3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA12 vs PA6-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PA12 (Nylon 12)PA | Carbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $64.33/kg median; $36.00–$170.67/kg across 3 dated product listings | $62.48/kg median; $39.00–$133.32/kg across 6 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyamide 12 — the longest-chain common nylon, with the fewest amide groups per unit mass and so the least moisture uptake[1][2] | PA6 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 20 wt%[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.01 specific gravity (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D792)[5] | 1.09 (Bambu Lab), 1.17 (Polymaker Fiberon and 3DXTech), ISO 1183[4][3][6] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 36–171; the middle of the market is about 64[7][8] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–133; the middle of the market is about 80[4][9][10][11] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 36–171 across brands; IEMAI 3D 36, Fiberlogy 64 at 3DJake, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 12 171[7][12][8] | 39–133 across brands; IEMAI 3D 39, Bambu Lab 43, YXPOLYER 45, Polymaker Fiberon 80, 3DXTech CarbonX 83, Obsidian 133[4][9][13][12][10][11] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[7][12] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][9][12][13][10][11] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[12][7] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 kg spools[9][12][4] |
| Typical applications | Dimensionally stable functional parts, ducting and living hinges where PA6 would move too much with humidity[1][14] | Load-bearing brackets, tooling and drone frames that must hold strength above 150 °C[4][3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[15] | 260–290 (Bambu Lab); 280–300 (Polymaker Fiberon)[4][3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[15] | 40–50 (Polymaker Fiberon)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[1] | Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker room temperature[4][3] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 45–60 (Bambu Lab); room temperature (Polymaker Fiberon)[4][3] |
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[16] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[16][1] | Engineering or high-temperature plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 12 at Extrudr's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[15][17] | 8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker rates its grade to 300 mm/s[4][3][17] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16][1] | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[4] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1] | Expert / industrial hardware only — enclosure, hardened nozzle, an 80 °C dry and a printer that can hold the filament dry throughout[4][3][18] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | 0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[4] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1] | Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA6-CF20 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[1] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[14][18] | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; the combination of moisture and fibre is the worst case in the dataset[18][3] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[16] | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[16] |
| Hotend requirement | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[16] | Hardened steel or ruby nozzle plus an all-metal hot end rated to 300 °C[3][4] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | High (0.8–2 %) — Polymaker's PA12-CF10 reaches 1.5 % equilibrium against 3.33 % for its PA6-GF25, and Polymaker developed the PA12 grade specifically for lower moisture sensitivity[2][14] | Very high (>2 %) — 2.35 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 2.35 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4] |
| Drying temperature & time | 60–80 °C for 8–12 h (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[15][19] | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab); 100 °C for 10 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[4][3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[14] | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[14] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker states its PA12 grade changes little between wet and dry, unlike its PA6-based materials; the CoPA dry-to-wet reference shows what the PA6-type response looks like[14][19] | Polymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA6-CF20 itself: at 5.30 % moisture tensile falls 109.3 → 54.7 MPa and modulus 8636 → 2508 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 11.0 → 35.6 kJ/m². Fibre reinforcement reduces but does not remove the effect[3][14] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[18] | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[18] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | Polymaker requires a 100 °C dry for 8 h and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the published wet data is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[19][20] | Polymaker 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[3][19] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 49.3 at yield and 33.4 at break printed XZ (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[5] | 102 ± 7 (Bambu Lab) and 109.3 ± 2.4 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; the Fiberon grade falls to 54.7 ± 1.1 conditioned to 5.30 % moisture; 3DXTech quotes 63 at break[4][3][6] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 1510 printed XZ and 1250 ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[5] | 4430 ± 310 (Bambu Lab) and 8636 ± 211 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 2508 ± 83 conditioned; 3DXTech quotes 3800[4][3][6] |
| Elongation at break% | 30 at break printed XZ against 6.5 in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[5] | 5.8 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 3 at break[4][6] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 161.0 ± 3.9 printed XY dry, 64.9 ± 4.9 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 84[3][6] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | Not documented | 7038 ± 205 printed XY dry and 2286 ± 185 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 3750[3][6] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 11 at +23 °C and 6.0 at -30 °C (Extrudr DuraPro PA12, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[15] | 11.0 ± 0.3 printed XY dry and 35.6 ± 1.2 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[3] |
| Other impact data | Izod notched 138 J/m printed XZ against 71.0 J/m in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D256)[5] | Charpy unnotched 24.0 ± 1.0 printed XY dry and 73.0 ± 2.0 conditioned, 7.5 ± 2.7 printed Z dry (Polymaker Fiberon); Bambu Lab 40.3 ± 2.5 unnotched, 13.4 ± 1.7 notched[3][4] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 41.8 at yield and 41.2 at break printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638) — higher than the XZ break figure, because XZ specimens draw and neck first[5] | 48 ± 6 (Bambu Lab) and 54.0 ± 5.2 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 25.5 ± 1.2 conditioned[4][3] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1] | Moderate[4][3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre nylon filament[21] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Moderate — the long-chain polyamides hold load better than PLA but below PC[1] | Good. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 injection-moulding compound for exceptional performance under both static and dynamic loading with 110 °C continuous service; in a printed part the fibre restrains the matrix, but conditioning to equilibrium moisture still softens it[22][14] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Excellent — living hinges viable. Stratasys sells FDM Nylon 12 specifically for repetitive-flex parts such as snap-fit clips and press-fit inserts on the strength of its fatigue properties[1][5] | Good. Ensinger states its PA66-CF30 compound has improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression against unfilled and glass-filled PA66[22] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Semi-flexible[14] | Rigid[4] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 85 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638) — one of the least anisotropic unfilled filaments measured[5] | 47 (Bambu Lab) to 49 (Polymaker Fiberon), printed[4][3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 94.7 printed XY and 91.9 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[5] | 186 (Bambu Lab) and 215 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 84.3 printed XY and 75.3 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[5] | 164 (Bambu Lab) and 173 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 34.0 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D7426 inflection point)[5] | 68 (Bambu Lab) to 74.2 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; 3DXTech quotes 70[4][3][6] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Vicat A 142 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12, ISO 306)[15] | 223 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC); Vicat 212 (ISO 306)[4] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Bounded by a Vicat softening point of 142 °C (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); no loaded-bar service figure is published[15] | Bounded by heat deflection of 164–173 °C at 1.8 MPa; no loaded-bar service figure is published[4][3] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | 100 °C for 16 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 84-103 printed (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM E831: 84.4 in XY and 85.6 in XZ/ZX over -50 to 10 °C, 89.1 over 10-45 °C, 98.2 over 45-70 °C); Extrudr quotes 100 for DURAPRO PA12 (ISO 11359-2)[15][5] | 94 in the XY direction and 180 in Z, measured on XY-built specimens (79 and 148 on XZ/ZX-built specimens), room temperature to 60 °C, ASTM E831. From Stratasys FDM Nylon-CF10, a blended-nylon matrix with 10 wt% carbon fibre — the closest published printed CTE for a carbon-fibre nylon[23] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled grades surveyed[15] | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[3] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement[1] | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[1] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[1] | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[1] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Good — minor absorption; the least moisture-sensitive of the common nylons[14] | Absorbs water, properties shift[14] |
| Food contact | Not food-contact certified as filament[1] | Not food-contact certified[1] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[1] | Not biodegradable[1] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1] | Fibre-filled polyamide is not accepted in household plastic collection[1] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[6] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[24] | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[24] |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[24] | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[24] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[24] | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[24] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[16] | Sands to a matte finish; the fibre makes it cut more cleanly than unfilled nylon[16] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[16] | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[16] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[16] | No practical vapour smoothing[16] |
| Support material pairing | Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport matched to PA12[16] | PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker Fiberon)[3] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Holds dimensions better than PA6 after conditioning — Polymaker singles its PA12 grade out on exactly this point[14] | Conditioned parts grow; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[14] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[25][26] | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[25] |
| Softened or crazed by | Not resistant to 10 % formic acid, phenol, chloroform or dichloromethane (Ensinger); zinc chloride stress-cracks nylon.[26][25] | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[25] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[25] | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[25] |
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
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- FDM Nylon 12 — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2021-09 · tds
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber Nylon (Gen3) Technical Data Sheet v3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Nylon PA12 — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PA6 CF-Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D CF-PA6 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- FDM Nylon-CF10 — Material Data Sheet (blended nylon, 10 wt% carbon fibre) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds