3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs PLA+

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

Glass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guidePLA+ / Tough PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore PLA+ comparisons
PA12-GF vs PLA+ — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PAPLA+ / Tough PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/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 impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[2][3]
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 16[7][8]
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]10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[9][8][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][7][8][10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[4][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[10][11][9]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][13]Functional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[2][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[14]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[2][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[15]Open frame is fine[2][3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[2][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[16][15]Textured or smooth PEI; Bambu Lab recommends glue stick or liquid glue for Tough+[2][3]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16]Sticks to anything[17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[15]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[2][17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[15]Easy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[2][3]
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]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[18]Non-abrasive[20][19]
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; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[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]Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[2][3]
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][25]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for the modified grades; the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a strength number[21]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[21]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[3][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]35–43 (printed XY, ISO 527); 53 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars for Bambu Lab Tough[2][3][26][27]
Young's modulusMPa7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[2][3][28][29]
Elongation at break%4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[1][24]5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[2][3][30][29]
Flexural modulusMPa7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2140–2393 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented38.9–72.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched) — 5–9× plain PLA[2][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 80.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab Tough+); CNC Kitchen measured ~20 vs 5 kJ/m² for PolyLite PLA[3][26]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented20.9–32.4 printed Z (ISO 527); 33.0 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars vs 27.6 for PLA Basic[2][3][27]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2][3][26]
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[31]78.8 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[32]
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[31][15]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 20.2 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, the same as plain PLA[27][33]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[31]Below average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[34][3][26]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[2][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (PolyMax) to 61 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (PolyMax) to 58 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented61 (DSC)[2][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented149–151 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 62 (ISO 306)[2][3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented48–57 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature: 48 for Polymaker PLA Pro, 50 for Sunlu PLA+, 52 for Bambu Lab Tough, 57 for PolyTerra PLA+[27][35][32][33]
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[31]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[36]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[18]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[3][2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[15]Degrades within weeks outdoors[22][37]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[15]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2][3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[13]Not documented
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[38][22]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[15]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[38]
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[39]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[39]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[39]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[39]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[39]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[39]None needed in a normal room[39]
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[37][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[16]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[22][40]
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 documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[41]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[42]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[41]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[42][43]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[41]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[44][43]

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. PolyMax PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Tough+ 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. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 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. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  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. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  26. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  27. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  29. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  35. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  37. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  38. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  39. 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
  40. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  41. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  42. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  43. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  44. 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