3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs PLA Silk

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

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PA12-GF vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PASilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[1]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[2]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]1.27 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 46–140; the middle of the market is about 88[3][4][5]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][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[3][4][5]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[9][10][11][12][13]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[3][4]Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][9][14]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[3][5]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[15][16]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][17]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[2]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[18]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[19]Open frame is fine[2][20]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[21][19]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[2]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[21]Sticks to anything[22]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[19]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[19]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[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[23]Brass fine indefinitely[20]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[23]Non-abrasive[24][20]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[25]Very low[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[21]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[26]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[21]No special hot-end required[22]
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[27][28]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[2][29]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]
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[17][30]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[25]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[25]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[31][22]
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[23][30]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[2][32]
Young's modulusMPa7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[1][28]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[2][31]
Flexural strengthMPa94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[2]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[2][32][33]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[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[34]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[34][19]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[35][36]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[34]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[37][26]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented57 (DSC)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[33]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[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[34]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[23]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[31][38]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[19]Degrades within weeks outdoors[26][39]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[19]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[38][26]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[17]Good — insoluble in water[31]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[19]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[26]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[40][26]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[19]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[40]
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[41]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[41]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[41]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[41]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[41]None needed in a normal room[41]
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[21]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[39][26]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[21]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[26][42]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[21]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[26]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[43]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[44]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[43]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[44][45]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[43]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[46][45]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. IEMAI 3D GF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower Glass Fiber product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  24. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  28. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  29. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  31. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  32. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  33. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  35. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  38. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  39. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  40. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  41. 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
  42. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  43. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  44. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  45. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  46. 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