3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA12-CF vs PA6
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Carbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF)PA | PA6 (Nylon 6)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $109.98/kg median; $52.00–$180.00/kg across 4 dated product listings | $104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PA12 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 10 wt%[1][2] | Polyamide 6, ring-opened from caprolactam — the most hygroscopic of the common nylons[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.06 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 1.16 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2] | 1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 52–180; the middle of the market is about 110[6][7][8] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–136; the middle of the market is about 104, though budget unfilled PA6 has now arrived at 39[7][9] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 52–180 across brands; IEMAI 3D 52, YXPOLYER 80 at 500 g, Polymaker Fiberon 140, 3DXTech CarbonX 180[6][7][10][8] | 39–136 across brands; YXPOLYER 39, 3DXTech iOn Nylon 6 Alloy 104, WearX Nylon 6 136. Unfilled PA6 filament stays rare — most PA6 reaches the market glass- or carbon-filled[7][9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[6][7] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[6][7] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[7] |
| Typical applications | Stiff parts that must stay dimensionally stable in changing humidity — Polymaker sells this grade specifically on low moisture sensitivity[11][1] | Wear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[12] | 220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[3][13] |
| Bed temperature°C | 110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[12] | 70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[3][13] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[3][1] | Enclosure required (passive)[14][3] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | Part cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[13] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[13][3] | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[13][3] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 12 at Extrudr's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[12][15] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13] | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13][3] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[3] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[3] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; the filament must be kept dry throughout the print[3][16] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA12-CF10 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1] | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA12-CF10[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[16] | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet nylon pops and cracks in the melt[11][16] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[13] | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[13] |
| Hotend requirement | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[13] | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[13] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | High (0.8–2 %) — 1.5 % equilibrium, the lowest of Polymaker's nylon composites and less than half its PA6-GF25[1][17] | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker groups nylon with PVA as the most moisture-prone class, and its own PA6-based composites reach 2.35–3.33 % equilibrium[16][18] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 1.5 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker Fiberon PA12-CF10)[1] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | 80–100 °C; storage below 20 % RH[16][1] | 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[14][19] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then defects that Polymaker describes as very hard to diagnose[11] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker's own dry/wet blocks for PA12-CF10 change little: at 2.92 % moisture tensile falls 77.4 → 71.7 MPa and modulus 3311 → 3132 MPa, against a halving for its PA6 grades[1][11] | Measured dry against wet on printed specimens at 6.16 % moisture (Polymaker CoPA): tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa, Young's modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, flexural strength 109.8 → 22.6 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m² and elongation 12.7 → 13.2 %[14][11] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[16] | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[19][16] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Polymaker specifies an 80–100 °C dry and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the wet data it does publish is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[20][14] | Polymaker requires a 100 °C dry for 8 h and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the published wet data is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[14][19] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 77.4 ± 1.1 printed XY dry (Polymaker Fiberon), 71.7 ± 0.7 conditioned to 2.92 % moisture, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 72 at break. Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF spans 76.5-124 at break printed XZ across five machine and tip combinations (ASTM D638)[1][2][21] | 62 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned to 20 °C / 50 % RH gives 67.6 ultimate and 49.3 at yield printed XZ (ASTM D638)[5][22] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3311 ± 135 printed XY dry and 3132 ± 124 conditioned, ISO 527 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 8000. Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF spans 7910-15400 printed XZ against 2130-3000 in ZX (ASTM D638)[1][2][21] | 2110 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2232 printed XZ and 1817 ZX (ASTM D638)[5][22] |
| Elongation at break% | 4.2 ± 0.4 printed XY dry and 5.3 ± 0.3 conditioned, ISO 527 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2] | 9 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 38 printed XZ against 3.2 in ZX (ASTM D638)[5][22] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 90 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178). Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF spans 152-200 printed XZ against 61-73 in ZX (ASTM D790)[2][21] | 78 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 97.2 printed XZ and 82 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][22] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 7900 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178)[2] | 2200 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2196 printed XZ and 1879 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][22] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 9.9 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 10.2 ± 0.8 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[1] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Izod notched 102-138 J/m printed XZ against 22.4-45.5 J/m in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF, ASTM D256)[21] | Izod notched 106 J/m printed XZ against 43 J/m in ZX; unnotched 2873 against 192 J/m (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D256 Method A) — a 15x anisotropy unnotched[22] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 52.2 ± 0.8 printed Z dry (Polymaker Fiberon) — 67 % of XY, unusually isotropic for a filled nylon; 42.1 ± 1.8 conditioned. Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF gives 32.7-38.4 at break printed ZX (ASTM D638)[1][21] | 36.5 ultimate and 28.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D638)[22] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PA12 filament[23] | Shore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785); no figure is published for a PA6 filament[24] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 compound for sustained static and dynamic load at 110 °C continuous service; the PA12 matrix takes up 1.5 % equilibrium moisture against PA6's several per cent, so a PA12-CF part drifts less in service[25][1] | Moderate[3] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good. Stratasys sells unfilled FDM Nylon 12 specifically for repetitive-flex parts on the strength of its fatigue properties, and Ensinger reports improved fatigue strength for carbon-filled nylon compounds[25] | Excellent — living hinges viable[3] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Semi-flexible[11] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 31-50 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF, ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638, five machine and tip combinations) against 67 (Polymaker Fiberon PA12-CF10, printed Z against XY)[1][21] | 54 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned, ZX against XZ ultimate tensile, ASTM D638); 59 on the yield figures[22] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | 3DXTech sells a dedicated wear-resistant PA6 grade; abrasion resistance is the usual reason to choose PA6 over PA12[7] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 131 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Polymaker Fiberon). Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF gives 160 printed XY and 168 ZX, and 175 with unidirectional toolpaths (ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[1][21] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 105 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker Fiberon). Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF gives 130 printed XY and 154 ZX (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[1][21] | 93 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[22] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 55 (DSC, Polymaker Fiberon)[1] | 105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 171 melting (DSC); Vicat 170.2 (ISO 306)[1] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF gives 116 on XY-built and 37 on ZX-built specimens over -50 to 20 °C, rising to 181 (XY) and 46 (ZX) above the 37.5 °C glass transition (ASTM E831); Extrudr quotes 100 for DURAPRO PA12 CF (ISO 11359-2)[12][21] | 81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a PA6 filament, and PA6 and PA66 expand almost identically[24] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[20] | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[5] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[3] | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[3] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[3] | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis — the usual reason to choose a polyamide[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Good — minor absorption; the most humidity-stable nylon composite here[11][1] | Absorbs water, properties shift — a conditioned part is measurably softer and larger than the same part dry[11][14] |
| Food contact | Not food-contact certified as filament[3] | Polymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[3] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[3] | Not biodegradable[3] |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[3] | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[3] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[4] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[4] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[4] | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[4] |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[4] | ≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[4] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[4] | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[4] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[4] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[4] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[20] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[13] | Sands poorly — the toughness makes it gum rather than powder[13] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[13] | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[13] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[13] | No practical vapour smoothing[13] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | PVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[13] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Polymaker's own conditioning test found PA12-CF10 was the only nylon that did not grow past its original size after moisture conditioning[11] | Parts grow as they absorb moisture after printing; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[11] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[26] | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[26] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[26] | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[26] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[26] | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[26] |
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
- Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
- CarbonX CF PA12 Technical Data Sheet v1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- iOn PA6-based Nylon Alloy Technical Data Sheet v2.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D CF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PA6 Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PA12 CF 500 g — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- FDM Nylon 12CF — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2025-09 · tds
- FDM Nylon 6 — data sheet (conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH) Stratasys · 2017-11 · tds
- TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds