Filament comparison
ABS-GF vs PA6-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF)ABS | Carbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings | $62.48/kg median; $39.00–$133.32/kg across 6 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ABS reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 10 wt%[1][2] | PA6 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 20 wt%[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1] | 1.09 (Bambu Lab), 1.17 (Polymaker Fiberon and 3DXTech), ISO 1183[4][3][5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 24–73; the middle of the market is about 35[6][7][8][9] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–133; the middle of the market is about 80[4][10][11][12] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[6][7][8][9] | 39–133 across brands; IEMAI 3D 39, Bambu Lab 43, YXPOLYER 45, Polymaker Fiberon 80, 3DXTech CarbonX 83, Obsidian 133[4][10][13][7][11][12] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[6][7] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][10][7][13][11][12] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[7][6] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 kg spools[10][7][4] |
| Typical applications | Stiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[2] | Load-bearing brackets, tooling and drone frames that must hold strength above 150 °C[4][3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 240–280 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 260–290 (Bambu Lab); 280–300 (Polymaker Fiberon)[4][3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 40–50 (Polymaker Fiberon)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2][14] | Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker room temperature[4][3] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 45–60 (Bambu Lab); room temperature (Polymaker Fiberon)[4][3] |
| 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[14][15] | Engineering or high-temperature plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| 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][16] | 8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker rates its grade to 300 mm/s[4][3][16] |
| 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[14] | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[4] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[17] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[18] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[14] | Expert / industrial hardware only — enclosure, hardened nozzle, an 80 °C dry and a printer that can hold the filament dry throughout[4][3][19] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | 0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[4] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[14] | Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA6-CF20 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[14] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h[3] |
| 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[20][21] | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; the combination of moisture and fibre is the worst case in the dataset[19][3] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[15] | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[22] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[15] | Hardened steel or ruby nozzle plus an all-metal hot end rated to 300 °C[3][4] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | Very high (>2 %) — 2.35 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | 2.35 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2] | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab); 100 °C for 10 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[4][3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19] | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[23] |
| 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[19] | Polymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA6-CF20 itself: at 5.30 % moisture tensile falls 109.3 → 54.7 MPa and modulus 8636 → 2508 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 11.0 → 35.6 kJ/m². Fibre reinforcement reduces but does not remove the effect[3][23] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[19] | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[19] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Not documented | Polymaker specifies an 80–100 °C dry and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the wet data it does publish is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[3][24] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[2][1] | 102 ± 7 (Bambu Lab) and 109.3 ± 2.4 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; the Fiberon grade falls to 54.7 ± 1.1 conditioned to 5.30 % moisture; 3DXTech quotes 63 at break[4][3][5] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[2][1] | 4430 ± 310 (Bambu Lab) and 8636 ± 211 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 2508 ± 83 conditioned; 3DXTech quotes 3800[4][3][5] |
| Elongation at break% | 6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[2][1] | 5.8 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 3 at break[4][5] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1] | 161.0 ± 3.9 printed XY dry, 64.9 ± 4.9 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 84[3][5] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[2][1] | 7038 ± 205 printed XY dry and 2286 ± 185 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 3750[3][5] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2] | 11.0 ± 0.3 printed XY dry and 35.6 ± 1.2 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[3] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 14.5 ± 1.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2] | Charpy unnotched 24.0 ± 1.0 printed XY dry and 73.0 ± 2.0 conditioned, 7.5 ± 2.7 printed Z dry (Polymaker Fiberon); Bambu Lab 40.3 ± 2.5 unnotched, 13.4 ± 1.7 notched[3][4] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 29 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 48 ± 6 (Bambu Lab) and 54.0 ± 5.2 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 25.5 ± 1.2 conditioned[4][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][25] | Moderate[4][3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre nylon filament[26] |
| 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][25] | Good. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 injection-moulding compound for exceptional performance under both static and dynamic loading with 110 °C continuous service; in a printed part the fibre restrains the matrix, but conditioning to equilibrium moisture still softens it[27][23] |
| 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][25] | Good. Ensinger states its PA66-CF30 compound has improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression against unfilled and glass-filled PA66[27] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Rigid[4] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2] | 47 (Bambu Lab) to 49 (Polymaker Fiberon), printed[4][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][25] | 186 (Bambu Lab) and 215 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][25] | 164 (Bambu Lab) and 173 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 68 (Bambu Lab) to 74.2 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; 3DXTech quotes 70[4][3][5] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 223 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC); Vicat 212 (ISO 306)[4] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | Bounded by heat deflection of 164–173 °C at 1.8 MPa; no loaded-bar service figure is published[4][3] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | 100 °C for 16 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 94 in the XY direction and 180 in Z, measured on XY-built specimens (79 and 148 on XZ/ZX-built specimens), room temperature to 60 °C, ASTM E831. From Stratasys FDM Nylon-CF10, a blended-nylon matrix with 10 wt% carbon fibre — the closest published printed CTE for a carbon-fibre nylon[28] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[3] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[18] |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[29] | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[18] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Absorbs water, properties shift[23] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[17] | Not food-contact certified[18] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[17] | Not biodegradable[18] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[17] | Fibre-filled polyamide is not accepted in household plastic collection[18] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[5] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[30][14] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[30] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[30] | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[30] |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[30] | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[30] |
| 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[30][14] | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[30] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[30][14] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[30] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[17] | Sands to a matte finish; the fibre makes it cut more cleanly than unfilled nylon[22] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[17] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[22] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[22] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[31][14] | PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker Fiberon)[3] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Bambu Lab describes a smooth matte finish with micro-spot gloss that blurs layer lines[2] | Conditioned parts grow; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[23] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[32][29] | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[33] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[32][34] | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[33] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[35][29] | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[33] |
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
- Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber Nylon (Gen3) Technical Data Sheet v3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- YXPOLYER PA6 CF-Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D CF-PA6 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 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
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying 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
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- FDM Nylon-CF10 — Material Data Sheet (blended nylon, 10 wt% carbon fibre) Stratasys · 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