3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA11 vs PLA HS

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

PA11 (Nylon 11) guideHigh-Speed PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA11 comparisonsMore PLA HS comparisons
PA11 vs PLA HS — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA11 (Nylon 11)PAHigh-Speed PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[1][2]PLA with rheology and crystallisation tuned for high volumetric flow; melt index 15.4 g/10 min vs 7–11 for standard PLA[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.02 (ISO 1183)[1]1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documentedMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[5][6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[8][9][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]Stocked by most mainstream brands[11][7][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[2]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[5][7]
Typical applicationsTough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[2]Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[13][11]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[14]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C275 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[3][11]
Bed temperature°C100 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][15]
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[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPA nylon sheet (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented≈24 at 300 mm/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer; 30 % more flow than regular PLA at the same temperature[3][11][13][16]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][18]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[11][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[18]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[18]Non-abrasive[20][19]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[21]Very low[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[22]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[17]
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][21]Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[1]0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3][15]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[23]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[21]
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[23][24]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[21]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[21]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[15][17]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[1]43.9 at 300 mm/s and 46.0 at 46.7 mm/s (printed XY, ISO 527); 58.6 on My Tech Fun bars for Creality Hyper PLA[3][25]
Young's modulusMPa1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[1]2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[1]15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[1]2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[1]5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedPrinting at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[1]32.4 at 300 mm/s, 37.3 at classic speed (printed Z, ISO 527); 35.3 for Creality Hyper PLA vs 23.0 for average PLA on identical bars[3][25]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[1]78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[26]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[25]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[18]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[27][22]
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]74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented59 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[25]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[28]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[15][4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[22][29]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[23]Good — insoluble in water[15]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[22]
Biodegradability / compostabilityBio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[2]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[30][22]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[30]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[31]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[31]
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[31]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[31]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[31]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[31]None needed in a normal room[31]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[29][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[22][32]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[33][34]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[35]
Softened or crazed byMineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[33]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[35][36]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[33]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[37][36]

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. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  14. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  25. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  28. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  29. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  30. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  31. 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
  32. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  33. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  36. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  37. 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