3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs PVA

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

Glass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
PA12-GF vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PAPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[1]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 46–140; the middle of the market is about 88[4][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[4][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]42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[4][7][8][10][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][7][8][10][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[4][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[4][7]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][11]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[12]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedPart cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[13]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[14][12]PEI sheet or painter's tape[13]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14]Sticks to most surfaces[13]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[13]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[12]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[15][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[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[16]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[16]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[15]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[14]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[13]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[14]No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[13]
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[17][18]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[15]
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[11][19]Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[15]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[15]Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[15][3]
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[16][19]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[1][18]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Not documented
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[20]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[20][12]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[2]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[20]Poor — fails after a few cycles[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[2]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[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[20]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[16]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[12]Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[3]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12]Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[3][13]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[11]Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[3][2]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[12]Not offered as a food-contact material[2]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[13]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[12]Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[13]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[21]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[21]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[21]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[21]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[21]Open a window / occasional ventilation[21]
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[14]Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[13]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[14]Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[13]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[14]Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[3]
Support material pairingNot documentedThis is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[22]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[23][24]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[22]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[22]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[23]

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. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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 product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  17. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  18. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  19. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  20. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. 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
  22. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  23. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  24. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds