3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-CF vs PVB

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

Carbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-CF comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PA12-CF vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PA12 (PA12-CF)PAPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$109.98/kg median; $52.00–$180.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 10 wt%[1][2]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 1.16 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 52–180; the middle of the market is about 110[5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[5][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg52–180 across brands; IEMAI 3D 52, YXPOLYER 80 at 500 g, Polymaker Fiberon 140, 3DXTech CarbonX 180[5][6][9][7]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[5][8]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[5][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[5][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5][8]
Typical applicationsStiff parts that must stay dimensionally stable in changing humidity — Polymaker sells this grade specifically on low moisture sensitivity[10][1]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[11]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12 CF)[11]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[12][1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[13][12]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]
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[11][14]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[12]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[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[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA12-CF10[1]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[16][15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[13]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[13]Not documented
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][17]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%1.5 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker Fiberon PA12-CF10)[1]2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[3][18][4]
Drying temperature & time80–100 °C; storage below 20 % RH[15][1]Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]
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][10]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][15]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[15]Sealed with desiccant[15]
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[19][20]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][21]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[3][18][4]
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][21]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][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]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[18]
Flexural strengthMPa90 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178). Stratasys FDM Nylon 12CF spans 152-200 printed XZ against 61-73 in ZX (ASTM D790)[2][21]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa7900 (printed XY, 3DXTech, ISO 178)[2]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[18][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²9.9 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 10.2 ± 0.8 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[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)[21]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[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][21]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[18][4]
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[22]Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
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[23][1]Not documented
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[23]Not documented
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][21]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4]
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][21]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][18][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][21]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][18][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC, Polymaker Fiberon)[1]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][18]
Melting point / Vicat°C171 melting (DSC); Vicat 170.2 (ISO 306)[1]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][18]
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)[11][21]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[19]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[12]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; the most humidity-stable nylon composite here[10][1]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[12]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[12]Not documented
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[24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[24]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[24]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[24]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[24]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24]Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[19]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[13]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[13]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[13]Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[25]
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[10]PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[18]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[26]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[16]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[26]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[26]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[27][16]

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. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · 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. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER PA12 CF 500 g — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  12. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  17. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  18. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  19. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  20. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. FDM Nylon 12CF — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2025-09 · tds
  22. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. 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
  25. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  26. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc