3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs PLA Matte

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

Glass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guideMatte PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore PLA Matte comparisons
PA12-GF vs PLA Matte — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PAMatte PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[1]PLA compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]1.31 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183) to 1.38 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral, method not stated) — above plain PLA from the filler[3][2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 46–140; the middle of the market is about 88[4][5][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[7][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[4][5][6]11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[10][8][11]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][9][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[4][6]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[7][12]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][13]Display models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[14]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230 (Bambu Lab); 190–210 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral)[3][2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 60 (Fiberlogy)[3][2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[15]Open frame is fine[3][2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on; Fiberlogy specifies 75–100 %[3][2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[16][15]Cool plate, high-temperature plate or textured PEI with glue (Bambu Lab); smooth PEI, textured PEI or glass (Fiberlogy)[3][2]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16]Sticks to anything[17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[15]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[15]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3][2]
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[19][3][2]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[18]Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[2][3][20]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[21]Very low[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[16]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[22]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[16]No special hot-end required[17]
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[23][24]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented50 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 60–70 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed; Fiberlogy specifies 50 °C for 6 h[3][2][25]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[21]
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][26]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[21]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[21]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[20][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][26]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]30 (printed XY, ISO 527, Bambu Lab); 35.1 on My Tech Fun bars for PolyTerra PLA[3][27]
Young's modulusMPa7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[3][2]
Elongation at break%4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[1][24]14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[3][20]
Flexural modulusMPa7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented6.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 19.2[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 6.1 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars for PolyTerra PLA[27]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented22 (printed Z, ISO 527); flexural Z falls to 29 against 53 in XY; 12.9 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars[3][27]
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[28]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[28][15]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[28]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[29][22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented73 by tensile, 55 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented58 (Bambu Lab) and 48 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented61 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented163 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 63 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented54 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[27]
Annealing responseNot documented50–60 °C for 6–12 h; some prints deform or warp, and a forced-air oven is required[3]
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[28]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[18]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[20][30]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[15]Degrades within weeks outdoors[22][31]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[15]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[30][22]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[13]Good — insoluble in water[20]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[15]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[22]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[32][22]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[15]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[32]
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]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[16]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[31][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[16]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[22][34]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[16]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[35]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[36]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[35]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[36][37]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[35]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[38][37]

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. PLA Mineral — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. IEMAI 3D GF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower Glass Fiber product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Overture Matte PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Matte PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Matte PLA filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Fiberlogy PLA Mineral — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Extrudr PLA NX2 Matt — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  24. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  25. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  27. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  30. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  31. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  32. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  35. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  37. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  38. 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