Filament comparison
ABS-GF vs PET-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 PET (PET-CF)PETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings | $39.99/kg median; $26.00–$49.98/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] | Semi-crystalline PET reinforced with carbon fibre — a different polymer from PETG-CF, with the glycol modifier removed so the matrix can crystallise[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1] | 1.29 (Bambu Lab) and 1.34 (Fiberon PET-CF17), ISO 1183[3][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 24–73; the middle of the market is about 35[5][6][7][8] | 1 kg spools cluster near 45[3][9] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[5][6][7][8] | 26–50 across brands; ELEGOO 26 in a 5 kg pack, Bambu Lab 45, Fiberon 50[10][3][9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6] | Available from several mainstream brands[3][9][10] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[6][5] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[9][3] |
| Typical applications | Stiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[2] | Load-bearing parts that must survive above PETG's 70 °C ceiling without moving to PA or PC[3][4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 240–280 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 260–290 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2][11] | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[3] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Part cooling fan | 0–80 % (Bambu Lab)[2] | 0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[11][12] | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[13][14] |
| 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][15] | 8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — half the speed it allows for PETG-CF[3][15] |
| 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[11] | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[13][14] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[16] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[14] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[11] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[11] | Hardened steel required[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[11] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[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[17][18] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for carbon-filled composites[18] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[12] | Slightly sensitive[19] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[12] | No special hot-end required[19] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | Moderate — 0.37 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 % equilibrium (Fiberon)[3][4] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | 0.37 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 equilibrium (Fiberon PET-CF17)[3][4] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2] | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab) — the longest and hottest dry in the polyester family; Fiberon specifies 100 °C for 10 h[3][4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[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[20] | Bambu Lab publishes its whole mechanical table under the heading "Mechanical Properties (Dry state)" — the quoted figures apply only to dried filament[3] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[20] | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[20][14] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Not documented | The 80–100 °C dry both suppliers mandate is far above the 55–65 °C used for PETG, consistent with a melt-hydrolysis risk in the semi-crystalline PET matrix; neither publishes a molecular-weight loss figure[3][4] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[2][1] | 65.9 (Fiberon) to 74 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[2][1] | 4730 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5481 ± 224 (Fiberon) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4] |
| Elongation at break% | 6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[2][1] | 2.4 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1] | 109.3 ± 2.0 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[2][1] | 4744 ± 136 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2] | 5.1 ± 0.2 printed XY, ISO 179 notched (Fiberon PET-CF17); unnotched 25.1 ± 2.8[4] |
| 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] | 27.9 (Fiberon) and 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[3][4] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy falls from 21.5 to 4.2 kJ/m² against unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][21] | Very brittle — elongation at break 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z[4] |
| 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][21] | Good — no creep test found; annealed PET-CF holds a 105 °C HDT at 1.8 MPa and a 4730–5481 MPa modulus against 1500–2311 for PETG[4][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][21] | Below average — no S-N curve; elongation at break is 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z, against 5.2–9.3 % for unfilled PETG[4] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2] | 42 (Fiberon) to 47 (Bambu Lab), printed[3][4] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 99 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 87 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][21] | 147.5 (Fiberon) and 205 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][21] | 105 (Fiberon) and 182 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 75 (Bambu Lab) and 79.3 (Fiberon), DSC[3][4] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 241.3 (Fiberon) and 250 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 226–238[3][4] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | The PET matrix crystallises on annealing, which is what separates this grade from PETG-CF[4][3] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[22] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[23] | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[14] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[16] | Not certified for food contact as filament[14] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[16] | Not biodegradable[14] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[14] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-CF17, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[24][11] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[24] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[24] | Not documented |
| 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[24][11] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[24][11] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24][3] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[16] | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[19] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[16] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[19] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[19] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[25][11] | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[19] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Bambu Lab describes a smooth matte finish with micro-spot gloss that blurs layer lines[2] | Bambu Lab markets it on low warping and shrinkage relative to other high-temperature composites[3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[26][23] | None common; fluorinated solvents such as hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve linear polyester at 23 °C. Laboratory only.[27][26] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[26][28] | Ensinger rates polyester not resistant to chloroform or dichloromethane and only conditionally resistant to acetone and MEK.[26] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[29][23] | Dichloromethane attacks polyester and can be brushed on, but the carbon fibre blocks any useful surface flow.[26][29] |
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
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PET-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PET-CF17 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 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
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — 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
- PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 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
- Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc