3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

Conductive vs PA6/66

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

Conductive filament guidePA66 (Nylon 66) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Conductive comparisonsMore PA6/66 comparisons
Conductive vs PA6/66 — documented properties and sources
PropertyConductive filamentSPECIALTYPA66 (Nylon 66)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$170.36/kg median; $89.99–$796.00/kg across 4 dated product listingsNot documented
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]Polyamide 66, condensed from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid; melts around 40 °C above PA6[5]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.14 (extruded unfilled PA66 stock)[6]
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[7][8][9]Not documented
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[7][2][8][9]Not documented
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][2]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — no unfilled PA66 filament appeared in any catalogue searched, and the 3DXTech nylon range offers PA6, PA12 and a 6/66 copolymer but no straight PA66[10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[7][2][8][9]Not documented
Typical applicationsCapacitive touch surfaces, low-current traces, EMI shielding and static-safe fixtures[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Enclosure required (passive)[5]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[1]Not documented
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Not documented
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[12][13]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedVery high (>2 %)[13]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented8.5 at saturation on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D570) — the highest uptake of any polymer in this dataset[6]
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[13]Measured dry against wet on printed specimens at 6.16 % moisture (Polymaker CoPA): tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa, Young's modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, flexural strength 109.8 → 22.6 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m² and elongation 12.7 → 13.2 %[14][12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented82.7 at yield and 84.8 at break on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638; converted from 12,000 and 12,300 psi) — no printed figure exists because no unfilled PA66 filament was found[6]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2413 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638; converted from 350,000 psi)[6]
Elongation at break%Not documented50 at break on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638)[6]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented113.8 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 16,500 psi)[6]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented3034 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 440,000 psi)[6]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 53 J/m on extruded PA66 stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[6]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; carbon-black loading at conductive levels embrittles PLA[1]Not documented
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785)[6]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable[5]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[12]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedWear factor 200e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D3702); Ensinger lists very good slide and wear properties[6]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented232 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 450 °F)[6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented90 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 194 °F) — the gap to the 0.45 MPa figure is the widest in the dataset[6]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented255 melting on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D2133; converted from 491 °F)[6]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented85 long term and 149 short term on extruded PA66 stock (converted from 185 °F and 300 °F)[6]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented81.0 (extruded PA66 stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F)[6]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-2 on extruded PA66 stock[6]
Environment & Chemical
Electrical & ESD propertiesConductive rather than dissipative — Proto-pasta sells the grade as electrically conductive composite PLA[1]Volume resistance 1e15 ohm-cm and dielectric constant 4 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D257, D150)[6]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[15]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[15]
VOC emission rateµg/minNot documentedUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[15]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[15]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[15]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[15]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[15]
Dust & fibre handling hazardConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves PLA-based grades, leaving the carbon black; TPU-based grades need DMF, NMP or THF. Laboratory reagents.[16][17]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~80 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[18]
Softened or crazed byAcetone and ethyl acetate plasticise a PLA-based grade; a TPU-based grade swells in toluene, esters and alcohols.[16][17]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[18]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — neither PLA nor TPU has a workshop-safe welding or smoothing solvent.[16][17]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[18]

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. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  6. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  7. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Eel product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. add:north Koltron G1 product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  15. 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
  16. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  17. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds