Filament comparison
ASA-CF vs PEBA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Carbon-fibre ASA (ASA-CF)ASA | PEBA (polyether block amide)FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $36.99/kg median; $25.00–$90.00/kg across 5 dated product listings | $60.99/kg median; $60.99–$60.99/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ASA reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Formfutura's ApolloX CF10 is 10 wt%[1][2][3] | Polyether block amide: rigid polyamide and flexible polyether blocks.[4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.02 (Bambu Lab), 1.1 (Formfutura ApolloX CF10) and 1.11 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2][3] | 1.01 g/cm³ (GB/T 1033; eSUN manufacturer data)[4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 37[5][6] | Not documented |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 25–90 across brands; IEMAI 25, Ambrosia 33, Bambu Lab 37, Polymaker Fiberon 40, 3DXTech 90[7][5][6][8][9] | Not documented |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6][8][7] | Not documented |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][8][5] | 1.75 mm diameter, 1 kg spool.[10] |
| Typical applications | Outdoor structural parts, drone and antenna mounts where stiffness and UV stability both matter[1][2] | Manufacturer applications include footwear, sports equipment and cushioning.[4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 250–280 (Bambu Lab)[1] | 230–260 °C; 240 °C recommended.[4] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[1] | 60–90 °C[4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][11] | Not documented |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | Fan on (Bambu Lab)[1] | 10–50% fan recommended; mechanical-test specimens used 50–100%.[4] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[12][13] | PEI build plate[4] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 20 at Bambu Lab's 250 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][14] | 9 mm³/s maximum in eSUN spiral-vase test; mechanical specimens used 2 mm³/s. Linear recommendation 25–110 mm/s is a separate quantity.[4] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ASA[11] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[12] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[11] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[11] | Not documented |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[11] | Not documented |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — 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] | Not documented |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[13] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hotend required[13] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.33 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.33 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1] | 70–75 °C for 6–8 h; re-dry after receiving or extended exposure.[4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[17] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and absorbed water shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[17] | Not documented |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[17] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 34 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 48 at break and Formfutura 79 at 23 °C[1][2][3] | >16.5 MPa printed XY, GB/T 1040; manufacturer lower bound, not an exact measurement.[4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4200 ± 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] | >520% printed XY, GB/T 1040; manufacturer lower bound.[4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 72 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 78[1][2] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3740 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 5210[1][2] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 6.2 ± 1.4 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab) — a third of unfilled Bambu Lab ASA's 19.6[1][18] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 14.0 ± 2.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179), against 41.0 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][18] | Not documented |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 33 against 72 in XY[1] | 7.5 MPa printed Z, GB/T 1040 (manufacturer test)[4] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning[1][2] | Not documented |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | 90 Shore A nominal grade designation; do not compare numerically with Shore D or Rockwell.[10] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good — no creep test found; chopped carbon fibre lifts modulus to 4200 MPa against 2379–2450 for unfilled ASA[1][19] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below average — no CF-grade S-N curve; notched Charpy falls to 6.2 kJ/m² against 19.6 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][18] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[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°C | 110 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 100 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][18] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 102 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][18] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 110 °C Vicat softening (GB/T 1633, 120 °C/h, 10 N); not HDT or a continuous-use rating.[4] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[20] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[18] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; the acrylate rubber phase is unchanged by the fibre[21][12] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[19] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not food safe[12] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[12] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[12] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[2] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[22][11] | Not documented |
| Hazardous species emitted | Styrene. 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[11][22] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[22][11] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[12] | Not documented |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[12] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Solvent-welds with acetone[19] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Acetone vapour smoothing works[19] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[11] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Matte fibre-filled finish hides layer lines[1] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents attack the styrenic backbone.[23][19] | Not documented |
| Softened or crazed by | Limonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[24] | Not documented |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[25][19] | Not documented |
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
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ASA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber ASA Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- ApolloX CF10 Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
- eSUN PEBA-90A Technical Data Sheet v1.0 (Aug 2025), checked 2026-10-17 eSUN · 2025-08 · tds
- ASA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI CF-ASA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- eSUN PEBA-90A official product page: 1 kg price and product identity eSUN · 2026-10-17 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Carbon Fiber Filled — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc