3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-CF vs PLA HS

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

Carbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF) guideHigh-Speed PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-CF comparisonsMore PLA HS comparisons
PA12-CF vs PLA HS — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF)PAHigh-Speed PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$109.98/kg median; $52.00–$180.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 10 wt%[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/cm³1.06 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 1.16 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 52–180; the middle of the market is about 110[5][6][7]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg52–180 across brands; IEMAI 3D 52, YXPOLYER 80 at 500 g, Polymaker Fiberon 140, 3DXTech CarbonX 180[5][6][11][7]11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[12][13][14]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[15][10][16]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[5][6]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[8][10]
Typical applicationsStiff parts that must stay dimensionally stable in changing humidity — Polymaker sells this grade specifically on low moisture sensitivity[17][1]Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[18][15]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[19]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[20]210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[3][15]
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[20]30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][21]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[22][1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[23][22]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s12 at Extrudr's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[20][24]≈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][15][18][24]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[23]Sticks to anything[25]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[22]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[22]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[15][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA12-CF10 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1]Brass fine indefinitely[26]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA12-CF10[1]Non-abrasive[27][26]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[28]Very low[26]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[23]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[29]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[23]No special hot-end required[25]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — 1.5 % equilibrium, the lowest of Polymaker's nylon composites and less than half its PA6-GF25[1][30]Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%1.5 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker Fiberon PA12-CF10)[1]0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[3]
Drying temperature & time80–100 °C; storage below 20 % RH[28][1]55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3][21]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[28]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker'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][17]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[28]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[28]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[21][25]
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker 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[31][32]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa77.4 ± 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][33]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][34]
Young's modulusMPa3311 ± 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][33]2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
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]15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa90 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178). Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF spans 152-200 printed XZ against 61-73 in ZX (ASTM D790)[2][33]71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa7900 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178)[2]2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²9.9 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 10.2 ± 0.8 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[3]
Other impact dataIzod notched 102-138 J/m printed XZ against 22.4-45.5 J/m in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF, ASTM D256)[33]Printing at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa52.2 ± 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][33]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][34]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PA12 filament[35]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[36]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. 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[37][1]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[34]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. 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[37]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[38][29]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
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][33]74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C131 (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][33]53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C105 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Polymaker Fiberon). Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF gives 130 printed XY and 154 ZX (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[1][33]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC, Polymaker Fiberon)[1]59 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C171 melting (DSC); Vicat 170.2 (ISO 306)[1]164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[34]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KStratasys 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)[20][33]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[39]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[31]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[21][4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[22]Degrades within weeks outdoors[29][40]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[22]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; the most humidity-stable nylon composite here[17][1]Good — insoluble in water[21]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[22]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[29]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[22]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[41][29]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[22]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[41]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[42]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[42]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[42]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[42]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[42]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[42]None needed in a normal room[42]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[31]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[23]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[40][29]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[23]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[29][43]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[23]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[29]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailPolymaker's own conditioning test found PA12-CF10 was the only nylon that did not grow past its original size after moisture conditioning[17]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[44]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[45]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[44]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[45][46]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[44]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[47][46]

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. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  2. CarbonX CF PA12 Technical Data Sheet v1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D CF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. YXPOLYER PA12 CF 500 g — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  19. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  31. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  32. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. FDM Nylon 12CF — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2025-09 · tds
  34. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  39. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  40. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  41. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  42. 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
  43. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  45. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  46. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  47. 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