3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA6-GF vs PET-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF)PA | Carbon-fibre PET (PET-CF)PETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $59.98/kg median; $39.99–$130.00/kg across 6 dated product listings | $39.99/kg median; $26.00–$49.98/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PA6 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — Polymaker's grade is 25 wt%[1][2] | Semi-crystalline PET reinforced with carbon fibre — a different polymer from PETG-CF, with the glycol modifier removed so the matrix can crystallise[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.14 (Bambu Lab) and 1.20 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 1183[2][1] | 1.29 (Bambu Lab) and 1.34 (Fiberon PET-CF17), ISO 1183[3][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 40–130; the middle of the market is about 60[2][5][6] | 1 kg spools cluster near 45[3][5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 40–130 across brands; SUNLU 40, YXPOLYER 45, Polymaker Fiberon and Bambu Lab 60, 3DXTech FibreX 87, Obsidian Nylon 6+GF 130[5][2][7][6][8] | 26–50 across brands; ELEGOO 26 in a 5 kg pack, Bambu Lab 45, Fiberon 50[9][3][5] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][5][7][6][8] | Available from several mainstream brands[3][5][9] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][7][2] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5][3] |
| Typical applications | Stiff, heat-resistant structural parts where a matte finish and lower cost beat carbon fibre[2][1] | Load-bearing parts that must survive above PETG's 70 °C ceiling without moving to PA or PC[3][4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 260–290 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 260–290 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2] | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[3] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[10][11] | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[12][13] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 10 at Bambu Lab's 130 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][14] | 8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — half the speed it allows for PETG-CF[3][14] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10] | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[12][13] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[11] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[13] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[2][15] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3] |
| Extruder requirement | 0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[2] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA6-GF25 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1] | Hardened steel required[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA6-GF25[1] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[15] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for carbon-filled composites[16] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[10] | Slightly sensitive[17] |
| Hotend requirement | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[10] | No special hot-end required[17] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very 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] | Moderate — 0.37 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 % equilibrium (Fiberon)[3][4] |
| 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] | 0.37 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 equilibrium (Fiberon PET-CF17)[3][4] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[2] | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab) — the longest and hottest dry in the polyester family; Fiberon specifies 100 °C for 10 h[3][4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[18] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker 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][18] | Bambu Lab publishes its whole mechanical table under the heading "Mechanical Properties (Dry state)" — the quoted figures apply only to dried filament[3] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[15] | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[15][13] |
| 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[19][20] | The 80–100 °C dry both suppliers mandate is far above the 55–65 °C used for PETG, consistent with a melt-hydrolysis risk in the semi-crystalline PET matrix; neither publishes a molecular-weight loss figure[3][4] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 75 ± 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] | 65.9 (Fiberon) to 74 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2850 ± 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] | 4730 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5481 ± 224 (Fiberon) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4] |
| 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] | 2.4 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 109.3 ± 2.0 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3670 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 4744 ± 136 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 10.0 ± 0.7 printed XY dry and 28.0 ± 1.0 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker Fiberon); Bambu Lab 7.2 ± 2.3[1][2] | 5.1 ± 0.2 printed XY, ISO 179 notched (Fiberon PET-CF17); unnotched 25.1 ± 2.8[4] |
| Other impact data | Charpy 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 tensileMPa | 27 ± 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] | 27.9 (Fiberon) and 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[3][4] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.4 % in XY[1] | Very brittle — elongation at break 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z[4] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785)[22] | Not documented |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good. 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] | Good — no creep test found; annealed PET-CF holds a 105 °C HDT at 1.8 MPa and a 4730–5481 MPa modulus against 1500–2311 for PETG[4][3] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[22] | Below average — no S-N curve; elongation at break is 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z, against 5.2–9.3 % for unfilled PETG[4] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[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] | 42 (Fiberon) to 47 (Bambu Lab), printed[3][4] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 182 (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] | 147.5 (Fiberon) and 205 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 157 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 158 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1] | 105 (Fiberon) and 182 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 67 (Bambu Lab) and 70.4 (Polymaker Fiberon), DSC; Stratasys measures 51.5 on FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR (ASTM D7426)[2][1][21] | 75 (Bambu Lab) and 79.3 (Fiberon), DSC[3][4] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 214.5 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 219 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 210–212 (ISO 306)[2][1] | 241.3 (Fiberon) and 250 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 226–238[3][4] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | The PET matrix crystallises on annealing, which is what separates this grade from PETG-CF[4][3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 48.6 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] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[19] | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[23] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[11] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[11] | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[13] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Absorbs water, properties shift[18] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not food-contact certified as filament[11] | Not certified for food contact as filament[13] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[11] | Not biodegradable[13] |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[11] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[13] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1] | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-CF17, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[24] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[24] | Not documented |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[24] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24][3] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[10] | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[17] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[10] | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[17] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[10] | No practical vapour smoothing[17] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[17] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Bambu Lab markets it on low warping and shrinkage relative to other high-temperature composites[3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[25] | None common; fluorinated solvents such as hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve linear polyester at 23 °C. Laboratory only.[26][27] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[25] | Ensinger rates polyester not resistant to chloroform or dichloromethane and only conditionally resistant to acetone and MEK.[27] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[25] | Dichloromethane attacks polyester and can be brushed on, but the carbon fibre blocks any useful surface flow.[27][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
- Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-GF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PET-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PET-CF17 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU Nylon-6 Glass Fiber (PA6-GF) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg — product page SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PA6-GF Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- PETG — 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
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
- PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-07 · tds
- TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 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
- Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc