3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12 vs PVDF

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

PA12 (Nylon 12) guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12 comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
PA12 vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA12 (Nylon 12)PAPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$64.33/kg median; $36.00–$170.67/kg across 3 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/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]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.01 specific gravity (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D792)[5]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[3]
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 251[8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg36–171 across brands; IEMAI 3D 36, Fiberlogy 64 at 3DJake, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 12 171[6][8][7]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[8]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][8]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[8][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[8]
Typical applicationsDimensionally stable functional parts, ducting and living hinges where PA6 would move too much with humidity[1][10]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[11]Not documented
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[11]70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Enclosure required (passive)[3]
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[11][13]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[3]
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[3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[10][14]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[9]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[12]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[12]Not documented
Other hardware wearNot documentedHydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[4]
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]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[3]
Drying temperature & time60–80 °C for 8–12 h (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[11][15]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[10]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[10][15]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[9]
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[15][16]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa49.3 at yield and 33.4 at break printed XZ (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[5]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1510 printed XZ and 1250 ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[5]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%30 at break printed XZ against 6.5 in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[5]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented1800 (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[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)[5]Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[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[5]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[17]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — the long-chain polyamides hold load better than PLA but below PC[1]Not documented
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][5]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[10]Slightly flexible in thin sections[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[5]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)[5]149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[17]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C84.3 printed XY and 75.3 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[5]113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[17]
Glass transition (Tg)°C34.0 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D7426 inflection point)[5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CVicat A 142 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12, ISO 306)[11]170 melting (ISO 11357)[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a Vicat softening point of 142 °C (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); no loaded-bar service figure is published[11]149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[17]
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][5]127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[17]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled grades surveyed[11]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[17]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[1]Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[3][17]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[1]Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; the least moisture-sensitive of the common nylons[10]Excellent — essentially unaffected[3]
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[18]Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[4]
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[18]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[18]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[18]Above 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[4]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[18]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[4]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedMolten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[4]
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[10]The processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[3][4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[19][20]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[21]
Softened or crazed byNot resistant to 10 % formic acid, phenol, chloroform or dichloromethane (Ensinger); zinc chloride stress-cracks nylon.[20][19]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[21][22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[19]None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[21]

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. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  5. FDM Nylon 12 — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2021-09 · 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. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 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. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  17. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  18. 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
  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
  21. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds