3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA-CF ESD vs PSU

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

ESD-safe CF nylon guidePSU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA-CF ESD comparisonsMore PSU comparisons
PA-CF ESD vs PSU — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe CF nylonPAPSUHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$129.98/kg median; $129.98–$129.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$168.00/kg median; $168.00–$168.00/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryCarbon-filled polyamide compounded to a static-dissipative resistivity — Polymaker's grade uses a PA612 matrix[1]Polysulfone — the lowest-temperature and cheapest of the sulfone family[2]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 130[3]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 250[4]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg130 at Polymaker's 0.5 kg pricing[3]168-250 across formats; 250 g spool $42 (168/kg), 500 g $125 (250/kg) — 3DXTech is the only filament supplier found[4]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[3]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[3]1.75 mm; 250 g and 500 g spools[4]
Typical applicationsElectronics jigs and trays that also need nylon toughness and heat resistance[1]Transparent high-temperature housings, medical trays and hot-water fittings[2]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented120–140 (3DXTech)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[5]Actively heated chamber required[6][7]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[8][5]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[8]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[5]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[5][9]Expert / industrial hardware only[6][7]
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[6]
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[9]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[10]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[8]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[8]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — the PA612 matrix sits between PA6 and PA12[11][12]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.30 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[13]
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][12]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[10]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[9]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[14][15]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]52 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 81 at break on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][13]
Young's modulusMPa4293.7 ± 116.4 printed XY dry and 3730.8 ± 156.2 conditioned, ISO 527[1]2100 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%3.0 ± 0.1 printed XY dry and 4.2 ± 0.4 conditioned, ISO 527[1]8 (printed XY, ISO 527) against 50 on extruded stock — nearly three times PPSU's printed 3 %[2][16][13]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented87 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2050 (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]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 24.1 ± 2.4 printed XY and 4.5 ± 0.2 printed Z (ISO 179)[1]Izod notched 69 J/m on extruded PSU stock, converted from 1.3 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[13]
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]Moderate[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[17]Rockwell M120 on extruded PSU stock (ASTM D785)[13]
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[18][1]Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PSU stock, which is rated to 173 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa[13]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[18]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[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]172 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 181 on extruded stock, converted from 358 °F at 66 psi[2][13]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C125.4 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]174 on extruded PSU stock, converted from 345 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[13]
Glass transition (Tg)°C41.8 (DSC)[1]187 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 185 on extruded stock (ASTM D3418), against 230 for PPSU[2][16][13]
Melting point / Vicat°C187.3 melting (DSC); Vicat 190.0 (ISO 306)[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented141 long-term service on extruded PSU stock, converted from 285 °F[13]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented55.8 (extruded PSU stock, ASTM D696; source states 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[13]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[14]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PSU stock[13]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[5]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[5]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[5]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[5]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[5]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesStatic-dissipative — the reason the grade exists; Polymaker's insulating nylon composites sit above 10¹² ohm by contrast[1][11]Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an insulator (IEC 60093)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19]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[19]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[19]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[19]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[19]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[14]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[8]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[8]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[8]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[20]Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane, chloroform — dissolve polysulfone; ketones and esters attack it as well.[21][22]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[20]Acetone, MEK, ethyl acetate, benzene and toluene craze or stress-crack it; methanol and isopropanol only marginally.[22][21]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[20]Dichloromethane cement welds PSU and NMP softens residual resin. Both are laboratory reagents.[21]

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 PSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  6. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  7. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  8. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. THERMAX PSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  12. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. TECASON S natural (PSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  14. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  15. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  17. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  18. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. 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
  20. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds