3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA-CF ESD vs PLA Stone

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

ESD-safe CF nylon guideStone-filled PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA-CF ESD comparisonsMore PLA Stone comparisons
PA-CF ESD vs PLA Stone — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe CF nylonPAStone-filled PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$129.98/kg median; $129.98–$129.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$22.99/kg median; $15.99–$49.16/kg across 6 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 stone or mineral powder — Formfutura StoneFil declares 40–50 wt% stone powder[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab PLA Marble) and 1.50–1.70 (Formfutura StoneFil), ISO 1183[3][2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 130[4]1 kg spools cluster near 21[5][4]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg130 at Polymaker's 0.5 kg pricing[4]16–49 across brands; SUNLU 16, ELEGOO 19, Polymaker 21, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 38, Filament PM MarbleJet 49 on 0.5 kg spools[6][4][5][7][8][9]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4]Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][4][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[4]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools plus refills[4][2]
Typical applicationsElectronics jigs and trays that also need nylon toughness and heat resistance[1]Architectural models, sculpture and props with a matte mineral surface[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[10]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[11][10]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[10]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[10][12]Easy — minor profile tuning; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[13]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[13]
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 acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's compatibility table says no hardened nozzle is needed while the note under the same table groups PLA Marble with particle-filled materials that should always use one[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — carbon-filled nylon composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-ESD[1]Moderately abrasive — stone fill[13][2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[12]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[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]Moderate — 0.44 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.44 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[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]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[12]
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]33 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Young's modulusMPa4293.7 ± 116.4 printed XY dry and 3730.8 ± 156.2 conditioned, ISO 527[1]2330 ± 240 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Elongation at break%3.0 ± 0.1 printed XY dry and 4.2 ± 0.4 conditioned, ISO 527[1]6.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented75 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2920 ± 180 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.9 ± 0.4 printed XY dry and 4.9 ± 0.3 conditioned, ISO 179 notched[1]9.5 ± 2.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 24.1 ± 2.4 printed XY and 4.5 ± 0.2 printed Z (ISO 179)[1]Charpy unnotched 24.0 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[3]
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]30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 3.0 % in XY and 1.4 % in Z[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
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[18]Not documented
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[19][1]Poor — no stone-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[20][21][22]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[19]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the mineral filler leaves a brittle compound[23][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%26 (printed Z against XY tensile)[1]91 by tensile, 73 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C157.0 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]56 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C125.4 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C41.8 (DSC)[1]56 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C187.3 melting (DSC); Vicat 190.0 (ISO 306)[1]156 peak melt (DSC); Formfutura gives a 120–170 melting range for StoneFil[3][2]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[16]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[10]Degrades within weeks outdoors[24]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[10]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[10]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[10]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[10]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[25]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[25]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[25]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[25]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[25]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25]None needed in a normal room[25]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[16]Formfutura's SDS sets an occupational limit of 1 mg/m³ for the stone powder and lists it as both a fibre and a particulate — do not dry-sand without extraction[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[11]Sands to a stone-like matte surface[2]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[11]Not documented
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte mineral surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[26]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[27]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[26]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[27][28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[26]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[29][28]

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. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Marble Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. PLA Marble — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. SUNLU High Speed PLA Marble 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Filament PM PLA MarbleJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  10. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 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. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. 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
  26. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  28. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  29. 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