3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12 vs PEI 9085

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

PA12 (Nylon 12) guidePEI (ULTEM 9085) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12 comparisonsMore PEI 9085 comparisons
PA12 vs PEI 9085 — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA12 (Nylon 12)PAPEI (ULTEM 9085)HIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$64.33/kg median; $36.00–$170.67/kg across 3 dated product listings$309.80/kg median; $220.00–$392.00/kg across 6 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]Polyetherimide, ULTEM 9085 grade — the flame-retardant PEI used for aircraft interiors[3]
Densityg/cm³1.01 specific gravity (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D792)[4]1.34 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) against 1.27 specific gravity on moulded plaques (ASTM D792, Stratasys) — the two suppliers disagree[3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 36–171; the middle of the market is about 64[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 298[8][9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg36–171 across brands; IEMAI 3D 36, Fiberlogy 64 at 3DJake, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 12 171[6][8][7]220-392 across brands and formats; 3DXTech ThermaX PEI 9085 220 at 2 kg, 3D4Makers 270 at 2 kg, Fiberlogy 298 at 500 g, Kimya 321 at 500 g, IEMAI 3D 385 at 1 kg, 3DXTech CarbonX PEI 9085+CF 392[8][9][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8][9][10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[8][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 250 g to 2 kg spools, plus Stratasys canisters[8][11][5]
Typical applicationsDimensionally stable functional parts, ducting and living hinges where PA6 would move too much with humidity[1][13]Aircraft interior parts and rail rolling stock, where the flame, smoke and toxicity rating is the requirement[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[14]Not documented
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[14]130–140 (3DXTech)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Actively heated chamber required[15][16]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[17]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[17][1]Not documented
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[14][18]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSevere — heated chamber needed[15]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[17][1]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1]Expert / industrial hardware only[15][16]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[13][19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[17]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[17]Not documented
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][13]Not documented
Drying temperature & time60–80 °C for 8–12 h (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[14][21]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[13]Not documented
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[13][21]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[20]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[19]Not documented
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[21][22]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa49.3 at yield and 33.4 at break printed XZ (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]63-77 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys F900/F3300/Fortus 450mc, three tips and two colours); 54 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech)[5][3]
Young's modulusMPa1510 printed XZ and 1250 ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]2040-2540 (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys); 2050 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech)[5][3]
Elongation at break%30 at break printed XZ against 6.5 in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]5.4-9.1 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys); 1.9-4.3 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 3 (ISO 527)[5][3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented104-116 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D790 Procedure A, Stratasys); 72-98 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 90 (ISO 178)[5][3]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2400-2550 (printed XZ, ASTM D790, Stratasys F900 T16 and T16A) against 2120-2130 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 2170 (ISO 178)[5][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11 at +23 °C and 6.0 at -30 °C (Extrudr DuraPro PA12, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[14]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 88.5-140 J/m XZ against 37-80 J/m ZX; unnotched 647-2260 J/m XZ against 169-633 J/m ZX (printed, ASTM D256/D4812, Stratasys, across three printers and three tips)[5]
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]39-63 at break (printed ZX, ASTM D638, Stratasys); the low end is the F900 T16 baseline, the high end the F3300 N500 hot end[5]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M110 / R126 on extruded PEI stock (ASTM D785)[23]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — the long-chain polyamides hold load better than PLA but below PC[1]Excellent — holds load for years. Printed ZX coupons keep 87 % of room-temperature tensile strength at 104 °C and 70 % at 132 °C (ASTM D638); extruded PEI stock is rated 170 °C long-term service[5][23]
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]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[13]Rigid[3]
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]56-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638, across F900/F3300/Fortus 450mc and T16/T20/T40A tips); 58 on the F900 T16 baseline[5]
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]158 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech) to 178 (printed XY 178.2 and ZX 178.4, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi, Stratasys); moulded 176.9[3][5]
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]170-173 (printed XY 170.2 and ZX 172.6, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); moulded 172.9[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C34.0 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D7426 inflection point)[4]177 (moulded plaque, ASTM D7426 inflection point, Stratasys); 186 (DSC, 3DXTech)[5][3][24]
Melting point / Vicat°CVicat A 142 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12, ISO 306)[14]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a Vicat softening point of 142 °C (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); no loaded-bar service figure is published[14]170 long-term service on extruded PEI stock, converted from 338 °F; 200 short term[23]
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)[14][4]44.9 (printed XY, -50 to 80 °C, ASTM E831), falling to 31.4 over 80-160 °C; ZX gives 44.5 over -50 to 60 °C. Black pigment raises it to 51.9[5]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled grades surveyed[14]UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin. Printed parts are tested to 14 CFR 25.853, BSS 7238 and 7239 and AITM 2.0007B and 3.0005 covering 60 s and 12 s vertical burn, 15 s horizontal burn, smoke density, toxic gas emission and OSU heat release[3][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[1]Good — years with some colour shift. 1000 h of QUV cycling to ASTM G154 left printed ZX coupons at 55.5 MPa yield against 56.0 unexposed, with elongation and modulus unchanged[5]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[1]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; the least moisture-sensitive of the common nylons[13]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[1]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[25]
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[25]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[25]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[25]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[17]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[17]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[17]Not documented
Support material pairingPolymaker sells a break-away PolySupport matched to PA12[17]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailHolds dimensions better than PA6 after conditioning — Polymaker singles its PA12 grade out on exactly this point[13]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[26][27]Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane and chloroform — are solvents for polyetherimide. Laboratory reagents.[28][27]
Softened or crazed byNot resistant to 10 % formic acid, phenol, chloroform or dichloromethane (Ensinger); zinc chloride stress-cracks nylon.[27][26]Acetone, MEK, benzene, toluene and butyl acetate craze or stress-crack it; alcohols, fuels and dilute acids do not.[27][28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[26]Dichloromethane is the only welding route, and it is a controlled carcinogen rather than a workshop material.[28][27]

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. ThermaX PEI 9085 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. FDM Nylon 12 — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2021-09 · tds
  5. ULTEM 9085 Resin — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · 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. Kimya PEI-9085 Natural 2.85 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Fiberlogy PEI 9085 Natural, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. IEMAI 3D PEI 9085 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  15. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  16. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. THERMAX PEI 9085 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECAPEI natural (PEI) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. ThermaX PEI 1010 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  25. 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
  26. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds