3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA11 vs rPLA

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

PA11 (Nylon 11) guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA11 comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
PA11 vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA11 (Nylon 11)PARecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[1][2]PLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.02 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg spools run 20–22[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[9][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]Available from several mainstream brands[4][5][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[11][9][4]
Typical applicationsTough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[2]General-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[4][5]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[4][3][12]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C275 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[3][5]
Bed temperature°C100 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[3][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[3][13]
Recommended chamber temperature°C55 ± 5 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documented100 %[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPA nylon sheet (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone — brim not generally needed[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[14]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][15]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3][13]
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[15]Brass fine indefinitely[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[15]Non-abrasive[16][13]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[17]Very low[13]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[18]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[14]
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][17]Moderate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[3][12]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[1]0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[19]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[17]
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[19][20]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[17]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[17]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[21][14]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38.3 ± 0.8 printed horizontal and 39.5 ± 0.5 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1[1]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[3][12]
Young's modulusMPa1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[1]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[3][12]
Elongation at break%5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[1]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[3][12]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[3][12]
Flexural modulusMPa1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[1]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[3][12]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[1]Not documented
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[3][12]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[1]21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[3][12]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[18][16]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[1]80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[3][12]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22][23]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[15]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[24][18]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[1]Rigid[16]
Z strength as % of XY%84 — Prusa publishes a tensile anisotropy coefficient of 0.84, the ratio of Z to XY tensile strength[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[3][12]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[3][12]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[25]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[21][26]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[18][27]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[26][18]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[19]Good — insoluble in water[21]
Food contactNot documentedFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[5][18]
Biodegradability / compostabilityBio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[2]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[5]
RecyclabilityNot documentedThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[5][10]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[28]
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[28]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[28]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[28]Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[4]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28]None needed in a normal room[28]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[27][18]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[4]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[18]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[29][30]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[31]
Softened or crazed byMineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[29]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[31][32]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[29]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[33][32]

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. Prusament PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  4. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  13. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  26. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  27. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  28. 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
  29. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  32. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  33. 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