3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA blend vs PEI 9085

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

PA6/66 copolymer blends guidePEI (ULTEM 9085) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA blend comparisonsMore PEI 9085 comparisons
PA blend vs PEI 9085 — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6/66 copolymer blendsPAPEI (ULTEM 9085)HIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$309.80/kg median; $220.00–$392.00/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]Polyetherimide, ULTEM 9085 grade — the flame-retardant PEI used for aircraft interiors[3]
Densityg/cm³1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[1]1.34 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) against 1.27 specific gravity on moulded plaques (ASTM D792, Stratasys) — the two suppliers disagree[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 298[8][9][10][11]
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][8][6][7]220-392 across brands and formats; 3DXTech ThermaX PEI 9085 220 at 2 kg, 3D4Makers 270 at 2 kg, Fiberlogy 298 at 500 g, Kimya 321 at 500 g, IEMAI 3D 385 at 1 kg, 3DXTech CarbonX PEI 9085+CF 392[8][9][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8][9][10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][8][6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 250 g to 2 kg spools, plus Stratasys canisters[8][11][4]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[1]Aircraft interior parts and rail rolling stock, where the flame, smoke and toxicity rating is the requirement[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]130–140 (3DXTech)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[1]Actively heated chamber required[13][14]
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][15]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSevere — heated chamber needed[13]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[1][16]Expert / industrial hardware only[13][14]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[17]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[17]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[18][16]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[19]
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][16]Not documented
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[18]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][18]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[19]
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][20]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]63-77 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys F900/F3300/Fortus 450mc, three tips and two colours); 54 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech)[4][3]
Young's modulusMPa2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]2040-2540 (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys); 2050 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech)[4][3]
Elongation at break%12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]5.4-9.1 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys); 1.9-4.3 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 3 (ISO 527)[4][3]
Flexural strengthMPa109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]104-116 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D790 Procedure A, Stratasys); 72-98 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 90 (ISO 178)[4][3]
Flexural modulusMPa2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]2400-2550 (printed XZ, ASTM D790, Stratasys F900 T16 and T16A) against 2120-2130 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 2170 (ISO 178)[4][3]
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
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 88.5-140 J/m XZ against 37-80 J/m ZX; unnotched 647-2260 J/m XZ against 169-633 J/m ZX (printed, ASTM D256/D4812, Stratasys, across three printers and three tips)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]39-63 at break (printed ZX, ASTM D638, Stratasys); the low end is the F900 T16 baseline, the high end the F3300 N500 hot end[4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
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)[21]Rockwell M110 / R126 on extruded PEI stock (ASTM D785)[22]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedExcellent — holds load for years. Printed ZX coupons keep 87 % of room-temperature tensile strength at 104 °C and 70 % at 132 °C (ASTM D638); extruded PEI stock is rated 170 °C long-term service[4][22]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[17]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[18]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%59 dry (45.8 Z against 78.0 XY) and 40 wet, printed[1]56-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638, across F900/F3300/Fortus 450mc and T16/T20/T40A tips); 58 on the F900 T16 baseline[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]158 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech) to 178 (printed XY 178.2 and ZX 178.4, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi, Stratasys); moulded 176.9[3][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]170-173 (printed XY 170.2 and ZX 172.6, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); moulded 172.9[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[1]177 (moulded plaque, ASTM D7426 inflection point, Stratasys); 186 (DSC, 3DXTech)[4][3][23]
Melting point / Vicat°C189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented170 long-term service on extruded PEI stock, converted from 338 °F; 200 short term[22]
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[21]44.9 (printed XY, -50 to 80 °C, ASTM E831), falling to 31.4 over 80-160 °C; ZX gives 44.5 over -50 to 60 °C. Black pigment raises it to 51.9[4]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin. Printed parts are tested to 14 CFR 25.853, BSS 7238 and 7239 and AITM 2.0007B and 3.0005 covering 60 s and 12 s vertical burn, 15 s horizontal burn, smoke density, toxic gas emission and OSU heat release[3][4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift. 1000 h of QUV cycling to ASTM G154 left printed ZX coupons at 55.5 MPa yield against 56.0 unexposed, with elongation and modulus unchanged[4]
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[24]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[24]
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[24]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[24]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[24]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24]
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.[25]Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane and chloroform — are solvents for polyetherimide. Laboratory reagents.[26][27]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[25]Acetone, MEK, benzene, toluene and butyl acetate craze or stress-crack it; alcohols, fuels and dilute acids do not.[27][26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[25]Dichloromethane is the only welding route, and it is a controlled carcinogen rather than a workshop material.[26][27]

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. ThermaX PEI 9085 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. ULTEM 9085 Resin — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · 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. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Kimya PEI-9085 Natural 2.85 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Fiberlogy PEI 9085 Natural, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. IEMAI 3D PEI 9085 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  14. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. THERMAX PEI 9085 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  21. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. TECAPEI natural (PEI) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. ThermaX PEI 1010 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  24. 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
  25. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds