3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA blend vs PLA-CF

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

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA blend comparisonsMore PLA-CF comparisons
PA blend vs PLA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6/66 copolymer blendsPACarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 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]PLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[5][4][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[7][8][9]1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[10][11][6][12][13]
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[7][14][8][9]19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[11][10][6][15][12][16][13]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7][14]Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][11][6][15]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[7][14][8][9]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[15][6][7]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[1]Stiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[5][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[10]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[5][4]
Bed temperature°C25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[5][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[1]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[5][4]
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][17]16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[5][18][4][17]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[5]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight[4]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[1][19]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[18][4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[18]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[20]Hardened steel required[18][4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[20]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[18][21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[22][19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[18]
Hotend requirementNot documentedHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[21][18]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[18][4]
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][19]Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][4]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1]55 °C for 6–8 h[5][4]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[22]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][22]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[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][23]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]31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[5][4][6]
Young's modulusMPa2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[5][4][6]
Elongation at break%12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[5][4][6]
Flexural strengthMPa109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[5][4]
Flexural modulusMPa2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[5][4][6]
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]5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[5][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[5][4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[4][5]
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)[24]71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[25]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[26][27][25]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[20]Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[28][4]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[22]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%59 dry (45.8 Z against 78.0 XY) and 40 wet, printed[1]48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[5][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[5][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[5][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[1]62–63 (DSC)[5][4]
Melting point / Vicat°C189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[5][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[26][27][25]
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[24]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[29]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[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[30]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[30]
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[30]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[30]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[30]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[30]None needed in a normal room[30]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3]
Post-Processing
Support material pairingCoPA can support itself, but Polymaker warns the support bonds permanently if it absorbs moisture before removal[1]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[5][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[5][4][31][32]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[33]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[34]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[33]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[34][35]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[33]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[36][35]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  4. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. add:north Adura product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower PA6/66 product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  24. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  29. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. 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
  31. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  36. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper