3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6-CF vs PLA Silk

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

Carbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF) guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6-CF comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PA6-CF vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF)PASilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.48/kg median; $39.00–$133.32/kg across 6 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA6 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 20 wt%[1][2]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.09 (Bambu Lab), 1.17 (Polymaker Fiberon and 3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1][4]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–133; the middle of the market is about 80[2][5][6][7]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg39–133 across brands; IEMAI 3D 39, Bambu Lab 43, YXPOLYER 45, Polymaker Fiberon 80, 3DXTech CarbonX 83, Obsidian 133[2][5][11][12][6][7]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[13][14][15][16][17]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][5][12][11][6][7]Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][13][18]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 kg spools[5][12][2]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[19][20]
Typical applicationsLoad-bearing brackets, tooling and drone frames that must hold strength above 150 °C[2][1]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[21]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab); 280–300 (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C40–50 (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker room temperature[2][1]Open frame is fine[3][22]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab); room temperature (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidEngineering or high-temperature plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[2]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s8 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][23]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2]Sticks to anything[24]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[25]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only — enclosure, hardened nozzle, an 80 °C dry and a printer that can hold the filament dry throughout[2][1][26]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[3]
Extruder requirement0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[2]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA6-CF20 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1]Brass fine indefinitely[22]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h[1]Non-abrasive[27][22]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; the combination of moisture and fibre is the worst case in the dataset[26][1]Very low[22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[28]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[29]
Hotend requirementHardened steel or ruby nozzle plus an all-metal hot end rated to 300 °C[1][2]No special hot-end required[24]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — 2.35 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%2.35 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab); 100 °C for 10 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][30]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[31]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[26]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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][31]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[26]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[26]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[32][24]
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker 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][33]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa102 ± 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][4]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][34]
Young's modulusMPa4430 ± 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][4]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%5.8 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 3 at break[2][4]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][32]
Flexural strengthMPa161.0 ± 3.9 printed XY dry, 64.9 ± 4.9 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 84[1][4]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa7038 ± 205 printed XY dry and 2286 ± 185 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 3750[1][4]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11.0 ± 0.3 printed XY dry and 35.6 ± 1.2 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[3]
Other impact dataCharpy 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]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa48 ± 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]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[3][34][35]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[2][1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre nylon filament[36]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. 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[37][31]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[38][39]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states its PA66-CF30 compound has improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression against unfilled and glass-filled PA66[37]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[40][29]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%47 (Bambu Lab) to 49 (Polymaker Fiberon), printed[2][1]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C186 (Bambu Lab) and 215 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][1]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C164 (Bambu Lab) and 173 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C68 (Bambu Lab) to 74.2 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1][4]57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C223 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC); Vicat 212 (ISO 306)[2]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by heat deflection of 164–173 °C at 1.8 MPa; no loaded-bar service figure is published[2][1]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[35]
Annealing response100 °C for 16 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K94 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[41]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[32][42]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[25]Degrades within weeks outdoors[29][43]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[25]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[42][29]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[31]Good — insoluble in water[32]
Food contactNot food-contact certified[25]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[29]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[25]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[44][29]
RecyclabilityFibre-filled polyamide is not accepted in household plastic collection[25]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[44]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[4]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[45]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[45]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[45]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[45]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[45]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[45]None needed in a normal room[45]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands to a matte finish; the fibre makes it cut more cleanly than unfilled nylon[28]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[43][29]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[28]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[29][46]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[28]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[29]
Support material pairingPolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailConditioned parts grow; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[31]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[47]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[48]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[47]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[48][49]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[47]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[50][49]

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. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. CarbonX Carbon Fiber Nylon (Gen3) Technical Data Sheet v3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. YXPOLYER PA6 CF-Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D CF-PA6 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  34. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  35. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  37. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  38. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  40. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  41. FDM Nylon-CF10 — Material Data Sheet (blended nylon, 10 wt% carbon fibre) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  42. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  43. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  44. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  45. 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
  46. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  47. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  48. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  49. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  50. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper