3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA11 vs PLA

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

PA11 (Nylon 11) guidePLA (standard) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA11 comparisonsMore PLA comparisons
PA11 vs PLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA11 (Nylon 11)PAPLA (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$194.98/kg median; $194.98–$194.98/kg across 1 dated product listings$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 11, polymerised from castor-oil-derived aminoundecanoic acid — a bio-based nylon[1][2]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.02 (ISO 1183)[1]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[3][5][4]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documentedMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[9][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[13][14]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[6][15][16][11][17]
Typical applicationsTough, chemically resistant functional parts; Prusa targets it at impact-loaded and vibration-loaded components[2]Concept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[18]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[3][6][19]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C275 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[3][5][4]
Bed temperature°C100 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[3][5][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Prusament specifies a 55 ± 5 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[5][13]
Recommended chamber temperature°C55 ± 5 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[3][14]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPA nylon sheet (Prusament)[1]Smooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][20][14]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[21]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[22][13]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[5][4][14]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][14][23]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][24]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[13][14]
Extruder requirementPrusa printed its test specimens with a high-flow CHT nozzle[1]Any extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[24]Brass fine indefinitely[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[24]Non-abrasive[22][13]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[25]Very low[13][14]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[20][26]
Hotend requirementNot documentedAny standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[13]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[22][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][25]Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[4][5][27]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.26 after 24 h and 0.46 after 7 days (Prusa Polymers method)[1]0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[5][4][26]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[28]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]
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[28][29]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[25]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[25]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][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]35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[3][5][4][30][31]
Young's modulusMPa1200 printed, both orientations, ISO 527-1[1]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][5][4]
Elongation at break%5.6 ± 0.1 at yield, printed, ISO 527-1[1]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][4][3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][32]
Flexural modulusMPa1100 printed horizontal and 1000 printed vertical, ISO 178[1]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][32]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12.9 ± 2.1 printed horizontal and 11.7 ± 1.2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched[1]3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[5][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[3][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32 ± 1 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — the highest interlayer figure Prusa publishes for any of its filaments[1]17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][31]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[20][22]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell70 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[1]81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[3][33]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[34][35]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[24]Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[36][20]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[1]Rigid[22]
Z strength as % of XY%84 — Prusa publishes a tensile anisotropy coefficient of 0.84, the ratio of Z to XY tensile strength[1]77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][4][31]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C58.7 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3][5][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C49.9 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3][5][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented55–61 (DSC)[3][5][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[18][5][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[22][31]
Annealing responseNot documentedBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[4][37]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[38]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[20][18]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[18][20]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[5][20]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[28]Good — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[4][39]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[20][39]
Biodegradability / compostabilityBio-based — the monomer comes from castor oil[2]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[39][20][4]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[39]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[40]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[40]
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[40]4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[40]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[40]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[40]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[40]Lactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[40]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[40]None needed in a normal room[40]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[18][20]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[20][19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[20]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[22][4][14]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[41][42]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[43]
Softened or crazed byMineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not (BASF, PA6/66).[41]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[43][44]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[41]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[45][44]

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 Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  6. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  19. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  28. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  31. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  37. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  39. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  40. 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
  41. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  42. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  43. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  44. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  45. 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