3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA blend vs PC-CF

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

PA6/66 copolymer blends guideCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA blend comparisonsMore PC-CF comparisons
PA blend vs PC-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6/66 copolymer blendsPACarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA6/66 copolymer — a nylon alloy that lowers the melting point and improves printability against straight PA6[1][2]Polycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[1]1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 35–117; the middle of the market is about 63[8][9][10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg62–113 across brands; add:north Adura 62, PrimaCreator NylonPower PA6/66 65 at 500 g, Polymaker CoPA 67, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 6-66 113[5][10][6][7]35–117 across brands; Ambrosia 35, IEMAI 39, YXPOLYER 55, Spectrum PC CF 70, Prusament 94, 3DXTech 117[8][9][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][10]Available from several mainstream brands[8][10][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][10][6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[8][10]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[1]Stiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]285 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Bed temperature°C25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]110 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[1]Enclosure required (passive)[3][14]
Part cooling fanNot documentedOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[15]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s16 at Polymaker's 200 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][16]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[3][14]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds a specific surface plus adhesive[15][17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[1][18]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[14][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[19]Hardened steel required[14]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[19]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[14]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[20][18]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle, 0.25 mm layers and a 120 °C pre-dry[21][15][22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[15]
Hotend requirementNot documentedAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[15]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker's own wet-state specimens reached 6.16 % moisture content after 48 h immersion at 60 °C[1][18]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry[23][24][21]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[20]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]
Effect of moisture on strengthMeasured dry against wet on printed specimens at 6.16 % moisture (Polymaker CoPA): tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa, Young's modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, flexural strength 109.8 → 22.6 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m² and elongation 12.7 → 13.2 %[1][20]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[17][18]
Storage requirementPolymaker states CoPA must always be stored and used below 20 % relative humidity[1]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[17]
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker requires a 100 °C dry for 8 h and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the published wet data is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[1][25]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa78.0 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 34.3 ± 2.5 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]64 ± 3 printed horizontal and 70 ± 3 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 73 at break[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[3][4]
Elongation at break%12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[3][4]
Flexural modulusMPa2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²6.9 ± 1.4 printed XY dry and 27.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker CoPA) — impact quadruples when conditioned[1]12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[3][24]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785)[26]83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[3][24]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedExcellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped; short carbon fibre raises the flexural modulus from about 2.1 to 3.5-6.5 GPa, which reduces creep strain further[27][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[19]Good. No fatigue test data was found for a carbon-fibre PC filament; the unfilled polymer is rated Good on the same scale[27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[20]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%59 dry (45.8 Z against 78.0 XY) and 40 wet, printed[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[3][24]
Glass transition (Tg)°C66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[1]127 (3DXTech, DSC)[4]
Melting point / Vicat°C189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[24]
Annealing response80 °C for 6 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F) — the same chemistry as a PA6/66 copolymer[26]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[17]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[17]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — 6.16 % uptake cost 56 % of tensile strength and 73 % of modulus[1]Not documented
Food contactNot documentedBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[17]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[17]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[17]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[28]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[28]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[28]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[28]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28][14]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[15]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[15]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[15]
Support material pairingCoPA can support itself, but Polymaker warns the support bonds permanently if it absorbs moisture before removal[1]Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[15]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[29]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[30]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[29]Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[29]Dichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[31]

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. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. AmideX Nylon 6-66 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v2.0 Prusa Polymers · 2023-04 · tds
  4. CarbonX Carbon Fiber ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. add:north Adura product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower PA6/66 product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Spectrum PC CF Carbon Black, 1.75 mm / 250 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI CF-PC 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER PC CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  25. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  26. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  28. 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
  29. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  31. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds