3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

LW-PLA vs PA aramid

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

Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) guideAramid-fibre nylon guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore LW-PLA comparisonsMore PA aramid comparisons
LW-PLA vs PA aramid — documented properties and sources
PropertyLightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA)PLAAramid-fibre nylonPA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$47.48/kg median; $37.49–$50.00/kg across 4 dated product listingsNot documented
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a blowing agent. Two distinct types: active-foaming grades that expand at the nozzle (Bambu Lab PLA Aero, colorFabb LW-PLA) and pre-foamed grades that do not (Polymaker PolyLite LW-PLA, PolyWood)[1][2][3][4]Aramid-fibre reinforced polyamide[5]
Densityg/cm³Filament 1.21 (Bambu Lab) and 1.24 (colorFabb); pre-foamed filament 0.8 (PolyWood, at 21.5 °C) and 0.9 (Polymaker LW-PLA); foamed prints reach 0.40[1][2][3][4]Not documented
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 45[6][2][7]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg37–50 across brands; Polymaker LW-PLA 37, Bambu Lab Aero 45, colorFabb 50, PolyWood 50[7][6][2]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7][2]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — no aramid-filled nylon filament was found in any catalogue searched; the aramid filaments that do exist in the retail market use an ASA matrix[7][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.6, 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[7][2]Not documented
Typical applicationsRC aircraft, drone airframes and large props where mass matters more than strength[1][2]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–260 (Bambu Lab, foaming); 195–260 (colorFabb, foaming); 190–210 (Polymaker, pre-foamed)[1][2][3]Not documented
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb); 25–60 (Polymaker)[1][2][3]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[3]Enclosure required (passive) — as for every nylon[5]
Part cooling fanFan on[1][3]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s3.2–8 at the 40–100 mm/s colorFabb specifies and the 50–100 mm/s Polymaker specifies, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][2][9]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; flow has to be cut to match the expansion[2]Not documented
Extruder requirementBambu Lab PLA Aero is 0.4 mm nozzle only on the store and wiki, while its own TDS lists 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8[1][10]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[3][4]Hardened steel required — no aramid-filled nylon datasheet was obtainable; Polymaker measures about 9 h of brass nozzle life on its fibre-filled nylons[11]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[3][4]Highly abrasive — fibre-reinforced nylon composite[11]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; Bambu Lab warns the foamed extrudate swells and easily clogs the nozzle, and rules out 0.2 mm nozzles[10]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; nylon already needs a drybox and Prusa names kevlar among the fibres that raise nozzle-clogging risk[12]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[1][3]Very high (>2 %) — the polyamide matrix governs uptake[13]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.45 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 equilibrium (Polymaker)[1][3]Not documented
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h[1][3]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[13]Polymaker's printed dry-versus-wet blocks for its CoPA nylon show what conditioning does to the family: tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa and modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, with notched Charpy rising 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m². Fibre reinforcement reduces but does not remove the effect[14][15]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa24 ± 2 (Bambu Lab) and 24.4 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; colorFabb falls from 43.1 unfoamed to 10.8 at 45 % flow[1][3][2]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1350 ± 250 (Bambu Lab) and 1689 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; colorFabb falls from 3334 unfoamed to 864 foamed[1][3][2]Not documented
Elongation at break%2.6 ± 0.7 (Bambu Lab) and 8.8 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[1][3]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa45 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 50.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 178[1][3]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1690 ± 120 (Bambu Lab) and 1959 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 178[1][3]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.2 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3.67 foamed[1][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 28.8 printed XY (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 5.46 foamed[1][2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa18 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z collapses to 17 against 45 in XY[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.6 % in XY and 1.2 % in Z[1]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no foamed-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, and the foam carries less solid[16][17][18]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation at break falls to 2.6 % in XY and 1.2 % in Z[19][1]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%75 by tensile, 38 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C53 (Bambu Lab) and 54 (Polymaker), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][3]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C48 (Bambu Lab) and 50 (Polymaker), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][3]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (Bambu Lab) and 59 (Polymaker), DSC[1][3]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C150 peak melt (Polymaker, DSC); Vicat 60 °C[3]Not documented
Annealing responseBambu Lab advises against annealing thin, low-infill Aero prints[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[20]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[21]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]
VOC emission rateµg/minNot documentedUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[21]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[21]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[21]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[21]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[21]
Post-Processing
Dimensional accuracy & detailFoamed surfaces are rough and matte; dimensional accuracy depends on holding the foaming temperature steady[1][2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix; the foamed wall wicks solvent right through instead of only skinning over.[22]Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[23]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[22][24]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[23]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour reaches only the resin skin; no workshop-safe smoothing agent exists for PLA of any kind.[25][24]None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[23]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA Aero Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  2. LW-PLA technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolyLite LW-PLA Technical Data Sheet (V7.0) Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyWood Technical Data Sheet Version 4.0 (Nov 2018) Polymaker (copy hosted by 3Dee) · 2018-11 · tds
  5. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  6. PLA Aero — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  12. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 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. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  20. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. 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
  22. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  23. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  25. 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