3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs PC-ABS

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

Glass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guidePC/ABS blend guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore PC-ABS comparisons
PA12-GF vs PC-ABS — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PAPC/ABS blendPC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[1]Polycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[2][3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 46–140; the middle of the market is about 88[5][6][7]1 kg spools cluster near 50[8][5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg46–140 across brands; IEMAI 3D 46, 3DXTech 131 at 750 g and 130 at 2 kg, PrimaCreator NylonPower Glass Fiber 140 at 500 g[5][6][7]35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[8][5][9][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[8][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[5][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[8][5]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][11]Automotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented250–270 (Polymaker)[2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented90–105 (Polymaker)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[12]Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[2]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented90–100 (Polymaker)[2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedOff (Polymaker)[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[13][12]PEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[14]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented20 at Polymaker's 250 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][15]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[2][16]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14][17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[12]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][16]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — no nozzle-life figure is published for a PA12-GF30 grade; Polymaker measures about 9 h of brass nozzle life on its comparable fibre-filled nylons[18]Brass fine indefinitely[16]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[18]Non-abrasive[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry of 4 h or more[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[13]Slightly sensitive[14]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[13]All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[14]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — the PA12 matrix takes up far less than PA6, on the evidence of Polymaker's 1.5 % for PA12-CF10 against 3.33 % for PA6-GF25[21][22]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h or more pre-dry[23][24][20]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[2]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker's PA12 grades change little between wet and dry, unlike PA6; the CoPA dry-to-wet blocks show the PA6-type response[11][25]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[17][19]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[19]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[17]
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[18][25]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]39.9 ± 1.0 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 60 at break for its FR PC/ABS[2][3]
Young's modulusMPa7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[2][3]
Elongation at break%4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[1][22]4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[2][3]
Flexural modulusMPa7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[2][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedNotched Charpy still 13 ± 2 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA), against 1.5 in Z. Stratasys prints Izod notched at 241 J/m XZ against 34.0 J/m ZX, and unnotched 655 against 101 J/m (ASTM D256, F900 T16).[2][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented25.9-30.2 at break printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the F900 and Fortus 450mc); 22.9 +/- 1.2 printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[2][4]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a glass-fibre PA12 filament[26]Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a PC/ABS filament[27]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance for extruded PA66-GF30 stock, and the PA12 matrix absorbs far less water than PA6, so a PA12-GF part holds load better in a humid environment[26][12]Good. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC/ABS was still running unbroken at 30 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window at 39-47 MPa (ASTM D638)[28]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[26]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented75-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638) against 57 (Polymaker, printed Z against XY tensile)[2][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented112 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 117.9 in XY and 126.1 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi), against 125.0 moulded[2][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented106 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 107.5 in XY and 112.0 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi), against 102.9 moulded[2][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[2][3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[24]
Annealing responseNot documented90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[2]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K48.6 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D696; source states 2.7e-5 in/in/°F) — no figure is published for a glass-fibre PA12 filament[26]59.9 over -50 to 35 °C and 73.0 over -50 to 95 °C (printed XY, ASTM E831)[4]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[18]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[12]Degrades within weeks outdoors[17]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12]Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[17]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[11]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[12]Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[17]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]Not biodegradable[17]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[12]Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[17]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[29]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[29]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[29]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[29]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[29]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[29]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[29]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[29][16]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[13]Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[14]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[13]Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[14]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[13]Acetone attacks the ABS phase, so surface smoothing is partial rather than full[2]
Support material pairingNot documentedPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[14]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[30]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[31][32]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[30]Petrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[31][32]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[30]Acetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[2][33]

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. FibreX PA12-GF30 Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Polymaker PC-ABS Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. IEMAI 3D GF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower Glass Fiber product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Reli3D PC-ABS Filament, Black, 1000 g spool Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. SUNLU PC-ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  22. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  23. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  25. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  26. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  29. 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
  30. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  32. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds