3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA11 vs PAHT-CF

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

PA11 (Nylon 11) guideHigh-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA11 comparisonsMore PAHT-CF comparisons
PA11 vs PAHT-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA11 (Nylon 11)PAHigh-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$59.98/kg median; $49.99–$69.98/kg across 2 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[1][2]High-temperature carbon-fibre nylon. Bambu Lab's PAHT-CF and Polymaker's PA612-CF15 both use a long-chain polyamide matrix for lower moisture uptake than PA6[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.02 (ISO 1183)[1]1.03 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 1.06 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 60[3][5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented50–70 across brands; Bambu Lab 50, Polymaker Fiberon PA612-CF15 70[3][5]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]Available from several mainstream brands[3][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[2]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5][3]
Typical applicationsTough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[2]Under-bonnet and near-motor parts needing 170 °C-plus heat deflection with less humidity drift than PA6[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C275 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]260–290 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed temperature°C100 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[1]Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C55 ± 5 (Prusament)[1]45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPA nylon sheet (Prusament)[1]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[6][7]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][8]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds a specific surface plus adhesive[6]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[7]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][7]Expert / industrial hardware only[3][9]
Extruder requirementPrusa printed its test specimens with a high-flow CHT nozzle[1]0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[7]Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA612-CF15 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[7]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-CF15[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[9]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[9]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed[6]
Hotend requirementNot documentedMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[6]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — Prusa measures 0.46 % after 7 days at 22 % RH, but PA11 sits between PA12 and PA6 in the family[1][9]High (0.8–2 %) — 0.88 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH for Bambu Lab PAHT-CF, a third of its PA6-CF; Polymaker's PA612-CF15 reaches 2.2 % equilibrium[3][4][10]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[1]0.88 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab PAHT-CF); 2.2 equilibrium (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[3][4]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[3]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[11]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPrusa publishes no dry-versus-conditioned columns; the CoPA reference shows the PA-family response — stiffness and strength fall sharply, impact and elongation rise[11][12]Polymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA612-CF15 itself: at 2.57 % moisture tensile falls only 91.9 → 83.1 MPa and modulus 5137 → 3991 MPa — the PA612 backbone absorbs far less than PA6[4][11]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[9]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[9]
Hydrolysis at melt temperatureNot documentedPolymaker 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][12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[1]92 ± 7 (Bambu Lab) and 91.9 ± 2.0 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; the Polymaker grade only falls to 83.1 ± 2.2 conditioned to 2.57 % moisture[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[1]3860 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 5137 ± 192 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 3991 ± 137 conditioned[3][4]
Elongation at break%5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[1]2.6 ± 0.2 dry (Polymaker PA612-CF15) to 8.4 ± 1.8 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 4.1 ± 0.3 conditioned[3][4]
Flexural modulusMPa1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[1]4230 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[1]8.1 ± 0.8 printed XY dry and 7.7 ± 0.5 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 57.5 ± 3.4 and notched 22.8 ± 1.8 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[1]47 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 48.3 ± 3.9 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Polymaker 35.6 ± 3.0 conditioned[3][4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[1]Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre long-chain nylon filament[14]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedGood. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 compound for sustained static and dynamic load with 110 °C continuous service; the long-chain PA612 matrix takes up 0.88 % at saturation, a third of the same maker's PA6-CF, so it holds dimension better[15][4]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[7]Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[15]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%84 — Prusa publishes a tensile anisotropy coefficient of 0.84, the ratio of Z to XY tensile strength[1]51 (Bambu Lab) to 53 (Polymaker PA612-CF15), printed[3][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]175 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 194 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]114 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 170 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented70 (Bambu Lab, DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented210 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 225 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 206 (Polymaker)[3][4]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[13]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedMonths outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[7]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[7]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[11]Absorbs water, properties shift — less than PA6 but more than PA12[11][3]
Food contactNot documentedNot food-contact certified as filament[7]
Biodegradability / compostabilityBio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[2]Not biodegradable[7]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[7]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker PA612-CF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[16]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[16]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[16]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[16]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[16]≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[16]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[16]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[16]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[16]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[16]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[13]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands poorly — gums rather than powders[6]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[6]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[6]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[17][18]Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[17]
Softened or crazed byMineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[17]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[17]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[17]None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[17]

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. Prusament PA11 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2026-07 · tds
  2. Prusament PA11 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PAHT-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  7. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  8. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  11. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  13. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  14. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  15. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  16. 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
  17. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds