3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA-CF ESD vs PLA-CF

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

ESD-safe CF nylon guideCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA-CF ESD comparisonsMore PLA-CF comparisons
PA-CF ESD vs PLA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe CF nylonPACarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$129.98/kg median; $129.98–$129.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryCarbon-filled polyamide compounded to a static-dissipative resistivity — Polymaker's grade uses a PA612 matrix[1]PLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[4][3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 130[6]1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[7][8][5][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg130 at Polymaker's 0.5 kg pricing[6]19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[8][7][5][11][9][12][10]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][5][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[11][5][6]
Typical applicationsElectronics jigs and trays that also need nylon toughness and heat resistance[1]Stiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[4][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[7]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[13]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[4][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[14][13]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[4][15][3][16]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[13]Slight[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[13][17]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[15][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[15]
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]Hardened steel required[15][3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — carbon-filled nylon composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-ESD[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[15][18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[17]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[14]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[14]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[18][15]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[15][3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — the PA612 matrix sits between PA6 and PA12[19][20]Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h[4][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][20]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[17]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[17]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[21][22]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]31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Young's modulusMPa4293.7 ± 116.4 printed XY dry and 3730.8 ± 156.2 conditioned, ISO 527[1]2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Elongation at break%3.0 ± 0.1 printed XY dry and 4.2 ± 0.4 conditioned, ISO 527[1]8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[4][3]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.9 ± 0.4 printed XY dry and 4.9 ± 0.3 conditioned, ISO 179 notched[1]5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[4][3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 24.1 ± 2.4 printed XY and 4.5 ± 0.2 printed Z (ISO 179)[1]Charpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[4]
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]15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[4][3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 3.0 % in XY and 1.4 % in Z[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[3][4]
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[23]71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[24]
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[25][1]Poor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[26][27][24]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[25]Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[28][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%26 (printed Z against XY tensile)[1]48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[4][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C157.0 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C125.4 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C41.8 (DSC)[1]62–63 (DSC)[4][3]
Melting point / Vicat°C187.3 melting (DSC); Vicat 190.0 (ISO 306)[1]162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[4][3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[26][27][24]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[21]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[13]Degrades within weeks outdoors[29]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[13]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[13]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[13]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[13]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesStatic-dissipative — the reason the grade exists; Polymaker's insulating nylon composites sit above 10¹² ohm by contrast[1][19]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[30]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[30]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[30]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[30]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[30]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[30]None needed in a normal room[30]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[21]Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[14]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[14]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[14]Not documented
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[4][3][31][32]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[33]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[34]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[33]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[34][35]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[33]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[36][35]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  3. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  20. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  22. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  29. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. 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
  31. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  36. 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