3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA-CF vs PA aramid

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

Carbon-fibre ASA (ASA-CF) guideAramid-fibre nylon guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA-CF comparisonsMore PA aramid comparisons
ASA-CF vs PA aramid — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre ASA (ASA-CF)ASAAramid-fibre nylonPA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$36.99/kg median; $25.00–$90.00/kg across 5 dated product listingsNot documented
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryASA reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Formfutura's ApolloX CF10 is 10 wt%[1][2][3]Aramid-fibre reinforced polyamide[4]
Densityg/cm³1.02 (Bambu Lab), 1.1 (Formfutura ApolloX CF10) and 1.11 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2][3]Not documented
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 37[5][6]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg25–90 across brands; IEMAI 25, Ambrosia 33, Bambu Lab 37, Polymaker Fiberon 40, 3DXTech 90[7][5][6][8][9]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6][8][7]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — no aramid-filled nylon filament was found in any catalogue searched; the aramid filaments that do exist in the retail market use an ASA matrix[6][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][8][5]Not documented
Typical applicationsOutdoor structural parts, drone and antenna mounts where stiffness and UV stability both matter[1][2]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–280 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][10]Enclosure required (passive) — as for every nylon[4]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanFan on (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[11][12]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s20 at Bambu Lab's 250 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][13]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ASA[10]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[11]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[10]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[10]Hardened steel required — no aramid-filled nylon datasheet was obtainable; Polymaker measures about 9 h of brass nozzle life on its fibre-filled nylons[14]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[10]Highly abrasive — fibre-reinforced nylon composite[14]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for fibre-filled composites and Simplify3D a higher tendency to clog[15][16]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; nylon already needs a drybox and Prusa names kevlar among the fibres that raise nozzle-clogging risk[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hotend required[12]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.33 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]Very high (>2 %) — the polyamide matrix governs uptake[17]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.33 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
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[17]Not documented
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[17]Polymaker's printed dry-versus-wet blocks for its CoPA nylon show what conditioning does to the family: tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa and modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, with notched Charpy rising 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m². Fibre reinforcement reduces but does not remove the effect[18][19]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[17]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 48 at break and Formfutura 79 at 23 °C[1][2][3]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa4200 ± 270 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 5355 and Formfutura 7580[1][2][3]Not documented
Elongation at break%9.6 ± 1.4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 3 at break and Formfutura 1.8[1][2][3]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa72 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 78[1][2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3740 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 5210[1][2]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²6.2 ± 1.4 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab) — a third of unfilled Bambu Lab ASA's 19.6[1][20]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.0 ± 2.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179), against 41.0 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][20]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 33 against 72 in XY[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1][2]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good — no creep test found; chopped carbon fibre lifts modulus to 4200 MPa against 2379–2450 for unfilled ASA[1][21]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no CF-grade S-N curve; notched Charpy falls to 6.2 kJ/m² against 19.6 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][20]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%88 by tensile, 46 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C110 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 100 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][20]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C102 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][20]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[22]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[20]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; the acrylate rubber phase is unchanged by the fibre[23][11]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[21]Not documented
Food contactNot food safe[11]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[11]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[11]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[24][10]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24]
VOC emission rateµg/minNot documentedUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[24]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[24]
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[10][24]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[24]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[24][10]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[11]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[11]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[21]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[21]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[10]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte fibre-filled finish hides layer lines[1]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents attack the styrenic backbone.[25][21]Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[26]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[27]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[28][21]None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[26]

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-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  2. CarbonX Carbon Fiber ASA Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. ApolloX CF10 Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  5. ASA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI CF-ASA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  19. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  24. 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
  25. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc