3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-CF vs PLA

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

Carbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF) guidePLA (standard) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-CF comparisonsMore PLA comparisons
PA12-CF vs PLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF)PAPLA (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$109.98/kg median; $52.00–$180.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 10 wt%[1][2]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 1.16 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[3][5][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 52–180; the middle of the market is about 110[6][7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg52–180 across brands; IEMAI 3D 52, YXPOLYER 80 at 500 g, Polymaker Fiberon 140, 3DXTech CarbonX 180[6][7][12][8]10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[13][14][15][16]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[17][18]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[9][19][20][15][21]
Typical applicationsStiff parts that must stay dimensionally stable in changing humidity — Polymaker sells this grade specifically on low moisture sensitivity[22][1]Concept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[23]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[3][9][24]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[25]190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[3][5][4]
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[25]25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[3][5][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[26][1]Open frame is fine[5][17]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[3][18]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[27][26]Smooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][28][18]
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[25][29]12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[29]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[30][17]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[27]Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[5][4][18]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[26]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][18][31]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[26]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[17][18]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[17]
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[17]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA12-CF10[1]Non-abrasive[30][17]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[32]Very low[17][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[27]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[28][33]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[27]Any standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[17]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[30][17]
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][34]Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[4][5][35]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%1.5 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker Fiberon PA12-CF10)[1]0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][5]
Drying temperature & time80–100 °C; storage below 20 % RH[32][1]50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[5][4][33]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[32]
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][22]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[32]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[32]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][18]
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[36][37]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][38]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][39][40]
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][38]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][5][4]
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]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][4][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][38]76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][41]
Flexural modulusMPa7900 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178)[2]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][41]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²9.9 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 10.2 ± 0.8 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[5][4]
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)[38]Charpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[3][4]
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][38]17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][40]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[28][30]
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[42]81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[3][43]
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[44][1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[45][46]
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[44]Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[47][28]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[30]
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][38]77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][4][40]
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][38]55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3][5][4]
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][38]54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3][5][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC, Polymaker Fiberon)[1]55–61 (DSC)[3][5][4]
Melting point / Vicat°C171 melting (DSC); Vicat 170.2 (ISO 306)[1]145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[23][5][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[30][40]
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][48]
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)[25][38]96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[49]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[36]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[26]Degrades within weeks outdoors[28][23]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[23][28]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[26]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[5][28]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; the most humidity-stable nylon composite here[22][1]Good — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[4][50]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[26]Base resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[28][50]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[26]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[50][28][4]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[26]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[50]
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[51]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[51]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[51]4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[51]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[51]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[51]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[51]Lactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[51]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[51]None needed in a normal room[51]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[36]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[27]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[23][28]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[27]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[28][24]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[27]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[28]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5][4]
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[22]Good — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[30][4][18]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[52]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[53]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[52]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[53][54]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[52]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[55][54]

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. 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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D CF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER PA12 CF 500 g — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  24. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  26. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  35. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  36. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  37. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  38. FDM Nylon 12CF — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2025-09 · tds
  39. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  40. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  42. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  43. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  44. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  45. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  46. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  47. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  48. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  49. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  50. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  51. 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
  52. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  53. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  54. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  55. 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