3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA Aero vs PA11

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

Foaming ASA (ASA Aero) guidePA11 (Nylon 11) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA Aero comparisonsMore PA11 comparisons
ASA Aero vs PA11 — documented properties and sources
PropertyFoaming ASA (ASA Aero)ASAPA11 (Nylon 11)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryASA with a heat-activated blowing agent that expands at the nozzle[1][2]Polyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[3][4]
Densityg/cm³0.99 filament (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183); Formfutura's grade reaches 0.33 g/cm³ fully expanded[1][2]1.02 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[5]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50 at Bambu Lab's 1 kg listing[5]Not documented
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][2]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[5]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[4]
Typical applicationsDrone airframes, RC parts and floating or outdoor applications where mass matters and UV exposure rules out LW-PLA[2]Tough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–280 (Bambu Lab); 220–285 (Formfutura), with foaming activating near 230 °C and peaking between 270 and 285 °C[1][2]275 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Bed temperature°C80–90 (Bambu Lab); 50–90 (Formfutura)[1][2]100 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][6]Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1]55 ± 5 (Prusament)[3]
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab); 0–50 % (Formfutura)[1][2]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[7][8]PA nylon sheet (Prusament)[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s12 at Bambu Lab's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][9]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[7]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[7]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; flow has to be cut to match the expansion and the density follows nozzle temperature[2][1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3][10]
Extruder requirementNot documentedPrusa printed its test specimens with a high-flow CHT nozzle[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[6]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[10]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[6]Non-abrasive when unfilled[10]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedHigh — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[11]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[8]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hotend required[8]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High — 0.80 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, nearly double unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][12]High (0.8–2 %) — Prusa measures 0.46 % after 7 days at 22 % RH, but PA11 sits between PA12 and PA6 in the family[3][11]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.80 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[11]Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[13]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and absorbed water shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[11]Prusa publishes no dry-versus-conditioned columns; the CoPA reference shows the PA-family response — stiffness and strength fall sharply, impact and elongation rise[13][14]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[11]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[11]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[3]
Young's modulusMPa2010 ± 260 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[3]
Elongation at break%5.1 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[3]
Flexural strengthMPa58 ± 6 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1510 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.2 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[1]12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32.0 ± 2.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 24 against 58 in XY[1]32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[3]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — no creep test found; the foamed structure drops modulus to 2010 MPa and load is carried by a lower solid fraction[1][12]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no foamed-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed ASA holds a fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength[1][15]Excellent — living hinges viable[10]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[3]
Z strength as % of XY%66 by tensile, 41 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]84 — Prusa publishes a tensile anisotropy coefficient of 0.84, the ratio of Z to XY tensile strength[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C85 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 100 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][12]58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C78 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][12]49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[16]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[12]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Formfutura states the foaming grade retains ApolloX's UV resistance[2][17]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[18]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift[13]
Food contactNot food safe[7]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[7]Bio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[4]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[7]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[19][6]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19]
VOC emission rateµg/minNot documentedUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[19]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[19]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea. Azimi et al. measured styrene from every styrenic filament tested but did not test ASA itself[6][19]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[19]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[19][6]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[7]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[7]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[18]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[18]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[6]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte, textured surface that hides layer lines; colour lightens as the foaming degree rises, which doubles as a visual density cue[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[20][18]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[21][20]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[22]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[21]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour, ~20 min at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid; the foamed wall absorbs solvent, so cut the exposure well short.[23]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[21]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ASA Aero Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  2. ApolloX Foaming Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2025-07 · tds
  3. Prusament PA11 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2026-07 · tds
  4. Prusament PA11 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  5. ASA Aero — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  7. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  8. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  15. Mechanical, Fatigue, and Thermal Characterization of ASA, Nylon 12, PC and PC-ABS Manufactured by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) Polymers 18(2):302 · 2026-01 · paper
  16. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  18. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  19. 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
  20. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  22. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc