Filament comparison
ASA-CF vs PLA Wood
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Carbon-fibre ASA (ASA-CF)ASA | Wood-filled PLAPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $36.99/kg median; $25.00–$90.00/kg across 5 dated product listings | $34.49/kg median; $13.99–$76.40/kg across 6 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ASA reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Formfutura's ApolloX CF10 is 10 wt%[1][2][3] | PLA filled with wood powder — 10–18 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS); colorFabb woodFill uses a PLA/PHA base with recycled wood fibre[4][5] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.02 (Bambu Lab), 1.1 (Formfutura ApolloX CF10) and 1.11 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2][3] | 1.15 (colorFabb) to 1.23 (Fiberlogy), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.21[6][5][7] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 37[8][9] | 1 kg spools cluster near 25; counting the 0.5 kg specialty spools the middle of the market is about 34[10][11][12] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 25–90 across brands; IEMAI 25, Ambrosia 33, Bambu Lab 37, Polymaker Fiberon 40, 3DXTech 90[13][8][9][14][15] | 14–76 across brands; SUNLU 14, ELEGOO 19, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 44, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools, colorFabb 76[11][10][16][17][18][12] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[8][9][14][13] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][11][17][7] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[9][14][8] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.6, 0.85 and 1 kg spools[17][7][10] |
| Typical applications | Outdoor structural parts, drone and antenna mounts where stiffness and UV stability both matter[1][2] | Decorative and model-making prints that are sanded and stained like timber[6][5] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | ±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[6] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 250–280 (Bambu Lab)[1] | 190–240 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb advises 195–220 for its PLA/PHA base[6][5] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[1] | 35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–70 (Fiberlogy)[6][7] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][19] | Open frame is fine[6] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | Fan on (Bambu Lab)[1] | Fan on[6] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[20][21] | Not documented |
| 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][22] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled ASA[19] | None[6] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[20] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[20] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[19] | Easy — minor profile tuning; pre-drying is required and the wood content chars if it sits hot[23][6] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | Nozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible; Bambu Lab does not recommend the AMS lite[23] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[19] | Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's PLA compatibility table lists no hardened-nozzle requirement, but its nozzle guide names wood among the abrasive filaments hardened steel exists for[23][24] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[19] | Moderately abrasive — wood fill[23] |
| 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[25][26] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; wood particles char and block small nozzles[23] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[21] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hotend required[21] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.33 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1] | High — 1.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, the highest in the PLA family[6] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.33 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1] | 1.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[6] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1] | 55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer; Bambu Lab lists pre-drying as required[6][23] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[27] | Bambu Lab flags pre-drying and ventilation as specific requirements for this grade[23] |
| 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[27] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. At 1.25 % saturated uptake the practical loss shows as poor layer adhesion, rough surface and weak layers[27][6] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[27] | 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] | 26 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 28.4 (colorFabb) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy quotes 35 at yield[6][5][7] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4200 ± 270 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 5355 and Formfutura 7580[1][2][3] | 2360 ± 190 (Bambu Lab) and 2479 (colorFabb) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy 2950[6][5][7] |
| 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] | 4.5 (colorFabb) to 15.3 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy 6.5[6][5][7] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 72 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 78[1][2] | 55 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[6] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3740 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 5210[1][2] | 2780 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[6] |
| 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][28] | 3.81 (colorFabb) and 6.3 ± 2.2 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[6][5] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 14.0 ± 2.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179), against 41.0 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][28] | Charpy unnotched 12.28 (colorFabb) and 15.7 (Bambu Lab), printed, ISO 179[6][5] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 33 against 72 in XY[1] | 15 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 28 against 55 in XY[6] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning[1][2] | Brittle — snaps with little warning[6] |
| 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][29] | Poor — no wood-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[30][31][32] |
| 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][28] | Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the wood filler cuts elongation and the parts snap without warning[33][6] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[6] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 88 by tensile, 46 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1] | 58 by tensile, 51 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[6] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 110 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 100 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][28] | 60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[6] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 102 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][28] | 57 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[6] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 54 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Fiberlogy quotes 55–60[6][7] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 156 peak melt (DSC)[6] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[34] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[28] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; the acrylate rubber phase is unchanged by the fibre[35][20] | Degrades within weeks outdoors[36] |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[29] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not food safe[20] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[20] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[20] | 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[37][19] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[37] |
| 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[19][37] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[37][19] | None needed in a normal room; Bambu Lab specifically advises ventilation for this grade[23] |
| 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[20] | Sands and stains like timber — the usual reason for choosing it[5] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[20] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Solvent-welds with acetone[29] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Acetone vapour smoothing works[29] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[19] | Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[6] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Matte fibre-filled finish hides layer lines[1] | Wood grain hides layer lines; colour darkens with nozzle temperature[6][5] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents attack the styrenic backbone.[38][29] | Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[39] |
| Softened or crazed by | Limonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[40] | Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[39][41] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[41][29] | Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[42][41] |
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
- Safety Data Sheet SDS20250723SA16 — Bambu PLA Wood Bambu Lab · 2025-07 · msds
- woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Wood Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- FiberWood technical data sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
- ASA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- PLA Wood — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- PLA+ WOODJet - Natur (1,75 mm; 0,5 kg) Filament PM shop · 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
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- woodFill — product page colorFabb US · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU Optimized Wood PLA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · 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
- PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 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
- BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
- PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 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
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper