3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA6-CF vs PAHT-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Carbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF)PA | High-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $62.48/kg median; $39.00–$133.32/kg across 6 dated product listings | $59.98/kg median; $49.99–$69.98/kg across 2 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PA6 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 20 wt%[1][2] | High-temperature carbon-fibre nylon. Bambu Lab's PAHT-CF and Polymaker's PA612-CF15 both use a long-chain polyamide matrix for lower moisture uptake than PA6[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.09 (Bambu Lab), 1.17 (Polymaker Fiberon and 3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1][5] | 1.03 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 1.06 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[3][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–133; the middle of the market is about 80[2][6][7][8] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 60[3][6] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 39–133 across brands; IEMAI 3D 39, Bambu Lab 43, YXPOLYER 45, Polymaker Fiberon 80, 3DXTech CarbonX 83, Obsidian 133[2][6][9][10][7][8] | 50–70 across brands; Bambu Lab 50, Polymaker Fiberon PA612-CF15 70[3][6] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][6][10][9][7][8] | Available from several mainstream brands[3][6] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 kg spools[6][10][2] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[6][3] |
| Typical applications | Load-bearing brackets, tooling and drone frames that must hold strength above 150 °C[2][1] | Under-bonnet and near-motor parts needing 170 °C-plus heat deflection with less humidity drift than PA6[3][4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 260–290 (Bambu Lab); 280–300 (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1] | 260–290 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 40–50 (Polymaker Fiberon)[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker room temperature[2][1] | Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[3] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab); room temperature (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1] | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Engineering or high-temperature plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[2] | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[11][12] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 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[2][1][13] | 8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][13] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2] | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only — enclosure, hardened nozzle, an 80 °C dry and a printer that can hold the filament dry throughout[2][1][14] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3][14] |
| Extruder requirement | 0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[2] | 0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA6-CF20 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1] | Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA612-CF15 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[4] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h[1] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-CF15[4] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; the combination of moisture and fibre is the worst case in the dataset[14][1] | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[14] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[11] | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[11] |
| Hotend requirement | Hardened steel or ruby nozzle plus an all-metal hot end rated to 300 °C[1][2] | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[11] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — 2.35 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | High (0.8–2 %) — 0.88 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH for Bambu Lab PAHT-CF, a third of its PA6-CF; Polymaker's PA612-CF15 reaches 2.2 % equilibrium[3][4][2] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 2.35 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | 0.88 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab PAHT-CF); 2.2 equilibrium (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[3][4] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab); 100 °C for 10 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1] | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[15] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | 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[1][15] | Polymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA612-CF15 itself: at 2.57 % moisture tensile falls only 91.9 → 83.1 MPa and modulus 5137 → 3991 MPa — the PA612 backbone absorbs far less than PA6[4][15] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[14] | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[14] |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | 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[1][16] | 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[1][16] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 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[2][1][5] | 92 ± 7 (Bambu Lab) and 91.9 ± 2.0 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; the Polymaker grade only falls to 83.1 ± 2.2 conditioned to 2.57 % moisture[3][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4430 ± 310 (Bambu Lab) and 8636 ± 211 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 2508 ± 83 conditioned; 3DXTech quotes 3800[2][1][5] | 3860 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 5137 ± 192 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 3991 ± 137 conditioned[3][4] |
| Elongation at break% | 5.8 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 3 at break[2][5] | 2.6 ± 0.2 dry (Polymaker PA612-CF15) to 8.4 ± 1.8 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 4.1 ± 0.3 conditioned[3][4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 161.0 ± 3.9 printed XY dry, 64.9 ± 4.9 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 84[1][5] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 7038 ± 205 printed XY dry and 2286 ± 185 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 3750[1][5] | 4230 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 11.0 ± 0.3 printed XY dry and 35.6 ± 1.2 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[1] | 8.1 ± 0.8 printed XY dry and 7.7 ± 0.5 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[4] |
| Other impact data | 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[1][2] | Charpy unnotched 57.5 ± 3.4 and notched 22.8 ± 1.8 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[3] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 48 ± 6 (Bambu Lab) and 54.0 ± 5.2 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 25.5 ± 1.2 conditioned[2][1] | 47 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 48.3 ± 3.9 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Polymaker 35.6 ± 3.0 conditioned[3][4] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[2][1] | Moderate[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre nylon filament[17] | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre long-chain nylon filament[17] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | 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[18][15] | Good. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 compound for sustained static and dynamic load with 110 °C continuous service; the long-chain PA612 matrix takes up 0.88 % at saturation, a third of the same maker's PA6-CF, so it holds dimension better[18][4] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good. Ensinger states its PA66-CF30 compound has improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression against unfilled and glass-filled PA66[18] | Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[18] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 47 (Bambu Lab) to 49 (Polymaker Fiberon), printed[2][1] | 51 (Bambu Lab) to 53 (Polymaker PA612-CF15), printed[3][4] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 186 (Bambu Lab) and 215 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][1] | 175 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 194 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 164 (Bambu Lab) and 173 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1] | 114 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 170 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 68 (Bambu Lab) to 74.2 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1][5] | 70 (Bambu Lab, DSC)[3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 223 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC); Vicat 212 (ISO 306)[2] | 210 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 225 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 206 (Polymaker)[3][4] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Bounded by heat deflection of 164–173 °C at 1.8 MPa; no loaded-bar service figure is published[2][1] | Not documented |
| Annealing response | 100 °C for 16 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[1] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 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[19] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1] | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[1] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[12] | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[12] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12] | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Absorbs water, properties shift[15] | Absorbs water, properties shift — less than PA6 but more than PA12[15][3] |
| Food contact | Not food-contact certified[12] | Not food-contact certified as filament[12] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[12] | Not biodegradable[12] |
| Recyclability | Fibre-filled polyamide is not accepted in household plastic collection[12] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[12] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[5] | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker PA612-CF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[20] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[20] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[20] | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[20] |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[20] | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[20] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[20] | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[20] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1] | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands to a matte finish; the fibre makes it cut more cleanly than unfilled nylon[11] | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[11] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11] | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[11] | No practical vapour smoothing[11] |
| Support material pairing | PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker Fiberon)[1] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Conditioned parts grow; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[15] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[21] | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[21] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[21] | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[21] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[21] | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[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
- Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PAHT-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber Nylon (Gen3) Technical Data Sheet v3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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