3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA blend vs PLA HS

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

PA6/66 copolymer blends guideHigh-Speed PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA blend comparisonsMore PLA HS comparisons
PA blend vs PLA HS — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6/66 copolymer blendsPAHigh-Speed PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 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 with rheology and crystallisation tuned for high volumetric flow; melt index 15.4 g/10 min vs 7–11 for standard PLA[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[1]1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[5][6][7]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[8][9][10]
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][11][6][7]11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[12][13][14]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][11]Stocked by most mainstream brands[15][10][16]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][11][6][7]1.75 mm; 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]Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[17][15]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[18]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[3][15]
Bed temperature°C25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][19]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[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][20]≈24 at 300 mm/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer; 30 % more flow than regular PLA at the same temperature[3][15][17][20]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[21]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[1][22]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[15][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[23]Brass fine indefinitely[24]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[23]Non-abrasive[25][24]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[26][22]Very low[24]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[27]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[21]
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][22]Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[3]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1]55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3][19]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[26]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[22]
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][26]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[22]
Storage requirementPolymaker states CoPA must always be stored and used below 20 % relative humidity[1]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[19][21]
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][28]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]43.9 at 300 mm/s and 46.0 at 46.7 mm/s (printed XY, ISO 527); 58.6 on My Tech Fun bars for Creality Hyper PLA[3][29]
Young's modulusMPa2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[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]5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedPrinting at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]32.4 at 300 mm/s, 37.3 at classic speed (printed Z, ISO 527); 35.3 for Creality Hyper PLA vs 23.0 for average PLA on identical bars[3][29]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[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)[30]78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[31]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[29]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[23]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[32][27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[26]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%59 dry (45.8 Z against 78.0 XY) and 40 wet, printed[1]74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[1]59 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[29]
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[30]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[33]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[19][4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[27][34]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — 6.16 % uptake cost 56 % of tensile strength and 73 % of modulus[1]Good — insoluble in water[19]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[27]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[35][27]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[35]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[36]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[36]
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[36]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[36]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[36]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[36]None needed in a normal room[36]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[34][27]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[27][37]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[27]
Support material pairingCoPA can support itself, but Polymaker warns the support bonds permanently if it absorbs moisture before removal[1]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[38]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[39]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[38]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[39][40]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[38]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[41][40]

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. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  18. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  34. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  35. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  36. 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
  37. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  38. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  40. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. 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