3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA-CF ESD vs PC
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe CF nylonPA | Polycarbonate (PC)PC |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $129.98/kg median; $129.98–$129.98/kg across 1 dated product listings | $39.99/kg median; $29.99–$92.00/kg across 9 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Carbon-filled polyamide compounded to a static-dissipative resistivity — Polymaker's grade uses a PA612 matrix[1] | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.10 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.19 (Polymaker) to 1.22 (Prusament), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.20; Stratasys specific gravity 1.20 (ASTM D792)[2][4][5][6] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 130[7] | 1 kg spools cluster near 40[5][7][8] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 130 at Polymaker's 0.5 kg pricing[7] | 30–92 across brands; Polymaker PolyLite 30, Bambu Lab 40, Polymaker PolyMax 52, Prusament 59, 3DXTech ezPC 64 and 3DXMAX PC 92[7][5][8][9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[7] | Available from several mainstream brands[5][7][9][8] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[7] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1 and 3 kg spools[7][9][8] |
| Typical applications | Electronics jigs and trays that also need nylon toughness and heat resistance[1] | Light guides, lenses, under-bonnet automotive parts and impact-loaded housings that must hold shape above 110 °C[3][2] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | ±0.03 (Prusament PC Blend)[4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 250–280 across brands; Prusament 275 ± 10, Bambu Lab 260–280, Polymaker 250–270. Polymaker's material guide gives a wider 260–310 for PC and its composites[4][5][2][3] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 90–115; Prusament 110 ± 10, Bambu Lab 90–110, Polymaker 90–105[4][5][2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[10] | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 70–100 °C chamber, Bambu Lab 45–60 °C and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[2][5][11] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 70–100 (Polymaker); 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2][5] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | Off or very low — Polymaker specifies off, Prusament 20 % within a 0–30 % range, Bambu Lab 0–60 %[2][4][5] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[12][10] | Textured PEI with glue when needed (Polymaker); smooth or textured PEI (Bambu Lab)[2][13] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker allows 50–200 mm/s and its material guide advises 30–60 for layer adhesion[5][2][3][14] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Not documented | Severe — heated chamber needed[2][3][11] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12] | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2][11] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[10] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[3] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[10][15] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3][11] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | All-metal hotend rated to 300 °C; Polymaker advises larger nozzles and high chamber temperatures to improve bonding[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA612-ESD and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[11] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — carbon-filled nylon composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-ESD[1] | Non-abrasive[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[15] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[3] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[12] | Slightly sensitive[16] |
| Hotend requirement | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[12] | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D); Polymaker advises a hot end rated above 300 °C[16][3] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | High (0.8–2 %) — the PA612 matrix sits between PA6 and PA12[17][18] | Low — 0.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.15 % after 7 days at 22 % RH. Polymaker nonetheless calls PC highly hygroscopic in service[5][4][3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.15 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[5][4] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker); 70–80 °C for 6–8 h (Polymaker material guide)[5][2][3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[15] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA612-ESD itself: at 4.64 % moisture tensile falls 84.3 → 73.6 MPa and modulus 4294 → 3731 MPa[1][18] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[3][15] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[15] | Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[3] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Polymaker specifies an 80–100 °C dry and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the wet data it does publish is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[19][20] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 84.3 ± 2.3 printed XY dry (annealed 100 °C/16 h), 73.6 ± 2.3 conditioned to 4.64 % moisture, ISO 527[1] | 53.4 (PolyMax) to 69.1 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 62 +/- 2 and Prusament 63 +/- 1 at yield; Stratasys 62.3-64.6 at yield printed XZ, ASTM D638 (its PC White table duplicates the Antero 840CN03 figures and was not used)[2][21][5][4][22][6] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4293.7 ± 116.4 printed XY dry and 3730.8 ± 156.2 conditioned, ISO 527[1] | 2110 (Bambu Lab) to 2497 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1900, 3DXTech 2180[5][2][4][22] |
| Elongation at break% | 3.0 ± 0.1 printed XY dry and 4.2 ± 0.4 conditioned, ISO 527[1] | 3.8 (Bambu Lab) to 4.8 (PolyLite) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 14 at break, Prusament 5.8 at yield[5][2][22][4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 81.3 (PolyMax) to 108 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 88 ± 1, PolyLite 106.1[21][5][4][2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 2050 (PolyMax) to 2640 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2100[21][2][4] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 5.9 ± 0.4 printed XY dry and 4.9 ± 0.3 conditioned, ISO 179 notched[1] | 4.1 (PolyLite) to 21.3 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1[2][21][4] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 24.1 ± 2.4 printed XY and 4.5 ± 0.2 printed Z (ISO 179)[1] | Charpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's pendulum in either orientation (ISO 179-1); PolyMax PC retains 9.2 kJ/m2 notched at -30 °C. Stratasys PC Black gives 85.3 MPa flexural strength at break in ZX against no break in XZ (ASTM D790, printed)[4][21][6] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 21.5 ± 2.7 printed Z dry — only a quarter of XY, the most anisotropic nylon composite here; 19.2 ± 1.6 conditioned[1] | 37.1-45.3 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ASTM D638); 41.4 (PolyMax) to 56 (Bambu Lab) printed Z; Prusa's interlayer adhesion test gives 21 +/- 2[4][21][5][6] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 3.0 % in XY and 1.4 % in Z[1] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3][4] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a conductive carbon-filled nylon filament[23] | Shore D 79 (Prusa Polymers method) and Shore D 79 on extruded PC stock (ASTM D2240); Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales[4][24] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 compound for sustained static and dynamic load at 110 °C continuous service; the PA612 matrix here still takes up 4.64 % moisture at conditioning, which softens it[25][1] | Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC was still running unbroken at 41 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window only at 47-52 MPa (ASTM D638)[26] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[25] | Good[4][3] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 26 (printed Z against XY tensile)[1] | 59-73 (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); 76 for PolyLite PC and 90 for Bambu Lab (printed Z against XY tensile)[5][2][6] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 157.0 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1] | 110 (PolyMax PC-FR) to 114 (PolyMax PC), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 112, PolyLite 111, Prusament 113. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 144 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi)[21][2][5][4][6] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 125.4 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1] | 93 (Prusament) to 117 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite 107, PolyMax 99. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 141 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi)[4][5][2][21][6] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 41.8 (DSC)[1] | 113 (Polymaker, DSC), 142.5 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426 inflection point) and 145 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Polymaker's material guide quotes 150[2][5][3][6] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 187.3 melting (DSC); Vicat 190.0 (ISO 306)[1] | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 117–120 (Polymaker, ISO 306); decomposition above 360 °C[2][21] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend; extruded PC stock is rated 121 long term (converted from 250 °F)[4][24] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | 90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[2] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 51.6 in XY over -50 to 30 °C, falling to 35.8 over 30-75 °C and 11.5 over 75-130 °C; 49.2 in XZ over -50 to 120 °C (printed, ASTM E831). Extruded PC stock gives 68.4 (ASTM D696)[6][24] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[19] | Flammable; no UL 94 rating on standard PC, though V-0 grades exist[27][2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[10] | Degrades within weeks outdoors — unstabilised PC yellows and embrittles under UV[3] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[10] | Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Good — minor absorption[5] |
| Food contact | Not food-contact certified as filament[10] | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[3] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[10] | Not biodegradable[3] |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[10] | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[3] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Static-dissipative — the reason the grade exists; Polymaker's insulating nylon composites sit above 10¹² ohm by contrast[1][17] | Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an electrical insulator, which Polymaker lists as a headline advantage[22][3] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[28] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[28] | ≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[28] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[28] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28][11] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[19] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[12] | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[16] |
| Painting & finishing | Not documented | Optical clarity survives printing, so transparent parts are usually left unpainted[3] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[12] | Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[16] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[12] | No practical vapour smoothing[16] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[16] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Warping is the dominant accuracy limit; light transmission 89 % on PolyLite PC (GB/T 2410)[2][3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[29] | Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[30] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[29] | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[30] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[29] | Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[31] |
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
- Fiberon PA612-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2025-06 · tds
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PC (Polycarbonate) — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PolyMax PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
- PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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
- Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds