3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6-GF vs PC-GF

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

Glass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF) guideGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6-GF comparisonsMore PC-GF comparisons
PA6-GF vs PC-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF)PAGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$59.98/kg median; $39.99–$130.00/kg across 6 dated product listings$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA6 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — Polymaker's grade is 25 wt%[1][2]Polycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[3]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (Bambu Lab) and 1.20 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 1183[2][1]1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 40–130; the middle of the market is about 60[2][4][5]1 kg spools cluster near 71[6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg40–130 across brands; SUNLU 40, YXPOLYER 45, Polymaker Fiberon and Bambu Lab 60, 3DXTech FibreX 87, Obsidian Nylon 6+GF 130[4][2][7][5][8]71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[6][3]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][4][7][5][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — neither Polymaker's nor 3DXTech's polycarbonate range contains a glass-fibre grade, but BASF Forward AM and Owens Corning both sell one through European retail[6][3][4][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[4][7][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[3]
Typical applicationsStiff, heat-resistant structural parts where a matte finish and lower cost beat carbon fibre[2][1]Functional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[2]280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2]Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[9][10]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[11][12]Perforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s10 at Bambu Lab's 130 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][13]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[2][14]Not documented
Extruder requirement0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[2]Owens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA6-GF25 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1]Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA6-GF25[1]Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[14]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and Prusa lists glass-filled composites as a higher clogging risk[15][16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[11]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[11]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — 2.56 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab) and 3.33 % equilibrium (Polymaker Fiberon), the highest in the dataset[2][1]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%2.56 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 3.33 equilibrium (Polymaker Fiberon PA6-GF25)[2][1]Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[17]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA6-GF25 itself: at 4.57 % moisture tensile falls 80.1 → 40.2 MPa and modulus 5357 → 1794 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 10.0 → 28.0 kJ/m²[1][17]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18][14]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[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[19][20]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa75 ± 6 (Bambu Lab) and 80.1 ± 1.8 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 40.2 ± 2.1 conditioned to 4.57 % moisture. Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 60.2-61.1 at break and 61.7-62.3 at yield printed XZ (ASTM D638)[2][1][21]65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2850 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5357 ± 211 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberon falls to 1794 ± 84 conditioned. Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 5600-5830 printed XZ against 3050-3140 in ZX (ASTM D638)[2][1][21]5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[3]
Elongation at break%2.4 ± 0.2 dry (Polymaker Fiberon) to 3.9 ± 0.8 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; the Fiberon grade rises to 4.2 ± 0.7 conditioned[2][1]2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa3670 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.0 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 28.0 ± 1.0 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon); Bambu Lab 7.2 ± 2.3[1][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179). Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives Izod notched 74.6-77.1 J/m printed XZ against 17.2-22.1 in ZX (ASTM D256)[2][21]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa27 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 60.7 ± 1.1 (Polymaker Fiberon, dry) printed Z, ISO 527 — the two makers differ by more than a factor of two; Fiberon falls to 26.3 ± 1.5 conditioned. Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 23.7-24.4 at break printed ZX (ASTM D638)[2][1][21]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.4 % in XY[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785)[22]Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a glass-fibre grade[23]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock; the rating is held below Excellent because equilibrium moisture uptake of 3.33 % softens the matrix in service[22][1]Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped, and 30 wt% glass raises the tensile modulus from about 2.3 to 5.4 GPa[24][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[22]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%36 (Bambu Lab) to 76 (Polymaker Fiberon), printed; Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 39-41 (ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638)[2][1][21]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C182 (Bambu Lab) and 191 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa. Stratasys FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR gives 161 printed XY and 185 XZ (ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[2][1][21]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C157 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 158 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1]137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C67 (Bambu Lab) and 70.4 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; Stratasys measures 51.5 on FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR (ASTM D7426)[2][1][21]145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C214.5 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 219 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 210–212 (ISO 306)[2][1]270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K48.6 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D696; source states 2.7e-5 in/in/°F). Stratasys measures much higher on printed FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — 95.4 over -20 to 5 °C and 214 over 25 to 80 °C in XY (ASTM E831)[22][21]26.2 in XY and 77.4 in Z (printed, ISO 11359-2) — a threefold anisotropy, and the lowest in-plane expansion of any polycarbonate here[3]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[19]UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[12]Good — years with some colour shift. Owens Corning lists UV resistance as a product benefit but publishes no exposure data[3]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[17]Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[3]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[12]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[12]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1]Electrically insulating (Owens Corning)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[25]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[25]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[25]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[25]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25][10]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Owens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[11]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[11]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedHigh dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[26]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[27]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[26]Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[26]Dichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[28]

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-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-GF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · tds
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. SUNLU Nylon-6 Glass Fiber (PA6-GF) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg — product page SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER PA6-GF Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  10. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 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. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  20. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-07 · tds
  22. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  25. 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
  26. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  28. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds