3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6-CF vs PVDF

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

Carbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF) guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6-CF comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
PA6-CF vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PA6 (PA6-CF)PAPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.48/kg median; $39.00–$133.32/kg across 6 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA6 reinforced with chopped carbon fibre — Polymaker's grade is 20 wt%[1][2]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.09 (Bambu Lab), 1.17 (Polymaker Fiberon and 3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1][5]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–133; the middle of the market is about 80[2][6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[9]
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][6][10][9][7][8]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[9]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][6][9][10][7][8]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[9][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 kg spools[6][9][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[9]
Typical applicationsLoad-bearing brackets, tooling and drone frames that must hold strength above 150 °C[2][1]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab); 280–300 (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C40–50 (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker room temperature[2][1]Enclosure required (passive)[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab); room temperature (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidEngineering or high-temperature plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
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][12]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[13]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][14]Expert / industrial hardware only[3][4]
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 for unfilled grades[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; the combination of moisture and fibre is the worst case in the dataset[14][1]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[11]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[15]Not documented
Hotend requirementHardened steel or ruby nozzle plus an all-metal hot end rated to 300 °C[1][2]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)1–5Very high (>2 %) — 2.35 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%2.35 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab); 100 °C for 10 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[2][1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[16]Not documented
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][16]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[11]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[14]Not documented
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][17]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][5]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
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][5]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%5.8 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 3 at break[2][5]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa161.0 ± 3.9 printed XY dry, 64.9 ± 4.9 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 84[1][5]50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa7038 ± 205 printed XY dry and 2286 ± 185 conditioned, ISO 178 (Polymaker Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 3750[1][5]1800 (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]Not documented
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]Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[18]
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]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[2][1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[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[19]Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[18]
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[20][16]Not documented
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[20]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Z strength as % of XY%47 (Bambu Lab) to 49 (Polymaker Fiberon), printed[2][1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C186 (Bambu Lab) and 215 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][1]149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[18]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C164 (Bambu Lab) and 173 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1]113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[18]
Glass transition (Tg)°C68 (Bambu Lab) to 74.2 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1][5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C223 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC); Vicat 212 (ISO 306)[2]170 melting (ISO 11357)[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]149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[18]
Annealing response100 °C for 16 h (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]Not documented
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[21]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[18]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[18]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[13]Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[3][18]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[13]Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[16]Excellent — essentially unaffected[3]
Food contactNot food-contact certified[13]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[13]Not documented
RecyclabilityFibre-filled polyamide is not accepted in household plastic collection[13]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[5]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[22]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 and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[22]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[22]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[22]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[22]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[4]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Molten 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 to a matte finish; the fibre makes it cut more cleanly than unfilled nylon[15]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[15]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[15]Not documented
Support material pairingPolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker Fiberon)[1]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailConditioned parts grow; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[16]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 inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[23]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[24]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[23]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[24][25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[23]None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[24]

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. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  5. CarbonX Carbon Fiber Nylon (Gen3) Technical Data Sheet v3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. YXPOLYER PA6 CF-Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D CF-PA6 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. FDM Nylon-CF10 — Material Data Sheet (blended nylon, 10 wt% carbon fibre) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  22. 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
  23. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds