3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-CF vs PLA Silk

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

Carbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF) guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-CF comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PA12-CF vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF)PASilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$109.98/kg median; $52.00–$180.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 10 wt%[1][2]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 1.16 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 52–180; the middle of the market is about 110[4][5][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg52–180 across brands; IEMAI 3D 52, YXPOLYER 80 at 500 g, Polymaker Fiberon 140, 3DXTech CarbonX 180[4][5][10][6]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[11][12][13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][11][16]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[4][5]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[17][18]
Typical applicationsStiff parts that must stay dimensionally stable in changing humidity — Polymaker sells this grade specifically on low moisture sensitivity[19][1]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[20]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[21]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[21]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[22][1]Open frame is fine[3][23]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[24][22]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[3]
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[21][25]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[24]Sticks to anything[26]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[22]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[22]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[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[23]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA12-CF10[1]Non-abrasive[27][23]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[28]Very low[23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[24]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[29]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[24]No special hot-end required[26]
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 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%1.5 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker Fiberon PA12-CF10)[1]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time80–100 °C; storage below 20 % RH[28][1]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][31]
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][19]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[32][26]
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[33][34]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][35]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][36]
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][35]2130 (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]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][32]
Flexural strengthMPa90 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178). Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF spans 152-200 printed XZ against 61-73 in ZX (ASTM D790)[2][35]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa7900 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178)[2]2460 (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]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[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)[35]Not documented
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][35]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[3][36][37]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[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[38]Not documented
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[39][1]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[40][41]
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[39]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[42][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][35]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[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][35]60 (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][35]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC, Polymaker Fiberon)[1]57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C171 melting (DSC); Vicat 170.2 (ISO 306)[1]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[37]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
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)[21][35]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[33]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[32][43]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[22]Degrades within weeks outdoors[29][44]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[22]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[43][29]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; the most humidity-stable nylon composite here[19][1]Good — insoluble in water[32]
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[45][29]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[22]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[45]
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[46]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[46]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[46]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[46]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[46]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[46]None needed in a normal room[46]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[33]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[24]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[44][29]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[24]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[29][47]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[24]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[29]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[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[19]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[48]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[49]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[48]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[49][50]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[48]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[51][50]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. IEMAI 3D CF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PA12 CF 500 g — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  22. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 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. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  34. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  35. FDM Nylon 12CF — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2025-09 · tds
  36. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  37. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  39. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  40. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  43. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  44. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  45. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  46. 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
  47. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  48. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  49. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  50. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  51. 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