3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12 vs PSU

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

PA12 (Nylon 12) guidePSU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12 comparisonsMore PSU comparisons
PA12 vs PSU — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA12 (Nylon 12)PAPSUHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$64.33/kg median; $36.00–$170.67/kg across 3 dated product listings$168.00/kg median; $168.00–$168.00/kg across 1 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]Polysulfone — the lowest-temperature and cheapest of the sulfone family[3]
Densityg/cm³1.01 specific gravity (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D792)[4]1.24 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 36–171; the middle of the market is about 64[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 250[7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg36–171 across brands; IEMAI 3D 36, Fiberlogy 64 at 3DJake, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 12 171[5][7][6]168-250 across formats; 250 g spool $42 (168/kg), 500 g $125 (250/kg) — 3DXTech is the only filament supplier found[7]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][7]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[7][5]1.75 mm; 250 g and 500 g spools[7]
Typical applicationsDimensionally stable functional parts, ducting and living hinges where PA6 would move too much with humidity[1][8]Transparent high-temperature housings, medical trays and hot-water fittings[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[9]Not documented
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[9]120–140 (3DXTech)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Actively heated chamber required[10][11]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[12]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[12][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[9][13]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12][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[10][11]
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[10]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[8][14]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[15]
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 %) — 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][8]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.30 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[16]
Drying temperature & time60–80 °C for 8–12 h (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[9][17]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[8]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[8][17]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[15]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[14]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[17][18]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]52 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 81 at break on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][16]
Young's modulusMPa1510 printed XZ and 1250 ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]2100 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%30 at break printed XZ against 6.5 in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[4]8 (printed XY, ISO 527) against 50 on extruded stock — nearly three times PPSU's printed 3 %[3][19][16]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented87 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2050 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11 at +23 °C and 6.0 at -30 °C (Extrudr DuraPro PA12, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[9]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 69 J/m on extruded PSU stock, converted from 1.3 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[16]
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]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M120 on extruded PSU stock (ASTM D785)[16]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — the long-chain polyamides hold load better than PLA but below PC[1]Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PSU stock, which is rated to 173 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa[16]
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[8]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]Not documented
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]172 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 181 on extruded stock, converted from 358 °F at 66 psi[3][16]
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]174 on extruded PSU stock, converted from 345 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[16]
Glass transition (Tg)°C34.0 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D7426 inflection point)[4]187 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 185 on extruded stock (ASTM D3418), against 230 for PPSU[3][19][16]
Melting point / Vicat°CVicat A 142 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12, ISO 306)[9]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a Vicat softening point of 142 °C (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); no loaded-bar service figure is published[9]141 long-term service on extruded PSU stock, converted from 285 °F[16]
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)[9][4]55.8 (extruded PSU stock, ASTM D696; source states 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[16]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled grades surveyed[9]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PSU stock[16]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[1]Not documented
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[8]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
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an insulator (IEC 60093)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[20]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[20]
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[20]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[20]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[20]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20]
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 pairingPolymaker sells a break-away PolySupport matched to PA12[12]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailHolds dimensions better than PA6 after conditioning — Polymaker singles its PA12 grade out on exactly this point[8]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[21][22]Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane, chloroform — dissolve polysulfone; ketones and esters attack it as well.[23][22]
Softened or crazed byNot resistant to 10 % formic acid, phenol, chloroform or dichloromethane (Ensinger); zinc chloride stress-cracks nylon.[22][21]Acetone, MEK, ethyl acetate, benzene and toluene craze or stress-crack it; methanol and isopropanol only marginally.[22][23]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[21]Dichloromethane cement welds PSU and NMP softens residual resin. Both are laboratory reagents.[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. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  2. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  3. ThermaX PSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. FDM Nylon 12 — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2021-09 · tds
  5. Nylon PA12 — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. IEMAI 3D PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  10. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  11. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. THERMAX PSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  16. TECASON S natural (PSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  17. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  19. ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  20. 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
  21. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds