3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-GF vs PA11

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

2 selected · all documented properties

ABS-GF vs PA11 — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF)ABSPA11 (Nylon 11)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 10 wt%[1][2]Polyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1]1.02 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 24–73; the middle of the market is about 35[5][6][7][8]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[5][6][7][8]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[6][5]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[4]
Typical applicationsStiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[2]Tough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–280 (Bambu Lab)[2]275 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2]100 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2][9]Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]55 ± 5 (Prusament)[3]
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[9][10]PA nylon sheet (Prusament)[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s14 at Bambu Lab's 180 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][11]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; Bambu Lab positions the fibre as reducing warping[2]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[9]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3][13]
Extruder requirementNot documentedPrusa printed its test specimens with a high-flow CHT nozzle[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[9]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[9]Non-abrasive when unfilled[13]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — 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[14][15]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[10]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[10]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]High (0.8–2 %) — Prusa measures 0.46 % after 7 days at 22 % RH, but PA11 sits between PA12 and PA6 in the family[3][16]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[17]
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]Prusa publishes no dry-versus-conditioned columns; the CoPA reference shows the PA-family response — stiffness and strength fall sharply, impact and elongation rise[17][18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[16]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[2][1]38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[3]
Young's modulusMPa3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[2][1]1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[3]
Elongation at break%6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[2][1]5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[3]
Flexural strengthMPa68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[2][1]1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2]12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.5 ± 1.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa29 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy falls from 21.5 to 4.2 kJ/m² against unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][19]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good — no creep test found; chopped glass fibre lifts modulus to 3160 MPa against 2200 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][19]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; notched Charpy falls to 4.2 kJ/m² against 21.5 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][19]Excellent — living hinges viable[13]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Semi-flexible[3]
Z strength as % of XY%81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]84 — Prusa publishes a tensile anisotropy coefficient of 0.84, the ratio of Z to XY tensile strength[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C99 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 87 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][19]58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][19]49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[20]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift[17]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[12]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]Bio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[4]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[12]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[21][9]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[21]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[21]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[21]≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[21]
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[21][9]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[21]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[21][9]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[21]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[12]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[12]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[22][9]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailBambu Lab describes a smooth matte finish with micro-spot gloss that blurs layer lines[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[23][20]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[24][23]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[23][25]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[24]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[26][20]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[24]

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. FibreX ABS+GF10 Glass Fiber ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ABS-GF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Prusament PA11 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2026-07 · tds
  4. Prusament PA11 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  5. ABS-GF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. SUNLU ABS-GF (ABS Glass Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. FIBREX ABS+GF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. 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
  22. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  25. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc