3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA blend vs PC
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PA6/66 copolymer blendsPA | Polycarbonate (PC)PC |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings | $39.99/kg median; $29.99–$92.00/kg across 9 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PA6/66 copolymer — a nylon alloy that lowers the melting point and improves printability against straight PA6[1][2] | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 1.19 (Polymaker) to 1.22 (Prusament), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.20; Stratasys specific gravity 1.20 (ASTM D792)[3][5][6][7] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[8][9][10] | 1 kg spools cluster near 40[6][8][11] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 62–113 across brands; add:north Adura 62, PrimaCreator NylonPower PA6/66 65 at 500 g, Polymaker CoPA 67, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 6-66 113[8][12][9][10] | 30–92 across brands; Polymaker PolyLite 30, Bambu Lab 40, Polymaker PolyMax 52, Prusament 59, 3DXTech ezPC 64 and 3DXMAX PC 92[8][6][11][12] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[8][12] | Available from several mainstream brands[6][8][12][11] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[8][12][9][10] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1 and 3 kg spools[8][12][11] |
| Typical applications | General-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[1] | Light guides, lenses, under-bonnet automotive parts and impact-loaded housings that must hold shape above 110 °C[4][3] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | ±0.03 (Prusament PC Blend)[5] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 250–280 across brands; Prusament 275 ± 10, Bambu Lab 260–280, Polymaker 250–270. Polymaker's material guide gives a wider 260–310 for PC and its composites[5][6][3][4] |
| Bed temperature°C | 25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 90–115; Prusament 110 ± 10, Bambu Lab 90–110, Polymaker 90–105[5][6][3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[1] | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 70–100 °C chamber, Bambu Lab 45–60 °C and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[3][6][13] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 70–100 (Polymaker); 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3][6] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | Off or very low — Polymaker specifies off, Prusament 20 % within a 0–30 % range, Bambu Lab 0–60 %[3][5][6] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | Textured PEI with glue when needed (Polymaker); smooth or textured PEI (Bambu Lab)[3][14] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 16 at Polymaker's 200 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][15] | 24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker allows 50–200 mm/s and its material guide advises 30–60 for layer adhesion[6][3][4][15] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Not documented | Severe — heated chamber needed[3][4][13] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[3][13] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[4] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[1][16] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[4][13] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | All-metal hotend rated to 300 °C; Polymaker advises larger nozzles and high chamber temperatures to improve bonding[4] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[17] | Brass fine indefinitely[13] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[17] | Non-abrasive[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[18][16] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[4] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Not documented | Slightly sensitive[19] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D); Polymaker advises a hot end rated above 300 °C[19][4] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker's own wet-state specimens reached 6.16 % moisture content after 48 h immersion at 60 °C[1][16] | Low — 0.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.15 % after 7 days at 22 % RH. Polymaker nonetheless calls PC highly hygroscopic in service[6][5][4] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.15 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[6][5] |
| Drying temperature & time | 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker); 70–80 °C for 6–8 h (Polymaker material guide)[6][3][4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[18] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[16] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Measured 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][18] | 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[4][16] |
| Storage requirement | Polymaker states CoPA must always be stored and used below 20 % relative humidity[1] | Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[4] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Polymaker 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][20] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 78.0 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 34.3 ± 2.5 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 53.4 (PolyMax) to 69.1 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 62 +/- 2 and Prusament 63 +/- 1 at yield; Stratasys 62.3-64.6 at yield printed XZ, ASTM D638 (its PC White table duplicates the Antero 840CN03 figures and was not used)[3][21][6][5][22][7] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 2110 (Bambu Lab) to 2497 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1900, 3DXTech 2180[6][3][5][22] |
| Elongation at break% | 12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 3.8 (Bambu Lab) to 4.8 (PolyLite) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 14 at break, Prusament 5.8 at yield[6][3][22][5] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 81.3 (PolyMax) to 108 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 88 ± 1, PolyLite 106.1[21][6][5][3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 2050 (PolyMax) to 2640 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2100[21][3][5] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 6.9 ± 1.4 printed XY dry and 27.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker CoPA) — impact quadruples when conditioned[1] | 4.1 (PolyLite) to 21.3 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1[3][21][5] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's pendulum in either orientation (ISO 179-1); PolyMax PC retains 9.2 kJ/m2 notched at -30 °C. Stratasys PC Black gives 85.3 MPa flexural strength at break in ZX against no break in XZ (ASTM D790, printed)[5][21][7] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 37.1-45.3 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ASTM D638); 41.4 (PolyMax) to 56 (Bambu Lab) printed Z; Prusa's interlayer adhesion test gives 21 +/- 2[5][21][6][7] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4][5] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Shore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785)[23] | Shore D 79 (Prusa Polymers method) and Shore D 79 on extruded PC stock (ASTM D2240); Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales[5][24] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC was still running unbroken at 41 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window only at 47-52 MPa (ASTM D638)[25] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Excellent — living hinges viable[17] | Good[5][4] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Semi-flexible[18] | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 59 dry (45.8 Z against 78.0 XY) and 40 wet, printed[1] | 59-73 (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); 76 for PolyLite PC and 90 for Bambu Lab (printed Z against XY tensile)[6][3][7] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 110 (PolyMax PC-FR) to 114 (PolyMax PC), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 112, PolyLite 111, Prusament 113. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 144 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi)[21][3][6][5][7] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 93 (Prusament) to 117 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite 107, PolyMax 99. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 141 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi)[5][6][3][21][7] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 113 (Polymaker, DSC), 142.5 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426 inflection point) and 145 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Polymaker's material guide quotes 150[3][6][4][7] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 117–120 (Polymaker, ISO 306); decomposition above 360 °C[3][21] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend; extruded PC stock is rated 121 long term (converted from 250 °F)[5][24] |
| Annealing response | 80 °C for 6 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | 90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F) — the same chemistry as a PA6/66 copolymer[23] | 51.6 in XY over -50 to 30 °C, falling to 35.8 over 30-75 °C and 11.5 over 75-130 °C; 49.2 in XZ over -50 to 120 °C (printed, ASTM E831). Extruded PC stock gives 68.4 (ASTM D696)[7][24] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating on standard PC, though V-0 grades exist[26][3] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Degrades within weeks outdoors — unstabilised PC yellows and embrittles under UV[4] |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[4] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Absorbs water, properties shift — 6.16 % uptake cost 56 % of tensile strength and 73 % of modulus[1] | Good — minor absorption[6] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[4] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[4] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[4] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an electrical insulator, which Polymaker lists as a headline advantage[22][4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[27] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[27] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[27] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[27] | ≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[27] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[27] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27][13] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[19] |
| Painting & finishing | Not documented | Optical clarity survives printing, so transparent parts are usually left unpainted[4] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[19] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[19] |
| Support material pairing | CoPA 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[19] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Warping is the dominant accuracy limit; light transmission 89 % on PolyLite PC (GB/T 2410)[3][4] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[28] | Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[29] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[28] | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[29] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[28] | Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[30] |
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
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- AmideX Nylon 6-66 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PC (Polycarbonate) — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- add:north Adura product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
- PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower PA6/66 product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyMax PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
- PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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
- Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds