3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs PLA Glow

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

Glass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guideGlow-in-the-dark PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore PLA Glow comparisons
PA12-GF vs PLA Glow — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PAGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[1]PLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[2]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[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 25[8][9]
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]20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[10][8][9][11]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[5][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[12][4]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][13]Signage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[3][14][4]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[15]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[3][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[16][15]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[15]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[15]Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[14][9]
Extruder requirementNot documentedBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[14]
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[17]Hardened steel required[14][9][4]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[17]Highly abrasive — the phosphor is a hard ceramic; Bambu Lab groups glow with carbon fibre as the materials that wear nozzles and grind AMS PTFE, and both Bambu Lab and Polymaker require a hardened nozzle[14][4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[18]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[14]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[16]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[16]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[19][14]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[14][4]
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[20][21]Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[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[13][22]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[18]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[18]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[17][22]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[3][4]
Elongation at break%4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[1][21]8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[3][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[3][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]
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 glass-fibre PA12 filament[23]Not documented
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[23][15]Poor — no glow-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[24][25][26]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[23]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the glow filler leaves a brittle, highly abrasive compound[27][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented55 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[3][4]
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[23]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[17]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[15]Degrades within weeks outdoors[28]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[15]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[13]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[15]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[15]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[29]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[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]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[29]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[29]None needed in a normal room[29]
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[16]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[16]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[16]Not documented
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[14]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[30]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[31]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[30]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[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]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[33][32]

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 SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · 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. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  12. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  21. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  22. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  28. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  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. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  32. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  33. 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