3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12 vs PA6

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

PA12 (Nylon 12) guidePA6 (Nylon 6) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12 comparisonsMore PA6 comparisons
PA12 vs PA6 — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA12 (Nylon 12)PAPA6 (Nylon 6)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$64.33/kg median; $36.00–$170.67/kg across 3 dated product listings$104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 12 — the longest-chain common nylon, with the fewest amide groups per unit mass and so the least moisture uptake[1][2]Polyamide 6, ring-opened from caprolactam — the most hygroscopic of the common nylons[1][3]
Densityg/cm³1.01 specific gravity (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D792)[4]1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 36–171; the middle of the market is about 64[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–136; the middle of the market is about 104, though budget unfilled PA6 has now arrived at 39[8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg36–171 across brands; IEMAI 3D 36, Fiberlogy 64 at 3DJake, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 12 171[6][8][7]39–136 across brands; YXPOLYER 39, 3DXTech iOn Nylon 6 Alloy 104, WearX Nylon 6 136. Unfilled PA6 filament stays rare — most PA6 reaches the market glass- or carbon-filled[8][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[8][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[8]
Typical applicationsDimensionally stable functional parts, ducting and living hinges where PA6 would move too much with humidity[1][10]Wear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[1]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[11]220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[1][12]
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[11]70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[1][12]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Enclosure required (passive)[13][1]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[12]Part cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[12]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[12][1]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[12][1]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s12 at Extrudr's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[11][14]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12][1]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12][1]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; the filament must be kept dry throughout the print[1][15]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[10][15]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet nylon pops and cracks in the melt[10][15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[12]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[12]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[12]May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[12]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (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][10]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker groups nylon with PVA as the most moisture-prone class, and its own PA6-based composites reach 2.35–3.33 % equilibrium[15][2]
Drying temperature & time60–80 °C for 8–12 h (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[11][13]100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[13][16]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[10]Popping and cracking during extrusion, then defects that Polymaker describes as very hard to diagnose[10]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[10][13]Measured dry against wet on printed specimens at 6.16 % moisture (Polymaker CoPA): tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa, Young's modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, flexural strength 109.8 → 22.6 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m² and elongation 12.7 → 13.2 %[13][10]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[15]Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[16][15]
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker 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[13][16]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[13][16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa49.3 at yield and 33.4 at break printed XZ (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]62 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned to 20 °C / 50 % RH gives 67.6 ultimate and 49.3 at yield printed XZ (ASTM D638)[5][17]
Young's modulusMPa1510 printed XZ and 1250 ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]2110 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2232 printed XZ and 1817 ZX (ASTM D638)[5][17]
Elongation at break%30 at break printed XZ against 6.5 in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]9 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 38 printed XZ against 3.2 in ZX (ASTM D638)[5][17]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented78 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 97.2 printed XZ and 82 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][17]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2200 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2196 printed XZ and 1879 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][17]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11 at +23 °C and 6.0 at -30 °C (Extrudr DuraPro PA12, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[11]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod notched 138 J/m printed XZ against 71.0 J/m in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D256)[4]Izod notched 106 J/m printed XZ against 43 J/m in ZX; unnotched 2873 against 192 J/m (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D256 Method A) — a 15x anisotropy unnotched[17]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa41.8 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[4]36.5 ultimate and 28.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D638)[17]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785); no figure is published for a PA6 filament[18]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — the long-chain polyamides hold load better than PLA but below PC[1]Moderate[1]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — 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][4]Excellent — living hinges viable[1]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[10]Semi-flexible[10]
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[4]54 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned, ZX against XZ ultimate tensile, ASTM D638); 59 on the yield figures[17]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech sells a dedicated wear-resistant PA6 grade; abrasion resistance is the usual reason to choose PA6 over PA12[8]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C94.7 printed XY and 91.9 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[4]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C84.3 printed XY and 75.3 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[4]93 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[17]
Glass transition (Tg)°C34.0 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D7426 inflection point)[4]105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]
Melting point / Vicat°CVicat A 142 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12, ISO 306)[11]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a Vicat softening point of 142 °C (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); no loaded-bar service figure is published[11]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K84-103 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)[11][4]81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a PA6 filament, and PA6 and PA66 expand almost identically[18]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled grades surveyed[11]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[1]Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[1]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[1]Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis — the usual reason to choose a polyamide[1]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; the least moisture-sensitive of the common nylons[10]Absorbs water, properties shift — a conditioned part is measurably softer and larger than the same part dry[10][13]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[1]Polymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[1]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[1]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[3]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[3]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[3]Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[3]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[3]≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[3]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[3]Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[3]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[12]Sands poorly — the toughness makes it gum rather than powder[12]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[12]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[12]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[12]No practical vapour smoothing[12]
Support material pairingPolymaker sells a break-away PolySupport matched to PA12[12]PVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[12]
Dimensional accuracy & detailHolds dimensions better than PA6 after conditioning — Polymaker singles its PA12 grade out on exactly this point[10]Parts grow as they absorb moisture after printing; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[10]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[19][20]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[19]
Softened or crazed byNot resistant to 10 % formic acid, phenol, chloroform or dichloromethane (Ensinger); zinc chloride stress-cracks nylon.[20][19]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[19]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[19]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[19]

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. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  2. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  3. 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
  4. FDM Nylon 12 — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2021-09 · tds
  5. iOn PA6-based Nylon Alloy Technical Data Sheet v2.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Nylon PA12 — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER PA6 Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  12. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  17. FDM Nylon 6 — data sheet (conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH) Stratasys · 2017-11 · tds
  18. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds