3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA-CF ESD vs PEEK

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

ESD-safe CF nylon guidePEEK guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA-CF ESD comparisonsMore PEEK comparisons
PA-CF ESD vs PEEK — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe CF nylonPAPEEKHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$129.98/kg median; $129.98–$129.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$531.87/kg median; $296.14–$770.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryCarbon-filled polyamide compounded to a static-dissipative resistivity — Polymaker's grade uses a PA612 matrix[1]Polyether ether ketone — a semi-crystalline polyaryletherketone[2]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (ISO 1183)[1]1.30 (ISO 1183)[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 130[4]1 kg-equivalent spools span 296–770; the middle of the market is about 532[5][6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg130 at Polymaker's 0.5 kg pricing[4]296-770 across brands and spool sizes; 3D4Makers recycled R-PEEK 296 at 750 g, IEMAI 3D 420 at 1 kg, LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PEEK 9581 532 at 2 kg, 3DXTech ThermaX PEEK 770 at 500 g[5][6][7]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][6][3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[4]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[5][6][3]
Typical applicationsElectronics jigs and trays that also need nylon toughness and heat resistance[1]Aerospace brackets, semiconductor handling, sterilisable medical tooling and downhole parts[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented380-400 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); Victrex quotes a 340-450 melt range for AM 450 FIL[2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented130–140 (3DXTech)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[8]Actively heated chamber required[9][10]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documentedNot less than 150 for semi-crystalline printing (Victrex AM 450 FIL); bed above 150[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[11][8]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSevere — heated chamber needed[9]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[9]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[8]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[8][12]Expert / industrial hardware only[9][10]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAn all-metal hot end rated above 400 °C and a heated chamber; 3DXTech tests at 0.25 mm layer height on a 0.4 mm nozzle[2][9]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA612-ESD and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[9]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — carbon-filled nylon composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-ESD[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[12]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[13]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[11]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[11]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — the PA612 matrix sits between PA6 and PA12[14][15]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.45 at saturation, 23 °C (ISO 62); 0.55 at 100 °C[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented120 °C for 5 h, target below 0.020 % moisture (Victrex AM 450 FIL)[3]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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][15]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[13]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[12]Not documented
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker 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[16][17]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa84.3 ± 2.3 printed XY dry (annealed 100 °C/16 h), 73.6 ± 2.3 conditioned to 4.64 % moisture, ISO 527[1]60-100 (printed XY): Victrex AM 450 FIL 60-80 at yield and 3DXTech 100, both ISO 527; 98 at yield injection-moulded[2][3]
Young's modulusMPa4293.7 ± 116.4 printed XY dry and 3730.8 ± 156.2 conditioned, ISO 527[1]3000-4000 (printed XY, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 3720 (3DXTech); 4000 injection-moulded[2][3]
Elongation at break%3.0 ± 0.1 printed XY dry and 4.2 ± 0.4 conditioned, ISO 527[1]28 (printed XY, ISO 527) — remarkably ductile for a high-temperature polymer[2]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented130 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2700 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.9 ± 0.4 printed XY dry and 4.9 ± 0.3 conditioned, ISO 179 notched[1]6.0 (injection-moulded, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 24.1 ± 2.4 printed XY and 4.5 ± 0.2 printed Z (ISO 179)[1]Izod notched 7.0 kJ/m2 injection-moulded (ISO 180/A). Printed anisotropy is extreme: VICTREX AM 200 on a Stratasys F900 gives Izod notched 1380-1530 J/m XZ against 30-62 J/m ZX (ASTM D256)[3][18]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.5 ± 2.7 printed Z dry — only a quarter of XY, the most anisotropic nylon composite here; 19.2 ± 1.6 conditioned[1]20-85 at yield (printed ZX, ISO 527, Victrex AM 450 FIL); the spread is set by chamber temperature and weld quality[3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 3.0 % in XY and 1.4 % in Z[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a conductive carbon-filled nylon filament[19]Shore D 84.5 (injection-moulded, ISO 868); Rockwell M100 / R125 on extruded PEEK stock (ASTM D785)[3][20]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. 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[21][1]Excellent — holds load for years. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term creep; injection-moulded flexural stress at 3.5 % strain falls only from 125 MPa at 23 °C to 85 MPa at 125 °C, and extruded stock is rated to 249 °C continuous[22][3][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[21]Excellent — living hinges viable. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep[22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%26 (printed Z against XY tensile)[1]71-84 (VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK printed on the Stratasys F900 and Fortus 450mc, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); unfilled PEEK's own ZX spread is wider[18]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C157.0 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]140 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C125.4 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]152 (unannealed, ISO 75-2/Af, Victrex AM 450 FIL); 160 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[3][20]
Glass transition (Tg)°C41.8 (DSC)[1]143 (DSC, 3DXTech); Victrex gives onset 143 and midpoint 150 (ISO 11357-2)[2][3]
Melting point / Vicat°C187.3 melting (DSC); Vicat 190.0 (ISO 306)[1]343 melting (ISO 11357-3, Victrex); VICTREX AM 200 LMPAEK melts at 303[3][18]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented240 UL 746B relative thermal index, strength (RTI electrical 260, impact 180); Ensinger rates extruded PEEK stock at 249 long term[3][20]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented37.8 (extruded PEEK stock, 23-60 °C, ASTM E831; source states 2.1e-5 in/in/°F), rising to 41.9 at 60-100 °C and 55.8 at 100-150 °C[20]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[16]UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin; glow-wire flammability index 960 °C at 2.0 mm (IEC 60695-2-12)[2][3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[8]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[8]Outstanding — resistant to almost all solvents and to steam sterilisation[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected; 0.45 % water at saturation and resistant to steam sterilisation[3][2]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[8]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[8]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[8]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesStatic-dissipative — the reason the grade exists; Polymaker's insulating nylon composites sit above 10¹² ohm by contrast[1][14]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[23]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[23]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[23]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[23]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[23]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[23]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[23]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[16]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[11]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[11]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[24]95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves it — 10 g per 100 mL at 40–70 °C gives a dark red solution. Laboratory route only.[25][26]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[24]Concentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[27][26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[24]None — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[27][26]

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. Fiberon PA612-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2025-06 · tds
  2. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. VICTREX AM 450 FIL — datasheet Victrex · 2025-12 · tds
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  10. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ThermaX PEEK — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  15. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  17. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. VICTREX AM 200 — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-04 · tds
  19. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  23. 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
  24. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  25. The Effects of Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Ion Exchange Preparation Conditions on Membrane Properties Yee, Zhang & Ladewig, Membranes 3(3) 182–195 · 2013-07 · paper
  26. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc