3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA aramid vs PEEK-CF

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

Aramid-fibre nylon guideFibre-reinforced PEEK guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA aramid comparisonsMore PEEK-CF comparisons
PA aramid vs PEEK-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyAramid-fibre nylonPAFibre-reinforced PEEKHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshotsNot documented$597.50/kg median; $448.00–$695.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryAramid-fibre reinforced polyamide[1]Short-fibre reinforced PEEK. 3DXTech's CarbonX grade is nominally 10 wt% carbon and its FibreX grade 20 wt% glass; LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PEEK CF 9676 is 15 wt% carbon; Ensinger's machining stock runs to 30 wt% carbon[2][3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.39 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools span 448–972; the middle of the market is about 598[3][4][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented448-972 across formats and filler types; IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK and GF-PEEK 448 at 1 kg, 3DXTech CarbonX PEEK+CF10 598 at 2 kg and FibreX PEEK+GF20 695 at 1 kg, Luvocom 3F PEEK CF 9676 648 at 2 kg[3][4][6][7]
Market availability1–5Special 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[8][3]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][4]
Spool sizes & diametersNot documented1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[3][4]
Typical applicationsNot documentedStiff aerospace and oil-and-gas parts where PEEK alone is not rigid enough[2]
Printing Parameters
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for every nylon[1]Actively heated chamber required[9][10]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre cuts PEEK's crystallisation shrinkage[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedExpert / industrial hardware only[9][10]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — no aramid-filled nylon datasheet was obtainable; Polymaker measures about 9 h of brass nozzle life on its fibre-filled nylons[11]Hardened steel required[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — fibre-reinforced nylon composite[11]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — 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]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers to the mandatory 120 °C pre-dry[13][12]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — the polyamide matrix governs uptake[14]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.06 in 24 h on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D570)[5]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker'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[15][16]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[13]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented105 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10); 121 at yield on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[2][5]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented8100 (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10) — more than double unfilled PEEK; 6343 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[2][5]
Elongation at break%Not documented3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 28 for unfilled PEEK[2][17]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented136 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 193 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[2][5]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented8300 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 7171 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[2][5]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 61.9 J/m on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 1.16 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[5]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedBrittle — snaps with little warning; elongation falls from 28 % to 3 %[2][17]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M107 on extruded PEEK-CF30 stock (ASTM D785), against M100 unfilled[5][18]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedExcellent — holds load for years. Ensinger rates carbon-fibre PEEK stock as very highly creep resistant and specifies 260 °C continuous service[5]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedGood. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep; the fibre cuts elongation at break from 28 % to 3 %, which limits repeated large-strain flexing[19][2][17]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedRigid[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented265 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) against 140 for unfilled PEEK[2][17]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented316 on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 600 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented143 (DSC, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) — the fibre does not move the glass transition[2]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented334 melting on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 633 °F[5]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented260 long-term on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 500 °F; 300 short term[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented14.4 (extruded PEEK-CF30 stock, ASTM D696; source states 0.80e-5 in/in/°F) — about a third of unfilled PEEK[5][18]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 on the base resin; Ensinger lists extruded PEEK-CF30 stock as inherently flame resistant[17][5]
Environment & Chemical
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (ASTM D257)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[20]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[20]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[20]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[20]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[20]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[21]95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves the matrix at 40–70 °C and leaves the fibre. Nothing else touches PEEK.[22][23]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[21]Concentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[24][23]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[21]None — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[24][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. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  2. CarbonX Carbon Fiber PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. TECAPEEK CF30 black (PEEK-CF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  6. IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D GF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  10. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 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. CARBONX PEEK+CF10 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  18. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 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. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  22. The Effects of Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Ion Exchange Preparation Conditions on Membrane Properties Yee, Zhang & Ladewig, Membranes 3(3) 182–195 · 2013-07 · paper
  23. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc