3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS vs PA12-GF

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

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
PropertyABSABSGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $11.99–$45.00/kg across 16 dated product listings$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryAcrylonitrile butadiene styrene — a styrenic terpolymer with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]PA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[3]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (Polymaker PolyLite ABS and ABS Pro) to 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.05[4][1][5][6]1.23 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9][10][11]1 kg-equivalent spools span 46–140; the middle of the market is about 88[12][13][14]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg12–45 across brands; IEMAI 12, SUNLU 12 at a 3 kg minimum, ELEGOO 15 in a 5 kg pack, Polymaker 19, YXPOLYER 20, Bambu Lab 20, Push Plastic 25, 3DXTech 45[7][8][12][15][9][10][11][16]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[12][13][14]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[7][8][12][15]Available from several mainstream brands[12][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1, 5 and 10 kg spools[12][15]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[12][14]
Typical applicationsEnclosures, automotive interior parts and tooling that must hold shape above PLA's 55 °C ceiling[1][17]Stiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[3][18]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–270 (Bambu Lab); 245–265 (Polymaker PolyLite)[4][1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab); 90–100 (Polymaker)[4][1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Polymaker calls a chamber needed at ambient temperature, Bambu Lab requires an enclosed printer and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[1][19]Enclosure required (passive)[20]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab); off (Polymaker PolyLite)[4][1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue — Bambu Lab lists glue as the way to improve adhesion and prevent warping[19]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[21][20]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[22]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Bambu Lab attributes surface cracking to cooling stress exceeding interlayer adhesion[19]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[19]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[21]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[1]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[20]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[19][1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[20]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[19]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[23]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[19]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[23]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[24][25]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[26]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[24]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[21]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[24]May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[21]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.65 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Polymaker measures 0.51 % maximum uptake for ABS Pro[4][5]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[27][28]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.65 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 maximum (Polymaker ABS Pro)[4][5]Not documented
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[4][1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[26]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and surface defects rather than a stated strength delta[26]Polymaker's PA12 grades change little between wet and dry, unlike PA6; the CoPA dry-to-wet blocks show the PA6-type response[18][29]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and advises periodic drying in humid climates[26]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[26]
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[23][29]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa33 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) to 35 (Polymaker ABS Pro and Max) printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 42 at break[4][5][6][30]82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2200 ± 190 (Bambu Lab) to 2330 (Polymaker ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 1950[4][5][30]7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) to 10.5 (Bambu Lab) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[4][5][6]4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[3][28]
Flexural strengthMPa60 (ABS Pro) to 63 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178; Bambu Lab 62 ± 4; 3DXTech quotes 76[4][5][6][30]94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1880 ± 110 (Bambu Lab) to 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[4][6]7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; PolyLite ABS 18.0 ± 0.9 and Bambu Lab 21.5 ± 2.2[1][5][6][4]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 39.3 ± 3.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179); notched 21.5 ± 2.2[4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) to 29.7 (PolyLite) printed Z, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 28 ± 2[4][1][5]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4][1]Moderate[3]
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[31]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-ABS creep test found; Tg of 101–126 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening, unlike PLA[1][5][6]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[31][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no printed-ABS S-N curve found; 10.5 % elongation and 21.5 kJ/m² notched Charpy give far more cyclic tolerance than PLA[4][32]Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[31]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%85 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 63 for Polymaker ABS Pro[4][5]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C87 (Bambu Lab) to 118 (Polymaker ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; PolyLite ABS 100[4][1][6]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C84 (Bambu Lab) to 113 (Polymaker ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite ABS 98[4][1][6]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C101 (PolyLite) to 126 (ABS Max), DSC; 105 quoted by 3DXTech[1][6][30]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 104 (PolyLite) to 127 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][6]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C101 measured on a loaded glass-filled ABS bar (My Tech Fun); unfilled ABS is bounded by its 84–98 °C heat deflection[33][4][1]Not documented
Annealing responseDecomposition above 380 °C (PolyLite ABS, TGA)[1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86 ± 3 at 0° and 89 ± 3 at 90° raster (printed, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); 82 for a neat large-format bead at 30 °C[34][35]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[31]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ABS, though V-0 grades exist[36][4]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[23]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[17]Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[20]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; poor against strong acids; dissolved by acetone[1]Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[20]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[4]Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[18]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[17]Not food-contact certified as filament[20]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[17]Not biodegradable[20]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable as resin code 9, but not accepted in household plastic collection[17]Not accepted in household plastic collection[20]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[30]Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[37][19]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[37]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[37]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[37]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[37]≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[37]
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[37][19]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[37]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[37][19]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[37]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler; the usual preparation before painting[17]Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[21]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[1]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[21]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works — ABS dissolves in acetone[1]No practical vapour smoothing[21]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[38][19]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailWarping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits, not shrinkage of the melt[19]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[39][1]Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[40]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[39][41]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[40]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[42]None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[40]

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. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Safety Data Sheet SDS20250724B00 — Bambu ABS Bambu Lab · 2025-07 · msds
  3. FibreX PA12-GF30 Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  6. Polymaker ABS Max Technical Data Sheet V1.1 (2026-06-01) Polymaker · 2026-06 · tds
  7. ABS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. SUNLU ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI 3D GF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower Glass Fiber product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. YXPOLYER ABS Squirrel Grey product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  24. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  28. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  29. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  31. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. ABS-GF vs PET-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  35. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  36. Firewire Flame Retardant ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  37. 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
  38. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  39. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  41. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  42. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc