3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA aramid vs PET-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Aramid-fibre nylonPA | Carbon-fibre PET (PET-CF)PETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | Not documented | $39.99/kg median; $26.00–$49.98/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Aramid-fibre reinforced polyamide[1] | Semi-crystalline PET reinforced with carbon fibre — a different polymer from PETG-CF, with the glycol modifier removed so the matrix can crystallise[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | Not documented | 1.29 (Bambu Lab) and 1.34 (Fiberon PET-CF17), ISO 1183[2][3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | Not documented | 1 kg spools cluster near 45[2][4] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | Not documented | 26–50 across brands; ELEGOO 26 in a 5 kg pack, Bambu Lab 45, Fiberon 50[5][2][4] |
| Market availability1–5 | 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[4][6] | Available from several mainstream brands[2][4][5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | Not documented | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[4][2] |
| Typical applications | Not documented | Load-bearing parts that must survive above PETG's 70 °C ceiling without moving to PA or PC[2][3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 260–290 (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — as for every nylon[1] | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[2] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[7][8] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — half the speed it allows for PETG-CF[2][9] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[7][8] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[8] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — no aramid-filled nylon datasheet was obtainable; Polymaker measures about 9 h of brass nozzle life on its fibre-filled nylons[10] | Hardened steel required[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — fibre-reinforced nylon composite[10] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | 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[11] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for carbon-filled composites[11] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Not documented | Slightly sensitive[12] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required[12] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — the polyamide matrix governs uptake[13] | Moderate — 0.37 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 % equilibrium (Fiberon)[2][3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.37 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 equilibrium (Fiberon PET-CF17)[2][3] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab) — the longest and hottest dry in the polyester family; Fiberon specifies 100 °C for 10 h[2][3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | 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] | Bambu Lab publishes its whole mechanical table under the heading "Mechanical Properties (Dry state)" — the quoted figures apply only to dried filament[2] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[13][8] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Not documented | The 80–100 °C dry both suppliers mandate is far above the 55–65 °C used for PETG, consistent with a melt-hydrolysis risk in the semi-crystalline PET matrix; neither publishes a molecular-weight loss figure[2][3] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | Not documented | 65.9 (Fiberon) to 74 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527[2][3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 4730 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5481 ± 224 (Fiberon) printed XY, ISO 527[2][3] |
| Elongation at break% | Not documented | 2.4 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 109.3 ± 2.0 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 4744 ± 136 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 5.1 ± 0.2 printed XY, ISO 179 notched (Fiberon PET-CF17); unnotched 25.1 ± 2.8[3] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 27.9 (Fiberon) and 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[2][3] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Very brittle — elongation at break 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z[3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Good — no creep test found; annealed PET-CF holds a 105 °C HDT at 1.8 MPa and a 4730–5481 MPa modulus against 1500–2311 for PETG[3][2] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Below average — no S-N curve; elongation at break is 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z, against 5.2–9.3 % for unfilled PETG[3] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Not documented | Rigid[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 42 (Fiberon) to 47 (Bambu Lab), printed[2][3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 147.5 (Fiberon) and 205 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 105 (Fiberon) and 182 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 75 (Bambu Lab) and 79.3 (Fiberon), DSC[2][3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 241.3 (Fiberon) and 250 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 226–238[2][3] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | The PET matrix crystallises on annealing, which is what separates this grade from PETG-CF[3][2] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[16] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[8] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not certified for food contact as filament[8] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[8] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Not accepted in household plastic collection[8] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-CF17, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[3] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[17] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[17] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[17] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[17] | Not documented |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[17] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[17] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[17][2] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[12] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[12] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[12] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[12] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Bambu Lab markets it on low warping and shrinkage relative to other high-temperature composites[2] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[18] | None common; fluorinated solvents such as hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve linear polyester at 23 °C. Laboratory only.[19][20] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[18] | Ensinger rates polyester not resistant to chloroform or dichloromethane and only conditionally resistant to acetone and MEK.[20] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[18] | Dichloromethane attacks polyester and can be brushed on, but the carbon fibre blocks any useful surface flow.[20][21] |
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
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PET-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PET-CF17 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc