3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs PA12-GF

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guideGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore PA12-GF comparisons
ABS+ vs PA12-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listings$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reformulated for lower warping and a higher glass transition; Polymaker's ABS Pro and ABS Max reach Tg 114.9 and 126.3 °C against 101 °C for PolyLite ABS[1][2][3]PA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.23 (ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[5]1 kg-equivalent spools span 46–140; the middle of the market is about 88[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–30 across brands; SUNLU E-ABS 16, Polymaker ABS Pro 25, YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced 28, Polymaker ABS Max 30[5][9][10]46–140 across brands; IEMAI 3D 46, 3DXTech 131 at 750 g and 130 at 2 kg, PrimaCreator NylonPower Glass Fiber 140 at 500 g[6][7][8]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5]Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[6][8]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Stiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[4][11]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2]Not documented
Bed temperature°C120 (ABS Max)[2]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][12]Enclosure required (passive)[13]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[12][14]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[15][13]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sUp to 250 mm/s (ABS Pro) and 200 mm/s (ABS Max), equivalent to 20 and 16 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][2][16]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[12]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[15]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[17]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[13]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[12]Hardened steel required — no nozzle-life figure is published for a PA12-GF30 grade; Polymaker measures about 9 h of brass nozzle life on its comparable fibre-filled nylons[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[12]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[14][19]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[14]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[15]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[14]May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[15]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]High (0.8–2 %) — the PA12 matrix takes up far less than PA6, on the evidence of Polymaker's 1.5 % for PA12-CF10 against 3.33 % for PA6-GF25[21][22]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.51 maximum water absorption (Polymaker ABS Pro)[1]Not documented
Drying temperature & time70 °C for 6 h (ABS Max)[2]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[20]Polymaker's PA12 grades change little between wet and dry, unlike PA6; the CoPA dry-to-wet blocks show the PA6-type response[11][23]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[20]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[20]
Hydrolysis at melt temperatureNot documentedPolymaker 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[18][23]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[4]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[4]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[4][22]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Moderate[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a glass-fibre PA12 filament[24]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 115 °C (ABS Pro) and 126 °C (ABS Max) keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][2]Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance for extruded PA66-GF30 stock, and the PA12 matrix absorbs far less water than PA6, so a PA12-GF part holds load better in a humid environment[24][13]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no S-N curve found; 6.7–7.3 % elongation and 10.5–14.5 kJ/m² notched Charpy, below unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[1][2][25]Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C106.4 (ABS Pro) and 118.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C114.9 (ABS Pro) and 126.3 (ABS Max), DSC[1][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 116.1 (ABS Pro) and 127.4 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][2]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[26]48.6 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D696; source states 2.7e-5 in/in/°F) — no figure is published for a glass-fibre PA12 filament[24]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[18]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[17]Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[13]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[13]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[11]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[17]Not food-contact certified as filament[13]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[17]Not biodegradable[13]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[17]Not accepted in household plastic collection[13]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[27][12]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[27]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[27]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[27]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[27]≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[27]
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[27][12]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[27]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[27][12]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[4]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[17]Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[15]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[17]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[15]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]No practical vapour smoothing[15]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[28][12]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[29][3]Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[30]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[29][31]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[32]None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[30]

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. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  2. Polymaker ABS Max Technical Data Sheet V1.1 (2026-06-01) Polymaker · 2026-06 · tds
  3. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. FibreX PA12-GF30 Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D GF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower Glass Fiber product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. SUNLU E-ABS (Easy ABS) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  22. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  23. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  24. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  27. 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
  28. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  31. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc