3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA11 vs PLA-GF

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

PA11 (Nylon 11) guideGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA11 comparisonsMore PLA-GF comparisons
PA11 vs PLA-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA11 (Nylon 11)PAGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$44.99/kg median; $29.99–$59.99/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]PLA filled with chopped glass fibre — 12 wt% (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF), 15–20 wt% (eSUN PLA-GF). Bambu Lab PLA Galaxy uses glass microspheres, not fibre, and is not equivalent[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.02 (ISO 1183)[1]1.31 (eSUN) to 1.337 (Polymaker), ISO 1183 / GB/T 1033[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg spools cluster near 30[6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented30–60 across brands; Polymaker 30, Proto-pasta 60[6][7]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][7][4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[2]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[7][8]
Typical applicationsTough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[2]Stiff brackets and fixtures; the Polymaker grade is aimed at parts annealed for heat resistance[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C275 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]210–230 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Bed temperature°C100 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]25–60 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C55 ± 5 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on — eSUN specifies 100 %[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPA nylon sheet (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented28 at Polymaker's stated 350 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; eSUN prints its specimens at 60 mm/s[3][4][9]
Shrinkage%Not documented0.05 in X-Y and Z, 0.10 diagonal (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][10]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[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]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[11]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[12]
Hotend requirementNot documentedHardened steel or ruby nozzle; Polymaker's own slicer preset sets a minimum nozzle hardness of 40 HRC[3]
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 — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[13][14]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[1]Not documented
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60 °C for 6 h (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[15]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[15][16]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[11]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[11]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[1]50.1 as printed and 50.2 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 59.3 by GB/T 1040[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[1]3794 as printed, 4207 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[3]
Elongation at break%5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[1]2.77 as printed, 2.3 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 7.99[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented86.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[1]3685 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 4415 flexural modulus by GB/T 9341[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[1]5.31 ± 0.46 as printed and 4.92 ± 0.50 annealed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); Z 4.28 ± 0.18[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 10.16 kJ/m² (eSUN, GB/T 1843)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[1]23.7 as printed, 22.5 annealed, printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Very brittle — elongation at break 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[1]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — no GF-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[17][18][19]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[10]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation at break falls to 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[20][3]
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]47 as printed (23.7 Z against 50.1 XY), printed[3]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedeSUN describes high wear resistance and positions the grade for wear parts[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]75.5 as printed, 114.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the point of the material[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]59.7 as printed, 84 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented59.8 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented174.9 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 148.9 as printed, 148.3 annealed[3]
Annealing responseNot documentedAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 75.5 to 114.7 °C and modulus from 3794 to 4207 MPa[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[21]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[15]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityBio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[22]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[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]None needed in a normal room[22]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[23]
Post-Processing
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedNear-zero shrinkage — 0.05 % in X-Y and Z (Polymaker)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[24][25]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[26]
Softened or crazed byMineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[24]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[26][27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[24]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[28][27]

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. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. eSUN ePLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.0 (Nov 2023) eSUN (copy hosted on 3d.nice-cdn.com) · 2023-11 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Galaxy Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  14. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  15. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  17. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — 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. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  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. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  24. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  27. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper