Filament comparison
ABS-GF vs PA6-GF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF)ABS | Glass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings | $59.98/kg median; $39.99–$130.00/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 glass fibre — Polymaker's grade is 25 wt%[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1] | 1.14 (Bambu Lab) and 1.20 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 1183[4][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 span 40–130; the middle of the market is about 60[4][9][10] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[5][6][7][8] | 40–130 across brands; SUNLU 40, YXPOLYER 45, Polymaker Fiberon and Bambu Lab 60, 3DXTech FibreX 87, Obsidian Nylon 6+GF 130[9][4][6][10][11] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][9][6][10][11] |
| 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][4] |
| Typical applications | Stiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[2] | Stiff, heat-resistant structural parts where a matte finish and lower cost beat carbon fibre[4][3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 240–280 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 260–290 (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2][12] | Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[4] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| 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] | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[14][15] |
| 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] | 10 at Bambu Lab's 130 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4][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[12] | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[17] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[15] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[12] | Expert / industrial hardware only[4][18] |
| 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[12] | Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA6-GF25 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[12] | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA6-GF25[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[19][20] | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[18] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[13] | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[14] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[13] | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[14] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | Very high (>2 %) — 2.56 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab) and 3.33 % equilibrium (Polymaker Fiberon), the highest in the dataset[4][3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | 2.56 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 3.33 equilibrium (Polymaker Fiberon PA6-GF25)[4][3] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2] | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18] | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[21] |
| 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[18] | Polymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA6-GF25 itself: at 4.57 % moisture tensile falls 80.1 → 40.2 MPa and modulus 5357 → 1794 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 10.0 → 28.0 kJ/m²[3][21] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[18] | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[18] |
| 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[22][23] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[2][1] | 75 ± 6 (Bambu Lab) and 80.1 ± 1.8 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 40.2 ± 2.1 conditioned to 4.57 % moisture. Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 60.2-61.1 at break and 61.7-62.3 at yield printed XZ (ASTM D638)[4][3][24] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[2][1] | 2850 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5357 ± 211 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 1794 ± 84 conditioned. Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 5600-5830 printed XZ against 3050-3140 in ZX (ASTM D638)[4][3][24] |
| Elongation at break% | 6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[2][1] | 2.4 ± 0.2 dry (Polymaker Fiberon) to 3.9 ± 0.8 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; the Fiberon grade rises to 4.2 ± 0.7 conditioned[4][3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[2][1] | 3670 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2] | 10.0 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 28.0 ± 1.0 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon); Bambu Lab 7.2 ± 2.3[3][4] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 14.5 ± 1.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2] | Charpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179). Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives Izod notched 74.6-77.1 J/m printed XZ against 17.2-22.1 in ZX (ASTM D256)[4][24] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 29 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 27 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 60.7 ± 1.1 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry) printed Z, ISO 527 — the two makers differ by more than a factor of two; Fiberon falls to 26.3 ± 1.5 conditioned. Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 23.7-24.4 at break printed ZX (ASTM D638)[4][3][24] |
| 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] | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.4 % in XY[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785)[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 lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock; the rating is held below Excellent because equilibrium moisture uptake of 3.33 % softens the matrix in service[26][3] |
| 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 lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[26] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Rigid[4] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2] | 36 (Bambu Lab) to 76 (Polymaker Fiberon), printed; Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 39-41 (ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638)[4][3][24] |
| 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] | 182 (Bambu Lab) and 191 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa. Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 161 printed XY and 185 XZ (ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[4][3][24] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][25] | 157 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 158 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 67 (Bambu Lab) and 70.4 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; Stratasys measures 51.5 on FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR (ASTM D7426)[4][3][24] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 214.5 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 219 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 210–212 (ISO 306)[4][3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 48.6 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D696; source states 2.7e-5 in/in/°F). Stratasys measures much higher on printed FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — 95.4 over -20 to 5 °C and 214 over 25 to 80 °C in XY (ASTM E831)[26][24] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[22] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[15] |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[27] | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[15] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Absorbs water, properties shift[21] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[17] | Not food-contact certified as filament[15] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[17] | Not biodegradable[15] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[17] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[15] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[3] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[28][12] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[28] | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[28] |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[28] | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[28] |
| 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[28][12] | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[28] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[28][12] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[17] | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[14] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[17] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[14] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[14] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[29][12] | Not documented |
| 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.[30][27] | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[31] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[30][32] | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[31] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[33][27] | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[31] |
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-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-GF Bambu Lab · 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
- SUNLU Nylon-6 Glass Fiber (PA6-GF) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg — product page SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PA6-GF Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 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
- 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
- Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-07 · 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
- 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