3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

Conductive vs PA6-CF

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

Conductive filament guideCarbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Conductive comparisonsMore PA6-CF comparisons
Conductive vs PA6-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyConductive filamentSPECIALTYCarbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$170.36/kg median; $89.99–$796.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$62.48/kg median; $39.00–$133.32/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryA carbon-filled compound conductive by volume rather than merely dissipative; Proto-pasta's is PLA-based, Recreus's and NinjaTek's are TPU, and add:north's Koltron G1 does not state its base polymer[1][2][3][4]PA6 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 20 wt%[5][6]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.09 (Bambu Lab), 1.17 (Polymaker Fiberon and 3DXTech), ISO 1183[6][5][7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 90–181 for the carbon-filled grades; add:north's Koltron G1 sits far above at 796 because it is sold only in 100 and 250 g coils[8][9][10]1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–133; the middle of the market is about 80[6][11][12][13]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg90–796 across brands; Proto-pasta conductive PLA 90 at 1 kg, Recreus Conductive Filaflex 160 at 500 g, NinjaTek Eel 181 at 1 kg, add:north Koltron G1 796 at 250 g[8][2][9][10]39–133 across brands; IEMAI 3D 39, Bambu Lab 43, YXPOLYER 45, Polymaker Fiberon 80, 3DXTech CarbonX 83, Obsidian 133[6][11][14][15][12][13]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8][2]Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][11][15][14][12][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[8][2][9][10]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 kg spools[11][15][6]
Typical applicationsCapacitive touch surfaces, low-current traces, EMI shielding and static-safe fixtures[1]Load-bearing brackets, tooling and drone frames that must hold strength above 150 °C[6][5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented260–290 (Bambu Lab); 280–300 (Polymaker Fiberon)[6][5]
Bed temperature°CNot documented40–50 (Polymaker Fiberon)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker room temperature[6][5]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented45–60 (Bambu Lab); room temperature (Polymaker Fiberon)[6][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedEngineering or high-temperature plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[6]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker rates its grade to 300 mm/s[6][5][16]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds a specific surface plus adhesive[6]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[1]Expert / industrial hardware only — enclosure, hardened nozzle, an 80 °C dry and a printer that can hold the filament dry throughout[6][5][18]
Extruder requirementNot documented0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[6]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[1]Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA6-CF20 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[5]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h[5]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — Proto-pasta states the carbon-filled grade prints on standard PLA settings with no special nozzle required[1]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; the combination of moisture and fibre is the worst case in the dataset[18][5]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed[19]
Hotend requirementNot documentedHardened steel or ruby nozzle plus an all-metal hot end rated to 300 °C[5][6]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedVery high (>2 %) — 2.35 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[6]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented2.35 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[6]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab); 100 °C for 10 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[6][5]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[20]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18]Polymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA6-CF20 itself: at 5.30 % moisture tensile falls 109.3 → 54.7 MPa and modulus 8636 → 2508 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 11.0 → 35.6 kJ/m². Fibre reinforcement reduces but does not remove the effect[5][20]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[18]
Hydrolysis at melt temperatureNot documentedPolymaker specifies an 80–100 °C dry and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the wet data it does publish is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[5][21]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented102 ± 7 (Bambu Lab) and 109.3 ± 2.4 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; the Fiberon grade falls to 54.7 ± 1.1 conditioned to 5.30 % moisture; 3DXTech quotes 63 at break[6][5][7]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented4430 ± 310 (Bambu Lab) and 8636 ± 211 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 2508 ± 83 conditioned; 3DXTech quotes 3800[6][5][7]
Elongation at break%Not documented5.8 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 3 at break[6][7]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented161.0 ± 3.9 printed XY dry, 64.9 ± 4.9 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 84[5][7]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented7038 ± 205 printed XY dry and 2286 ± 185 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 3750[5][7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented11.0 ± 0.3 printed XY dry and 35.6 ± 1.2 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[5]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 24.0 ± 1.0 printed XY dry and 73.0 ± 2.0 conditioned, 7.5 ± 2.7 printed Z dry (Polymaker Fiberon); Bambu Lab 40.3 ± 2.5 unnotched, 13.4 ± 1.7 notched[5][6]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented48 ± 6 (Bambu Lab) and 54.0 ± 5.2 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 25.5 ± 1.2 conditioned[6][5]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; carbon-black loading at conductive levels embrittles PLA[1]Moderate[6][5]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre nylon filament[22]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedGood. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 injection-moulding compound for exceptional performance under both static and dynamic loading with 110 °C continuous service; in a printed part the fibre restrains the matrix, but conditioning to equilibrium moisture still softens it[23][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedGood. Ensinger states its PA66-CF30 compound has improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression against unfilled and glass-filled PA66[23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[6]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented47 (Bambu Lab) to 49 (Polymaker Fiberon), printed[6][5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented186 (Bambu Lab) and 215 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[6][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented164 (Bambu Lab) and 173 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[6][5]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented68 (Bambu Lab) to 74.2 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; 3DXTech quotes 70[6][5][7]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented223 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC); Vicat 212 (ISO 306)[6]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by heat deflection of 164–173 °C at 1.8 MPa; no loaded-bar service figure is published[6][5]
Annealing responseNot documented100 °C for 16 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented94 in the XY direction and 180 in Z, measured on XY-built specimens (79 and 148 on XZ/ZX-built specimens), room temperature to 60 °C, ASTM E831. From Stratasys FDM Nylon-CF10, a blended-nylon matrix with 10 wt% carbon fibre — the closest published printed CTE for a carbon-fibre nylon[24]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published[5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedMonths outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[17]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[17]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift[20]
Food contactNot documentedNot food-contact certified[17]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[17]
RecyclabilityNot documentedFibre-filled polyamide is not accepted in household plastic collection[17]
Electrical & ESD propertiesConductive rather than dissipative — Proto-pasta sells the grade as electrically conductive composite PLA[1]Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[7]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[25]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]
VOC emission rateµg/minNot documentedUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[25]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[25]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[25]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[25]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25]
Dust & fibre handling hazardConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[5]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands to a matte finish; the fibre makes it cut more cleanly than unfilled nylon[19]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[19]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker Fiberon)[5]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedConditioned parts grow; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[20]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves PLA-based grades, leaving the carbon black; TPU-based grades need DMF, NMP or THF. Laboratory reagents.[26][27]Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[28]
Softened or crazed byAcetone and ethyl acetate plasticise a PLA-based grade; a TPU-based grade swells in toluene, esters and alcohols.[26][27]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — neither PLA nor TPU has a workshop-safe welding or smoothing solvent.[26][27]None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[28]

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. Electrically Conductive Composite PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Eel 3D Printing Filament Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Koltron G1 Technical Data Sheet add:north · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  6. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  7. CarbonX Carbon Fiber Nylon (Gen3) Technical Data Sheet v3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  8. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Eel product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. add:north Koltron G1 product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER PA6 CF-Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI 3D CF-PA6 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. FDM Nylon-CF10 — Material Data Sheet (blended nylon, 10 wt% carbon fibre) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  25. 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
  26. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  27. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds