3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA-CF ESD vs PE
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe CF nylonPA | Polyethylene (PE)POLYOLEFIN |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $129.98/kg median; $129.98–$129.98/kg across 1 dated product listings | $87.72/kg median; $87.72–$87.72/kg across 1 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] | Polyethylene — the simplest polyolefin, non-polar and highly crystalline. The one retailed filament grade, Spectrum HDPE, uses what Spectrum calls Low Warp technology and is denser and stiffer than plain HDPE[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.10 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.10 (Spectrum HDPE filament, ISO 1183) against 0.95 for extruded HDPE stock — the filament is a modified formulation[2][3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 130[4] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 88[5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 130 at Polymaker's 0.5 kg pricing[4] | 87.72 — Spectrum's 500 g spools at 3DJAKE are the only PE filament listing found[5] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Spectrum HDPE in six colours is the only PE filament in the 3DJAKE and igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid, but it is a normal stocked item rather than a special order[6][7][8][5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[4] | 1.75 mm; 500 g spools in six colours[5][6] |
| Typical applications | Electronics jigs and trays that also need nylon toughness and heat resistance[1] | Chemically resistant containers, packaging prototypes and consumer goods where HDPE is the production material[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 240-290 (Spectrum HDPE)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 80-100 (Spectrum HDPE)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[9] | Enclosure recommended — Spectrum recommends a closed chamber for larger prints[2] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0-50 % part cooling (Spectrum HDPE)[2] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[10][9] | Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary for its low-warp HDPE, depending on geometry[2] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield. Spectrum's low-warp grade is sold as printable on desktop machines, which is not true of plain polyethylene[2] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10] | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive; Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary but recommends a closed chamber for large parts[2] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[9] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[9][11] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; Spectrum sells the grade as desktop-printable with no dry box and no hardened nozzle[2] |
| 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 — Spectrum states a ruby or hardened nozzle is not required[2] |
| 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[11] | Low — Spectrum lists no drybox and no ruby or hardened nozzle for HDPE, and very low moisture absorption[2] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[10] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[10] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | High (0.8–2 %) — the PA612 matrix sits between PA6 and PA12[12][13] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no dry box[2] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | No drying step published; Spectrum lists a dry box as not required[2] |
| 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][13] | Not applicable in practice — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no drybox requirement for HDPE[2] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[11] | Store dry at 18-25 °C out of sunlight; Spectrum quotes a 24-month shelf life[2] |
| 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[14][15] | 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] | 29 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527; specimen type not stated) against 25.5 at yield on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 3700 psi)[2][3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4293.7 ± 116.4 printed XY dry and 3730.8 ± 156.2 conditioned, ISO 527[1] | 3500 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against 965 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 140,000 psi) — the filament grade is nearly four times stiffer than plain polyethylene[2][3] |
| Elongation at break% | 3.0 ± 0.1 printed XY dry and 4.2 ± 0.4 conditioned, ISO 527[1] | 18 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against above 100 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 27.6 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4000 psi)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 3200 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 178) against 965 on extruded stock (ASTM D790, from 140,000 psi)[2][3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 5.9 ± 0.4 printed XY dry and 4.9 ± 0.3 conditioned, ISO 179 notched[1] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 24.1 ± 2.4 printed XY and 4.5 ± 0.2 printed Z (ISO 179)[1] | Charpy 10 kJ/m2 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 179-1; notch condition not stated); Izod 104 J/m on extruded stock, converted from 1.94 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[2][3] |
| 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] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 3.0 % in XY and 1.4 % in Z[1] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; 18 % elongation at break on the filament and above 100 % on extruded stock[2][3] |
| 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[16] | Shore D 67 and Rockwell R54 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D2240, D785); Spectrum quotes Rockwell 80 HRM for its filament (ISO 2039-2)[3][2] |
| 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[17][1] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[17] | Good — Spectrum lists outstanding abrasion and crack resistance for its HDPE, but no repeated-flex or fatigue test data was found for any PE filament[2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Slightly flexible in thin sections — Spectrum's low-warp grade has a 3.5 GPa tensile modulus; plain extruded HDPE at 965 MPa is genuinely semi-flexible[2][3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 26 (printed Z against XY tensile)[1] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 157.0 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1] | 75 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 167 °F)[3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 125.4 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 41.8 (DSC)[1] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 187.3 melting (DSC); Vicat 190.0 (ISO 306)[1] | Not documented |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 110 stated as heat resistance by Spectrum with no test standard given; extruded stock is rated 120 long-term maximum (converted from 248 °F) and brittle below -76[2][3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 117 (extruded HDPE stock, ASTM D696; source states 6.5e-5 in/in/°F)[3] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[14] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[9] | Moderate — a season or two. Spectrum describes its HDPE as UV-stable and weather-resistant but publishes no exposure data[2] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[9] | Excellent chemical resistance to acids, bases, oils and solvents (Spectrum); Ensinger lists broad chemical compatibility for HDPE stock[2][3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — essentially unaffected; Ensinger lists low moisture absorption for HDPE stock and Spectrum very low absorption for the filament[2][3] |
| Food contact | Not food-contact certified as filament[9] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[9] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[9] | Spectrum states the filament is fully recyclable; HDPE is resin code 2[2] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Static-dissipative — the reason the grade exists; Polymaker's insulating nylon composites sit above 10¹² ohm by contrast[1][12] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[18] | Not documented |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[18] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[18] | Not documented |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[18] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[18] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[14] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[10] | Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of HDPE stock[3] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[10] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[10] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Spectrum lists a shiny surface finish and no adhesive requirement; shrinkage remains the limit on large flat parts[2] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[19] | None at room temperature; xylene dissolves HDPE at about 105 °C and LDPE at 75 °C. Hot decalin does the same.[20][21] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[19] | Toluene, xylene, styrene, chloroform, dichloromethane, MEK and trichloroethylene are all unsatisfactory at 21 °C.[21] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[19] | None — polyethylene has no room-temperature solvent, so joints are made by heat welding.[21][20] |
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
- Spectrum HDPE Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2025-10 · tds
- TECAFINE HDPE natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Spectrum HDPE Traffic Black, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 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
- TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound 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
- US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
- HDPE Chemical Resistance Guide (21 °C and 60 °C) INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA · 2026-08 · tds