3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA aramid vs PSU

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

Aramid-fibre nylon guidePSU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA aramid comparisonsMore PSU comparisons
PA aramid vs PSU — documented properties and sources
PropertyAramid-fibre nylonPAPSUHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshotsNot documented$168.00/kg median; $168.00–$168.00/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryAramid-fibre reinforced polyamide[1]Polysulfone — the lowest-temperature and cheapest of the sulfone family[2]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.24 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 250[3]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented168-250 across formats; 250 g spool $42 (168/kg), 500 g $125 (250/kg) — 3DXTech is the only filament supplier found[3]
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[4][3]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[3]
Spool sizes & diametersNot documented1.75 mm; 250 g and 500 g spools[3]
Typical applicationsNot documentedTransparent high-temperature housings, medical trays and hot-water fittings[2]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented120–140 (3DXTech)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for every nylon[1]Actively heated chamber required[5][6]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedExpert / industrial hardware only[5][6]
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[7]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[5]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — fibre-reinforced nylon composite[7]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[8]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[9]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — the polyamide matrix governs uptake[10]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.30 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[11]
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[12][13]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[9]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented52 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 81 at break on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][11]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2100 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%Not documented8 (printed XY, ISO 527) against 50 on extruded stock — nearly three times PPSU's printed 3 %[2][14][11]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented87 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2050 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 69 J/m on extruded PSU stock, converted from 1.3 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[11]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedModerate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M120 on extruded PSU stock (ASTM D785)[11]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedGood. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PSU stock, which is rated to 173 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa[11]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedRigid[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented172 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 181 on extruded stock, converted from 358 °F at 66 psi[2][11]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented174 on extruded PSU stock, converted from 345 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[11]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented187 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 185 on extruded stock (ASTM D3418), against 230 for PPSU[2][14][11]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented141 long-term service on extruded PSU stock, converted from 285 °F[11]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented55.8 (extruded PSU stock, ASTM D696; source states 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[11]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 on extruded PSU stock[11]
Environment & Chemical
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an insulator (IEC 60093)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[15]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[15]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[15]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[15]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[15]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[15]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[15]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[16]Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane, chloroform — dissolve polysulfone; ketones and esters attack it as well.[17][18]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[16]Acetone, MEK, ethyl acetate, benzene and toluene craze or stress-crack it; methanol and isopropanol only marginally.[18][17]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[16]Dichloromethane cement welds PSU and NMP softens residual resin. Both are laboratory reagents.[17]

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 PSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  6. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  7. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  8. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  9. THERMAX PSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. TECASON S natural (PSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  12. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  15. 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
  16. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  17. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds