3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs PLA-CF

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

Glass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guideCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore PLA-CF comparisons
PA12-GF vs PLA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PACarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[1]PLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[4][3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 46–140; the middle of the market is about 88[6][7][8]1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[9][10][5][11][12]
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[6][7][8]19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[10][9][5][13][11][14][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][10][5][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[6][8]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[13][5][15]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][16]Stiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[4][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[9]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[17]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[4][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[18][17]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[4][19][3][20]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[18]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[17]Slight[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[17]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[19][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[19]
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[21]Hardened steel required[19][3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[21]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[19][22]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[23]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[18]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[18]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[22][19]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[19][3]
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[24][25]Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h[4][3]
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[16][26]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[23]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[23]Not documented
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[21][26]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Young's modulusMPa7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Elongation at break%4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[1][25]8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Flexural strengthMPa94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[4][3]
Flexural modulusMPa7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[4][3][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[4][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[4][3]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[3][4]
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[27]71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[28]
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[27][17]Poor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[29][30][28]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[27]Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[31][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[4][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented62–63 (DSC)[4][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[4][3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[29][30][28]
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[27]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[21]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[17]Degrades within weeks outdoors[32]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[17]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[16]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[17]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[17]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[17]Not documented
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[33]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[33]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[33]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[33]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[33]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[33]None needed in a normal room[33]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[18]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[18]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[18]Not documented
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[4][3][34][35]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[36]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[37]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[36]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[37][38]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[36]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[39][38]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  3. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D GF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower Glass Fiber product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  22. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  25. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  26. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  27. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  33. 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
  34. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  35. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  37. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  38. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  39. 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