3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA aramid vs PEEK

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

Aramid-fibre nylon guidePEEK guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA aramid comparisonsMore PEEK comparisons
PA aramid vs PEEK — documented properties and sources
PropertyAramid-fibre nylonPAPEEKHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshotsNot documented$531.87/kg median; $296.14–$770.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryAramid-fibre reinforced polyamide[1]Polyether ether ketone — a semi-crystalline polyaryletherketone[2]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.30 (ISO 1183)[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools span 296–770; the middle of the market is about 532[4][5][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented296-770 across brands and spool sizes; 3D4Makers recycled R-PEEK 296 at 750 g, IEMAI 3D 420 at 1 kg, LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PEEK 9581 532 at 2 kg, 3DXTech ThermaX PEEK 770 at 500 g[4][5][6]
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[7][4]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][5][3]
Spool sizes & diametersNot documented1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[4][5][3]
Typical applicationsNot documentedAerospace brackets, semiconductor handling, sterilisable medical tooling and downhole parts[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented380-400 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); Victrex quotes a 340-450 melt range for AM 450 FIL[2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented130–140 (3DXTech)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for every nylon[1]Actively heated chamber required[8][9]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documentedNot less than 150 for semi-crystalline printing (Victrex AM 450 FIL); bed above 150[3]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSevere — heated chamber needed[8]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedVery difficult — special plates or slurry required[8]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedExpert / industrial hardware only[8][9]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAn all-metal hot end rated above 400 °C and a heated chamber; 3DXTech tests at 0.25 mm layer height on a 0.4 mm nozzle[2][8]
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[10]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[8]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — fibre-reinforced nylon composite[10]Non-abrasive when unfilled[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[11]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[12]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — the polyamide matrix governs uptake[13]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.45 at saturation, 23 °C (ISO 62); 0.55 at 100 °C[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented120 °C for 5 h, target below 0.020 % moisture (Victrex AM 450 FIL)[3]
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[14][15]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[12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented60-100 (printed XY): Victrex AM 450 FIL 60-80 at yield and 3DXTech 100, both ISO 527; 98 at yield injection-moulded[2][3]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented3000-4000 (printed XY, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 3720 (3DXTech); 4000 injection-moulded[2][3]
Elongation at break%Not documented28 (printed XY, ISO 527) — remarkably ductile for a high-temperature polymer[2]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented130 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2700 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented6.0 (injection-moulded, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 7.0 kJ/m2 injection-moulded (ISO 180/A). Printed anisotropy is extreme: VICTREX AM 200 on a Stratasys F900 gives Izod notched 1380-1530 J/m XZ against 30-62 J/m ZX (ASTM D256)[3][16]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented20-85 at yield (printed ZX, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); the spread is set by chamber temperature and weld quality[3]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedTough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 84.5 (injection-moulded, ISO 868); Rockwell M100 / R125 on extruded PEEK stock (ASTM D785)[3][17]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedExcellent — holds load for years. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term creep; injection-moulded flexural stress at 3.5 % strain falls only from 125 MPa at 23 °C to 85 MPa at 125 °C, and extruded stock is rated to 249 °C continuous[18][3][17]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep[18]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedRigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented71-84 (VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK printed on the Stratasys F900 and Fortus 450mc, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); unfilled PEEK's own ZX spread is wider[16]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented140 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented152 (unannealed, ISO 75-2/Af, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 160 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[3][17]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented143 (DSC, 3DXTech); Victrex gives onset 143 and midpoint 150 (ISO 11357-2)[2][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented343 melting (ISO 11357-3, Victrex); VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK melts at 303[3][16]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented240 UL 746B relative thermal index, strength (RTI electrical 260, impact 180); Ensinger rates extruded PEEK stock at 249 long term[3][17]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented37.8 (extruded PEEK stock, 23-60 °C, ASTM E831; source states 2.1e-5 in/in/°F), rising to 41.9 at 60-100 °C and 55.8 at 100-150 °C[17]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin; glow-wire flammability index 960 °C at 2.0 mm (IEC 60695-2-12)[2][3]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceNot documentedOutstanding — resistant to almost all solvents and to steam sterilisation[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected; 0.45 % water at saturation and resistant to steam sterilisation[3][2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19]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[19]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[19]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[19]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[19]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[20]95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves it — 10 g per 100 mL at 40–70 °C gives a dark red solution. Laboratory route only.[21][22]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[20]Concentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[23][22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[20]None — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[23][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. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  2. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. VICTREX AM 450 FIL — datasheet Victrex · 2025-12 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. IEMAI 3D PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  9. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  11. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ThermaX PEEK — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. VICTREX AM 200 — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-04 · tds
  17. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  18. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  19. 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
  20. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  21. 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
  22. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc