemistry as a PA6/66 copolymer[23] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[24] | Not documented |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Absorbs water, properties shift — 6.16 % uptake cost 56 % of tensile strength and 73 % of modulus[3] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[15] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[15] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[15] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[25][12] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[25] | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[25] |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[25] | ≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[25] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Styrene 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[25][12] | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[25] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[25][12] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[15] | Not documented |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[15] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[26][12] | CoPA can support itself, but Polymaker warns the support bonds permanently if it absorbs moisture before removal[3] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Bambu Lab describes a smooth matte finish with micro-spot gloss that blurs layer lines[2] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[27][24] | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[28] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol 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 agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[30][24] | 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
- FibreX ABS+GF10 Glass Fiber ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ABS-GF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- AmideX Nylon 6-66 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS-GF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU ABS-GF (ABS Glass Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- add:north Adura product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
- PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower PA6/66 product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- FIBREX ABS+GF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- 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
- HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc