3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PAHT-CF

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

HIPS guideHigh-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PAHT-CF comparisons
HIPS vs PAHT-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSHigh-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$59.98/kg median; $49.99–$69.98/kg across 2 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]High-temperature carbon-fibre nylon. Bambu Lab's PAHT-CF and Polymaker's PA612-CF15 both use a long-chain polyamide matrix for lower moisture uptake than PA6[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.03 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 1.06 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 60[3][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][8]50–70 across brands; Bambu Lab 50, Polymaker Fiberon PA612-CF15 70[3][7]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[3][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[7][3]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Under-bonnet and near-motor parts needing 170 °C-plus heat deflection with less humidity drift than PA6[3][4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[9]260–290 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[9]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[10]Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[9]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[9]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[11][12]
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[3][13]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[10]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[9][14]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10]Expert / industrial hardware only[3][15]
Extruder requirementNot documented0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[10]Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA612-CF15 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[10]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-CF15[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[9][16][2]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[9]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[11]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[9]May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[11]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[9]High (0.8–2 %) — 0.88 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH for Bambu Lab PAHT-CF, a third of its PA6-CF; Polymaker's PA612-CF15 reaches 2.2 % equilibrium[3][4][17]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.88 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab PAHT-CF); 2.2 equilibrium (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[3][4]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[15]Polymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA612-CF15 itself: at 2.57 % moisture tensile falls only 91.9 → 83.1 MPa and modulus 5137 → 3991 MPa — the PA612 backbone absorbs far less than PA6[4][18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[15]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[15]
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[19][20]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]92 ± 7 (Bambu Lab) and 91.9 ± 2.0 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; the Polymaker grade only falls to 83.1 ± 2.2 conditioned to 2.57 % moisture[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]3860 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 5137 ± 192 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 3991 ± 137 conditioned[3][4]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2.6 ± 0.2 dry (Polymaker PA612-CF15) to 8.4 ± 1.8 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 4.1 ± 0.3 conditioned[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]4230 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented8.1 ± 0.8 printed XY dry and 7.7 ± 0.5 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 57.5 ± 3.4 and notched 22.8 ± 1.8 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented47 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 48.3 ± 3.9 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Polymaker 35.6 ± 3.0 conditioned[3][4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3]
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 long-chain nylon filament[21]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][9]Good. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 compound for sustained static and dynamic load with 110 °C continuous service; the long-chain PA612 matrix takes up 0.88 % at saturation, a third of the same maker's PA6-CF, so it holds dimension better[22][4]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented51 (Bambu Lab) to 53 (Polymaker PA612-CF15), printed[3][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented175 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 194 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented114 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 170 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]70 (Bambu Lab, DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]210 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 225 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 206 (Polymaker)[3][4]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[19]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[23]Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[12]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift — less than PA6 but more than PA12[18][3]
Food contactNot food safe[23]Not food-contact certified as filament[12]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[23]Not biodegradable[12]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[23]Not accepted in household plastic collection[12]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker PA612-CF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[24]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[24]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[24]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10⁹ median for the HIPS filament tested, an order of magnitude below ABS but forty times PLA[24]≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[24]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[24]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[24]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[24]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[19]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[23]Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[11]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[9][2]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][9]No practical vapour smoothing[11]
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[25][26][27]Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[28]
Softened or crazed byLimonene also disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades, so an ABS model can flake apart in the same bath.[29]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[25][29]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. 3DXMAX HIPS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. 3DXMAX HIPS — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PAHT-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  10. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  20. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. 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
  25. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  26. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  28. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  29. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc