3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA blend vs PMMA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PA6/66 copolymer blendsPA | PMMA (acrylic)ENGINEERING |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $65.62/kg median; $62.00–$113.33/kg across 4 dated product listings | $49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PA6/66 copolymer — a nylon alloy that lowers the melting point and improves printability against straight PA6[1][2] | Poly(methyl methacrylate) — acrylic, sold for 3D printing as a transparent glass substitute[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.12 (ISO 1183, Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 65[4][5][6] | 1 kg spools cluster near 50[7] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 62–113 across brands; add:north Adura 62, PrimaCreator NylonPower PA6/66 65 at 500 g, Polymaker CoPA 67, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 6-66 113[4][8][5][6] | 50 at Push Plastic's 1 kg listing; 3 kg spools run the same per kilogram[7] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[4][8] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[7] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[4][8][5][6] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[7] |
| Typical applications | General-purpose nylon parts and, unusually, CoPA can support itself if the support is removed before it absorbs moisture[1] | Transparent covers and light guides where PC's yellowing or cost rules it out[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 250–270 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 25–50 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a chamber at ambient temperature[1] | Not documented |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 16 at Polymaker's 200 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][9] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; must be kept below 20 % RH throughout[1][10] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[11] | Not documented |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[11] | Not documented |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[12][10] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very 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 & time | 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[12] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Measured 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 requirement | Polymaker states CoPA must always be stored and used below 20 % relative humidity[1] | Not documented |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Polymaker 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)MPa | 78.0 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 34.3 ± 2.5 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2703 ± 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] | Not documented |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 109.8 ± 1.3 printed XY dry and 22.6 ± 0.5 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2510 ± 25 printed XY dry and 636 ± 11 wet, ISO 178 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 6.9 ± 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 tensileMPa | 45.8 ± 1.5 printed Z dry, falling to 13.7 ± 1.2 wet, ISO 527 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1] | Not documented |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Shore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785)[14] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Excellent — living hinges viable[11] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Semi-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°C | 111 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 70 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 66 (DSC, Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 189 melting (DSC); Vicat 180, crystallisation 148, decomposition 370 (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Annealing response | 80 °C for 6 h (Polymaker CoPA)[1] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 81.0 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 service1–5 | Absorbs water, properties shift — 6.16 % uptake cost 56 % of tensile strength and 73 % of modulus[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[15] | Not documented |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up 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 emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[15] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[15] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Support material pairing | CoPA can support itself, but Polymaker warns the support bonds permanently if it absorbs moisture before removal[1] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[16] | Acetone, MEK, ethyl and butyl acetate, THF, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride dissolve it; the last two are laboratory reagents.[17] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[16] | Alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils and phthalate plasticisers craze it, and the threshold falls as stress rises.[17] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[16] | Dichloromethane acrylic cement (IPS Weld-On 3): 2–5 min soak, 17.2 MPa lap shear at one week. Controlled carcinogen.[18] |
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
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- AmideX Nylon 6-66 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PMMA Filament 1.75mm 1kg — product page Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- add:north Adura product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
- PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower PA6/66 product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
- Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- Chemical resistance of PMMA products Mitsubishi Chemical (Acrypet) · 2026-08 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds