3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA11 vs PETG-GF

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

PA11 (Nylon 11) guideGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA11 comparisonsMore PETG-GF comparisons
PA11 vs PETG-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA11 (Nylon 11)PAGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$27.38/kg median; $18.99–$29.99/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[1][2]Glass-fibre reinforced polyester. Polymaker's Fiberon PET-GF15 uses a PET rather than a PETG matrix and carries 15 wt% glass fibre[3]
Densityg/cm³1.02 (ISO 1183)[1]1.43 (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg spools cluster near 25[4][5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented19–30 across brands; ELEGOO 19, Polymaker Fiberon 30[4][5]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[2]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5]
Typical applicationsTough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[2]Stiff, dimensionally stable fixtures; the Fiberon grade is designed to be annealed for heat resistance[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C275 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C100 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[1]Not documented
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[6][7]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[6][7]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[7]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][8]Not documented
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[8]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[8]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[9]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[10]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[11]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[11]
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]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[6]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[12]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[9]
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[12][13]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[9]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[9]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[9][7]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[1]59.9 ± 0.8 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[1]4144 ± 133 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Elongation at break%5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[1]4.0 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented104.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[1]3705 ± 85 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[1]8.7 ± 0.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.0 printed XY (Fiberon PET-GF15, 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]48.2 ± 0.3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 4.0 % in XY and 2.6 % in Z[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 GF-grade creep test; the CF grades sagged to 14.8–16.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg against 17.1–20.4 mm unfilled[14][15][16]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[8]Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 4.0 % in XY against 5.2–9.3 % unfilled[3][17]
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]80 (Fiberon PET-GF15, printed Z against XY tensile)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]81.6 as printed, 133.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]71.8 as printed, 87.3 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented59.5 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented231.6 melting (DSC); Vicat 232.6 (ISO 306)[3]
Annealing responseNot documentedAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 81.6 to 133.7 °C[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented20 along the print bead and 63–74 in the build direction at 30 °C (30 wt% GF, large-format printed, TMA)[18]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 HB at 1.5 mm (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[7]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[12]Not documented
Food contactNot documentedNot certified for food contact 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 (Fiberon PET-GF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19]
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[19]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[19]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[19]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19]Open a window / occasional ventilation[19]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedGlass fibre 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[11]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[11]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[11]
Support material pairingNot documentedPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[11]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[20][21]No common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[22][23]
Softened or crazed byMineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[20]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[20]Dichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[23]

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 PET-GF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  7. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  8. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  11. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  14. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  15. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  16. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  18. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  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. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc