3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs Breakaway

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

Glass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guideBreak-away support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore Breakaway comparisons
PA12-GF vs Breakaway — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PABreak-away supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[1]Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[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 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[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]26–80 across brands and grades; IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE 26, Polymaker PolySupport for PLA 40 at 750 g, YXPOLYER 45, PolySupport for PA12 80 at 500 g[7][8][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Available from several mainstream brands[7][4]
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[7]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][10]Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[11]Open frame is fine[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[12][11]Not documented
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[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[11]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[11]Easy — minor profile tuning[2]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer[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[13]Brass fine indefinitely[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[13]Non-abrasive[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[14]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Polymaker specifies a 55 °C dry for the PLA grade and warns brass nozzle life falls to about 9 h on the PA12 grade[2][3]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[12]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[12]Not documented
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[15][16]Moderate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[2]
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[10][17]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[14]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[14]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[13][17]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][16]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[18]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[18][11]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[18]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented43 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, PolySupport for PA12). Polymaker's sheet prints a higher figure at the higher load, which is physically inverted; treat both HDT numbers as approximate[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, PolySupport for PA12) — printed above the 0.45 MPa figure on Polymaker's own sheet, which cannot be right; treat both as approximate[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedVicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[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[18]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[13]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[11]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[11]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[10]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[11]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[11]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[11]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[19][20]
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[12]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[12]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[12]Not documented
Support material pairingNot documentedThis is the support material. Polymaker publishes an adhesion matrix per model material, from very good to unusable, because break-away supports only work against the polymer they were matched to[2][3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[22]None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[23]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[22]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[22]None — there is no solvent to weld or smooth with.[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. PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. PolySupport for PA12 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 Breakaway Support Filament 1 kg Black — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE breakaway support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  16. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  17. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  20. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 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. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor