3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA blend vs PLA Stone

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

PA6/66 copolymer blends guideStone-filled PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA blend comparisonsMore PLA Stone comparisons
PA blend vs PLA Stone — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6/66 copolymer blendsPAStone-filled PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$22.99/kg median; $15.99–$49.16/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]PLA filled with stone or mineral powder — Formfutura StoneFil declares 40–50 wt% stone powder[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab PLA Marble) and 1.50–1.70 (Formfutura StoneFil), ISO 1183[4][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[5][6][7]1 kg spools cluster near 21[8][5]
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][9][6][7]16–49 across brands; SUNLU 16, ELEGOO 19, Polymaker 21, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 38, Filament PM MarbleJet 49 on 0.5 kg spools[10][5][8][11][12][13]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][9]Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][5][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][9][6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools plus refills[5][3]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[1]Architectural models, sculpture and props with a matte mineral surface[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]190–230 (Bambu Lab)[4]
Bed temperature°C25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]35–45 (Bambu Lab)[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[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][14]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[1][15]Easy — minor profile tuning; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[16]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[16]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[17]Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's compatibility table says no hardened nozzle is needed while the note under the same table groups PLA Marble with particle-filled materials that should always use one[16]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[17]Moderately abrasive — stone fill[16][3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[18][15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[16]
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][15]Moderate — 0.44 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.44 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]
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]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[15]
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][19]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]33 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[4]
Young's modulusMPa2703 ± 259 printed XY dry and 724 ± 61 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]2330 ± 240 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[4]
Elongation at break%12.7 ± 2.1 printed XY dry and 13.2 ± 2.3 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]6.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]75 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]2920 ± 180 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[4]
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]9.5 ± 2.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 24.0 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[4]
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)[20]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — no stone-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[21][22][23]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[17]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the mineral filler leaves a brittle compound[24][4]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[18]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%59 dry (45.8 Z against 78.0 XY) and 40 wet, printed[1]91 by tensile, 73 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]56 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[1]56 (DSC)[4]
Melting point / Vicat°C189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[1]156 peak melt (DSC); Formfutura gives a 120–170 melting range for StoneFil[4][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[20]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[25]
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[26]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[26]
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[26]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[26]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[26]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[26]None needed in a normal room[26]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedFormfutura's SDS sets an occupational limit of 1 mg/m³ for the stone powder and lists it as both a fibre and a particulate — do not dry-sand without extraction[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands to a stone-like matte surface[3]
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)[4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte mineral surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[27]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[28]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[27]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[28][29]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[27]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[30][29]

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. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Marble Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · 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. PLA Marble — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. SUNLU High Speed PLA Marble 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filament PM PLA MarbleJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab 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. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  20. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. 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
  27. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  29. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  30. 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