3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA11 vs PETG-ESD

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

PA11 (Nylon 11) guideESD-safe PETG guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA11 comparisonsMore PETG-ESD comparisons
PA11 vs PETG-ESD — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA11 (Nylon 11)PAESD-safe PETGPETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$102.99/kg median; $65.98–$140.00/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]PETG compounded with a conductive filler to bring surface resistivity into the static-dissipative range[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.02 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24 (Fiberon) and 1.28 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools span 66–140; the middle of the market is about 103[5][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented66–140 across brands; Fiberon PETG-ESD 66, 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG 140[5][6]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[2]1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[5][6]
Typical applicationsTough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[2]Electronics fixtures, trays and jigs handled around static-sensitive components[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C275 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]250–290 (Fiberon)[3]
Bed temperature°C100 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]70–80 (Fiberon); 70 (3DXTech)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine — Fiberon specifies room-temperature chamber[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C55 ± 5 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPA nylon sheet (Prusament)[1]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[7][8]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documentedFiberon rates the material to 500 mm/s, equivalent to 40 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — a machine-limited headline rather than a measured melt rate[3][9]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[7][8]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[8]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][10]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; resistivity depends on getting the nozzle temperature right[3]
Extruder requirementPrusa printed its test specimens with a high-flow CHT nozzle[1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[10]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[10]Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[11]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-PETG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[12]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[13]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[13]
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][11]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 65 °C, 4 h pre-dry[7][12]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[1]0.41 equilibrium water absorption (Fiberon PETG-ESD)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented65 °C for 3 h (Fiberon)[3]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[14]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[11]
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[14][15]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[11]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[11]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[11][8]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[1]36.1 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 50 at break[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[1]1983 ± 75 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[3]
Elongation at break%5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[1]7.3 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 13 at break[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented54.0 ± 2.5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[1]1651 ± 141 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[1]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 29.3 ± 2.2 printed XY (Fiberon, 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]20.7 ± 0.6 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[1]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedBelow average — no ESD-grade creep test; unfilled PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[16][17][18][19]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[10]Moderate — no ESD-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[20]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[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]57 (Fiberon, printed Z against XY tensile)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]76 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Fiberon)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]72 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Fiberon)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented77 (Fiberon) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 86 (Fiberon, ISO 306)[3]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[21]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[8]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[14]Not documented
Food contactNot documentedNot certified for food contact as filament[8]
Biodegradability / compostabilityBio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[2]Not biodegradable[8]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[8]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistivity falls with nozzle temperature: 7.0×10⁶–1.6×10⁷ ohm at 250 °C, 3.2×10⁵–4.7×10⁵ at 270 °C and below 1×10⁴ at 290 °C (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq[3][4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[22]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[22]
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[22]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[22]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[22]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[22]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[13]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[13]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[13]
Support material pairingNot documentedPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[13]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedNozzle temperature has to be held steady — it moves surface resistivity by three orders of magnitude[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[23][24]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[25][26]
Softened or crazed byMineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[23]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[23]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[26]

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. Fiberon PETG-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  8. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  21. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  22. 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
  23. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc