3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA-CF ESD vs PP-CF

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

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA-CF ESD comparisonsMore PP-CF comparisons
PA-CF ESD vs PP-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe CF nylonPACarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$129.98/kg median; $129.98–$129.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryCarbon-filled polyamide compounded to a static-dissipative resistivity — Polymaker's grade uses a PA612 matrix[1]Polypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (ISO 1183)[1]0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 130[4]1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[5][6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg130 at Polymaker's 0.5 kg pricing[4]57–138 across brands; Reli3D 57 at 700 g on Amazon, Prusament 108 direct from Prusa and 138 at Printed Solid, 3DXTech CarbonX PP+CF 120[5][8][6][7]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4]Available from several mainstream brands[6][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[4]1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[8][6]
Typical applicationsElectronics jigs and trays that also need nylon toughness and heat resistance[1]Lightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[9]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.04 (Prusament)[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented270 ± 10 (Prusament)[2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented85 ± 10 (Prusament)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[10]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[11][12]
Part cooling fanNot documentedOff — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[13][10]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented3.2 at Prusa's 40 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][14]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[2]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[10]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[10][15]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[2]
Extruder requirementNot documentedPrusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[2]
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 — Prusa states plainly that a hardened nozzle is necessary[2]
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[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher, and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[3][16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[13]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[13]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — the PA612 matrix sits between PA6 and PA12[17][18]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Prusa measures 0.03 % in 24 h and 0.04 % in 7 days on its PP composite, the lowest figures it publishes for any filament[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[2]
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][18]Not applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[2]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[15]No special storage needed[2]
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[19][20]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]21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[2]
Young's modulusMPa4293.7 ± 116.4 printed XY dry and 3730.8 ± 156.2 conditioned, ISO 527[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%3.0 ± 0.1 printed XY dry and 4.2 ± 0.4 conditioned, ISO 527[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.9 ± 0.4 printed XY dry and 4.9 ± 0.3 conditioned, ISO 179 notched[1]14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[2]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 24.1 ± 2.4 printed XY and 4.5 ± 0.2 printed Z (ISO 179)[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
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[21]Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PP filament[22]
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[23][1]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[23]Good[24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Z strength as % of XY%26 (printed Z against XY tensile)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C157.0 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C125.4 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°C41.8 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C187.3 melting (DSC); Vicat 190.0 (ISO 306)[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[19]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[10]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[10]Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[12]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[2]
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][17]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission. Inferred: no polyolefin was among the nine filaments in the Azimi chamber study, so this is a family-level judgement rather than a measurement[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]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[25]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[19]Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[13]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[13]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[13]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[26]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[27][28]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[26]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[26]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[27]

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. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  3. CarbonX PP+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  18. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  20. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  28. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper