3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

LW-PLA vs PA11

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

Lightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA) guidePA11 (Nylon 11) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore LW-PLA comparisonsMore PA11 comparisons
LW-PLA vs PA11 — documented properties and sources
PropertyLightweight / foaming PLA (LW-PLA)PLAPA11 (Nylon 11)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$47.48/kg median; $37.49–$50.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings
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]Polyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[5][6]
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]1.02 (ISO 1183)[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 45[7][2][8]Not documented
Price range across brandsUSD/kg37–50 across brands; Polymaker LW-PLA 37, Bambu Lab Aero 45, colorFabb 50, PolyWood 50[8][7][2]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7][8][2]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.6, 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[8][2]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[6]
Typical applicationsRC aircraft, drone airframes and large props where mass matters more than strength[1][2]Tough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[6]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament)[5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–260 (Bambu Lab, foaming); 195–260 (colorFabb, foaming); 190–210 (Polymaker, pre-foamed)[1][2][3]275 ± 10 (Prusament)[5]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb); 25–60 (Polymaker)[1][2][3]100 ± 10 (Prusament)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[3]Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[5]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented55 ± 5 (Prusament)[5]
Part cooling fanFan on[1][3]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPA nylon sheet (Prusament)[5]
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]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[5][10]
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][11]Prusa printed its test specimens with a high-flow CHT nozzle[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[3][4]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[10]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[3][4]Non-abrasive when unfilled[10]
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[11]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[12]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[1][3]High (0.8–2 %) — Prusa measures 0.46 % after 7 days at 22 % RH, but PA11 sits between PA12 and PA6 in the family[5][12]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.45 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 equilibrium (Polymaker)[1][3]0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[5]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h[1][3]Not documented
Symptoms when wetNot documentedPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[13]
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[12]Prusa publishes no dry-versus-conditioned columns; the CoPA reference shows the PA-family response — stiffness and strength fall sharply, impact and elongation rise[13][14]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[12]
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]38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[5]
Young's modulusMPa1350 ± 250 (Bambu Lab) and 1689 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; colorFabb falls from 3334 unfoamed to 864 foamed[1][3][2]1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[5]
Elongation at break%2.6 ± 0.7 (Bambu Lab) and 8.8 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[1][3]5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[5]
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]1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.2 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3.67 foamed[1][2]12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[5]
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]32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[5]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.6 % in XY and 1.2 % in Z[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[5]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[5]
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[15][16][17]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[18][1]Excellent — living hinges viable[10]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[5]
Z strength as % of XY%75 by tensile, 38 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]84 — Prusa publishes a tensile anisotropy coefficient of 0.84, the ratio of Z to XY tensile strength[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C53 (Bambu Lab) and 54 (Polymaker), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][3]58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C48 (Bambu Lab) and 50 (Polymaker), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][3]49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5]
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[19]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift[13]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedBio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[6]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[20]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[20]
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[20]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[20]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[20]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[20]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20]
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.[21]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[22][23]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[21][24]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[22]
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 are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[22]

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. Prusament PA11 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2026-07 · tds
  6. Prusament PA11 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  7. PLA Aero — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  15. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  16. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  19. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. 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
  21. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  22. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 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