3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA blend vs PEBA

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

PA6/66 copolymer blends guidePEBA (polyether block amide) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA blend comparisonsMore PEBA comparisons
PA blend vs PEBA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6/66 copolymer blendsPAPEBA (polyether block amide)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$60.99/kg median; $60.99–$60.99/kg across 1 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]Polyether block amide: rigid polyamide and flexible polyether blocks.[3]
Densityg/cm³1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[1]1.01 g/cm³ (GB/T 1033; eSUN manufacturer data)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[4][5][6]Not documented
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[4][7][5][6]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][7]Not documented
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[4][7][5][6]1.75 mm diameter, 1 kg spool.[8]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[1]Manufacturer applications include footwear, sports equipment and cushioning.[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]230–260 °C; 240 °C recommended.[3]
Bed temperature°C25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]60–90 °C[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documented10–50% fan recommended; mechanical-test specimens used 50–100%.[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI build plate[3]
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][9]9 mm³/s maximum in eSUN spiral-vase test; mechanical specimens used 2 mm³/s. Linear recommendation 25–110 mm/s is a separate quantity.[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[1][10]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[11]Not documented
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[11]Not documented
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[12][10]Not documented
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][10]Not documented
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1]70–75 °C for 6–8 h; re-dry after receiving or extended exposure.[3]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[12]Not documented
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][12]Not documented
Storage requirementPolymaker states CoPA must always be stored and used below 20 % relative humidity[1]Not documented
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][13]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]>16.5 MPa printed XY, GB/T 1040; manufacturer lower bound, not an exact measurement.[3]
Young's modulusMPa2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]>520% printed XY, GB/T 1040; manufacturer lower bound.[3]
Flexural strengthMPa109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]7.5 MPa printed Z, GB/T 1040 (manufacturer test)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Not documented
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)[14]90 Shore A nominal grade designation; do not compare numerically with Shore D or Rockwell.[8]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[11]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[12]Not documented
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]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]110 °C Vicat softening (GB/T 1633, 120 °C/h, 10 N); not HDT or a continuous-use rating.[3]
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[14]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — 6.16 % uptake cost 56 % of tensile strength and 73 % of modulus[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[15]Not documented
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[15]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[15]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[15]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[15]Not documented
Post-Processing
Support material pairingCoPA can support itself, but Polymaker warns the support bonds permanently if it absorbs moisture before removal[1]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[16]Not documented
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[16]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[16]Not documented

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. eSUN PEBA-90A Technical Data Sheet v1.0 (Aug 2025), checked 2026-10-17 eSUN · 2025-08 · tds
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. add:north Adura product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower PA6/66 product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. eSUN PEBA-90A official product page: 1 kg price and product identity eSUN · 2026-10-17 · vendor
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  14. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 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