3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA vs PLA-CF

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

ASA guideCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA comparisonsMore PLA-CF comparisons
ASA vs PLA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyASAASACarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$28.98/kg median; $17.99–$50.00/kg across 14 dated product listings$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryAcrylonitrile styrene acrylate — ABS with the butadiene rubber phase replaced by an acrylate rubber that has no UV-vulnerable double bonds[1][2]PLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.05 (Bambu Lab) to 1.13 (PolyLite ASA), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.07[5][6][2]1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[7][4][8]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 30[9][10][11]1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[12][13][8][14][15]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg18–50 across brands; IEMAI 18, SUNLU 18, Ambrosia 23, Polymaker 26, Bambu Lab 30, YXPOLYER 30, Prusament 41, 3DXTech 50[16][10][9][17][11][18][19][20][21]19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[13][12][8][22][14][23][15]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][10][18][11]Stocked by most mainstream brands[12][13][8][22]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.8, 1, 4 and 10 kg spools[18][11][9]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[22][8][10]
Typical applicationsOutdoor fittings, signage, automotive exterior trim and anything that has to hold colour and strength in sunlight[24][1]Stiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[7][4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament)[2]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[12]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–270 across brands; Prusament 260 ± 10, Bambu Lab 240–270, PolyLite 230–260[5][6][2]210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[7][4]
Bed temperature°C75–110; Prusament 110 ± 5, Bambu Lab 80–100, PolyLite 75–95[5][6][2]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[7][4]
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[6][25]Open frame is fine[4]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Part cooling fanLow — Prusament 30 % within a 0–50 % range, Bambu Lab 0–80 %, PolyLite off[2][5][6]Fan on[7][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSatin, smooth PEI or powder-coated sheet with a glue stick; Prusa advises a 3 mm or taller brim on large parts[2][25]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[26]16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[7][27][4][26]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a tall brim and Bambu Lab attributes cracking to cooling stress exceeding interlayer adhesion[2][25]None[7]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2][25]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[6]Slight[4]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[25][2]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[27][4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[27]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[25]Hardened steel required[27][4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[25]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[27][28]
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[29][30]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[27]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[29]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[29]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[28][27]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[27][4]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab) and 0.40 % equilibrium (Polymaker); Prusa measures only 0.17 % after 7 days at 22 % RH[5][6][2]Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[7][4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.45 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.17 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[5][6][2]0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[7][4]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 7 h (Polymaker)[5][6]55 °C for 6–8 h[7][4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[31]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published for ASA; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a stated strength delta[31]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[31]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[31]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa37 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) to 43.8 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 42 ± 1 at yield; Formfutura quotes 47.5 at yield[5][6][2][32]31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[7][4][8]
Young's modulusMPa2379 (PolyLite) to 2450 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1600, Formfutura 2020[5][6][2][32]2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[7][4][8]
Elongation at break%6.7 (PolyLite) to 9.2 (Bambu Lab) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; Formfutura quotes 15 at break, Prusament 3.4 at yield[5][6][32][2]8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[7][4][8]
Flexural strengthMPa64 ± 1 printed horizontal (Prusament, ISO 178); Bambu Lab 65 ± 5, PolyLite 73.4[2][5][6]51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[7][4]
Flexural modulusMPa1920 ± 130 (Bambu Lab) to 3206 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2000[5][6][2]3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[7][4][8]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (PolyLite) to 19.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1, Formfutura 18[6][5][2][32]5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[7][4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1); Bambu Lab 41.0 ± 2.3 printed XY[2][5]Charpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[7]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa11 ± 1 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 31 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 32 (PolyLite) printed Z tensile, ISO 527[2][5][6]15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[7][4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[5][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[4][7]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell78 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[2]71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[33]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-ASA creep test found; Tg of 98 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening, unlike PLA[6][2]Poor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[34][35][33]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength (8 MPa) on printed specimens, the best of the four polymers in that study[36]Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[37][4]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[5]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 73 for PolyLite ASA[5][6]48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[7][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C93 (Prusament) to 103 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 100[2][6][5]54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[7][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C86 (Prusament) to 100 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Bambu Lab 92[2][6][5]50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[7][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C98 (PolyLite, DSC)[6]62–63 (DSC)[7][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 105 (PolyLite, ISO 306)[6]162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[7][4]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[38]50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[34][35][33]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K69 ± 17 in XY and 115 ± 24 in the build direction (printed, TMA, 40–70 °C)[39]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ASA[5]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use. After 1000 h of QUV exposure to ASTM G154 Stratasys measured yield strength falling only from 30.5 to 30.3 MPa and stress at break by 3.0 %[24]Degrades within weeks outdoors[40]
Outdoor durability1000 h QUV per ASTM G154, cycling 8 h at 60 °C and 4 h at 50 °C with condensation: yield 30.5 → 30.3 MPa, stress at break 30.5 → 29.5 MPa, elongation 2.8 → 2.3 %, modulus 1.82 → 1.95 GPa[24]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[6]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[5]Not documented
Food contactNot food safe[1]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[41][25]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across the styrenic filaments tested; ASA itself was not among them[41]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median for ABS, the closest styrenic tested; ASA itself was not measured[41]Not documented
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[25][41]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[41][25]None needed in a normal room[41]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[1]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[6]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works — ASA dissolves in acetone[6]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS that also serves ASA[25]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[7][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailWarping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits; Stratasys notes the matte finish as a deliberate aesthetic advantage[25][24]Matte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[7][4][42][43]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[44][6]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[45]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[46]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[45][47]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour, ~20 min at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid (15–40 min across brands); layer adhesion up, tensile slightly down.[47]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[48][47]

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. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  2. Prusament ASA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2024-05 · tds
  3. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  4. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  7. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  8. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  9. ASA — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. IEMAI ASA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. SUNLU ASA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. YXPOLYER ASA Purple product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  25. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. ApolloX Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. 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
  37. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  38. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  39. Basalt Fiber Composites with Reduced Thermal Expansion for Additive Manufacturing Polymers 14(15):3216 · 2022-08 · paper
  40. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  41. 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
  42. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  43. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  44. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  45. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  46. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  47. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  48. 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