3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA-CF ESD vs PPA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe CF nylonPA | PPA (polyphthalamide)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $129.98/kg median; $129.98–$129.98/kg across 1 dated product listings | $45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/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] | Polyphthalamide — a semi-aromatic polyamide in which aromatic diacid units replace part of the aliphatic backbone; Raise3D and Bambu Lab both label it high-temperature nylon[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.10 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 130[5] | One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[6] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 130 at Polymaker's 0.5 kg pricing[5] | 45 for the only unfilled PPA filament found — Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA at 1 kg; every other PPA in retail is carbon- or glass-filled[6] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[5] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[6] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[5] | 1.75 mm, 1 kg[6] |
| Typical applications | Electronics jigs and trays that also need nylon toughness and heat resistance[1] | Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 280–300 (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 70–80 (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[7] | Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[4] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[8][7] | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[4] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[8] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[7] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[7][9] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[4] |
| 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 — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[4] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — carbon-filled nylon composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-ESD[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[4] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[9] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[4] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[8] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[8] | High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | High (0.8–2 %) — the PA612 matrix sits between PA6 and PA12[10][11] | High (0.8–2 %) — Siraya Tech publishes 2.59 % by ISO 62 immersion for the unfilled grade; on the equilibrium basis Bambu Lab uses, its 15 % carbon-filled PPA reaches 1.30 % against 2.35 % for the same maker's PA6-CF[4][3][12] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 2.59 by ISO 62 water immersion (Siraya Tech, unfilled) — an immersion figure, not the 25 °C / 55 % RH equilibrium basis the filled grades are quoted on, so the two are not directly comparable[4] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| 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][11] | Siraya Tech publishes dry against saturated for the same grade: tensile 70 → 60 MPa, flexural 114 → 87 MPa, HDT at 1.8 MPa 73.5 → 48.5 °C, while Charpy rises 10 → 14.5 kJ/m²[4][6] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[9] | Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| 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[13][14] | 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] | 72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[4][6] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4293.7 ± 116.4 printed XY dry and 3730.8 ± 156.2 conditioned, ISO 527[1] | 3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Elongation at break% | 3.0 ± 0.1 printed XY dry and 4.2 ± 0.4 conditioned, ISO 527[1] | 10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[4][6] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 5.9 ± 0.4 printed XY dry and 4.9 ± 0.3 conditioned, ISO 179 notched[1] | 10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[4] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 24.1 ± 2.4 printed XY and 4.5 ± 0.2 printed Z (ISO 179)[1] | Not documented |
| 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] | Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[4] |
| 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[15] | Not documented |
| 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[16][1] | Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[2] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[16] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[4] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 26 (printed Z against XY tensile)[1] | Not documented |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Siraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[4][6] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 157.0 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1] | 81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 125.4 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1] | 73.5 dry and 48.5 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa, Siraya Tech) — unfilled PPA deflects near its Tg; the 190–227 °C figures quoted for PPA are carbon-filled grades[4][3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 41.8 (DSC)[1] | 80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 187.3 melting (DSC); Vicat 190.0 (ISO 306)[1] | 231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[4] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | Siraya Tech's product page offers annealing for strength while its own data sheet says annealing is not recommended because the print can warp; on its 15 % carbon-filled PPA, annealing lifts HDT at 1.8 MPa from 82.5 to 119 °C[4][6][17] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[13] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[7] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[7] | Withstands fuels, oils and industrial chemicals; Bambu Lab rates semi-aromatic nylon better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis and most organic solvents[4][3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Absorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[4][6] |
| Food contact | Not food-contact certified as filament[7] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[7] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[7] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Static-dissipative — the reason the grade exists; Polymaker's insulating nylon composites sit above 10¹² ohm by contrast[1][10] | 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[13] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[8] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[8] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[8] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[19] | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[19] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[19] | Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[19] |
| 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 — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[19] |
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
- Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 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
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 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