Filament comparison
ABS+ vs PETG-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ABS+ / Tough ABSABS | Carbon-fibre PETG (PETG-CF)PETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listings | $29.99/kg median; $16.00–$74.22/kg across 11 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ABS 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] | PETG reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[4][5] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2] | 1.25 (Bambu Lab) to 1.34 (3DXTech), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.27[4][6][5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 27[7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 16–74; the middle of the market is about 29[4][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 16–30 across brands; SUNLU E-ABS 16, Polymaker ABS Pro 25, YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced 28, Polymaker ABS Max 30[7][15][16] | 16–74 across brands; ELEGOO 16 in a 5 kg pack, Reli3D 17, SUNLU 20, IEMAI 22, Siraya Tech 25, Bambu Lab 32, Sakata 3D 53, 3DXTech 67, Prusament 70, Filament PM 74 on 0.5 kg spools[17][4][18][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[7] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][18][8][17] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[7] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[18][4] |
| Typical applications | Large enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2] | Stiff functional parts and fixtures where PETG's toughness is traded for rigidity and a matte finish[4][5] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | ±0.02 (Prusament)[5] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2] | 240–270 (Bambu Lab); 265 ± 10 (Prusament)[4][5] |
| Bed temperature°C | 120 (ABS Max)[2] | 65–75 (Bambu Lab); 90 ± 10 (Prusament)[4][5] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][19] | Open frame fine; draught shield helps — Bambu Lab specifies a 35–50 °C chamber[4] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 35–50 (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0–60 % (Bambu Lab); 50 % (Prusament)[4][5] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[19][20] | Textured PEI or engineering plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Up 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][21] | 11.5 on My Tech Fun's Bambu Lab PETG-CF profile[22] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[19] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[19] | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive[4] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[23] | Slight — the fibre reduces stringing against unfilled PETG[4][24] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[4] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[19] | Hardened steel required[4] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[19] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[4] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[20][25] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher, and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[26][27] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[20] | Slightly sensitive[24] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[20] | Hardened steel nozzle; no high-temperature hot-end needed[4][24] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1] | Low — 0.30 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.51 maximum water absorption (Polymaker ABS Pro)[1] | 0.30 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.10 after 7 days at 22 % RH[4][5] |
| Drying temperature & time | 70 °C for 6 h (ABS Max)[2] | 65 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[28] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[28] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[28] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures published; Bambu Lab states PETG-CF must be properly dried before printing and stored dry after use[4][28] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[28] | Sealed with desiccant; Bambu Lab says store dry after use[4][28] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2] | 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 47 ± 2 at yield (Prusament) printed XY, ISO 527; 56 at break for 3DXTech[4][5][6] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2] | 2460 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 1700 (Prusament) printed XY, ISO 527[4][5] |
| Elongation at break% | 6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2] | 4.3 at yield (Prusament, printed XY, ISO 527); 3 at break for 3DXTech[5][6] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2] | 68 ± 3 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[5] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2] | 2300 printed horizontal, 3100 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament)[5] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy unnotched 29 ± 6 printed horizontal and 43 ± 8 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1); Izod 4.91 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun bars[5][22] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2] | 29 ± 4 printed Z (Bambu Lab, ISO 527); 18 ± 3 by Prusa's interlayer adhesion test; 10.7 on My Tech Fun bars[4][5][22] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2] | Brittle — snaps with little warning[6] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | 77 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[5] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 115 °C (ABS Pro) and 126 °C (ABS Max) keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][2] | Below average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 16.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, less than plain PETG's 19.4[22] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Moderate — 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][29] | Moderate — no CF-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[30] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[4] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2] | 83 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[4] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 106.4 (ABS Pro) and 118.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2] | 74 (Bambu Lab) and 96 (Prusament), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][5] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2] | 68 (Bambu Lab) and 80 (Prusament), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][5] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 114.9 (ABS Pro) and 126.3 (ABS Max), DSC[1][2] | 68 (Bambu Lab) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[4][6] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 116.1 (ABS Pro) and 127.4 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][2] | 225 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC) — the carbon fibre lets the PET fraction crystallise[4] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 77 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature, against 61 for Bambu Lab PETG Basic[22] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[31] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[4] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement[23] | Moderate — a season or two; the carbon fibre does not add UV stabilisation[32] |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3] | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure, as for unfilled PETG[32] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[23] | Not certified for food contact[32] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[23] | Not biodegradable[32] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[23] | Fibre-filled PETG is not accepted in household plastic collection[32] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — carbon fibre at this loading is not static-dissipative (3DXTech)[6] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[33][19] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[33] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[33] | 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[33] | 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[33][19] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[33][19] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[33] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[6] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[23] | Sands to a matte finish more readily than unfilled PETG[24] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[23] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds it[24] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Acetone vapour smoothing works[3] | No practical vapour smoothing[24] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[34][19] | Support for PLA or its own material (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Matte finish hides layer lines; stringing is reduced against unfilled PETG[4] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[35][3] | No common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[36][37] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[35][38] | Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[36] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[37] | Dichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[37] |
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
- Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
- Polymaker ABS Max Technical Data Sheet V1.1 (2026-06-01) Polymaker · 2026-06 · tds
- PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PETG Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU PETG-CF (PETG Carbon Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- Fibreheart PETG-CF Pro Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI CF-PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Reli3D Carbon Fiber PETG Filament 1.75 mm, 1 kg Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
- PET-G CF15 Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
- Filament PM CFJet technical data sheet (TDS CFJet ENG.pdf) Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
- SUNLU E-ABS (Easy ABS) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 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
- BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- CARBONX PETG+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 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
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc