3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6-GF vs PLA Metal

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

Glass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF) guideMetal-filled PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6-GF comparisonsMore PLA Metal comparisons
PA6-GF vs PLA Metal — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF)PAMetal-filled PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$59.98/kg median; $39.99–$130.00/kg across 6 dated product listings$79.69/kg median; $24.99–$94.99/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA6 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — Polymaker's grade is 25 wt%[1][2]PLA loaded with real metal powder — bronze, copper, steel or iron. Bambu Lab's PLA Sparkle TDS states it has "metal particles included in its composition"; its separately sold PLA Metal does not, and the store page says so explicitly[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (Bambu Lab) and 1.20 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 1183[2][1]1.26 (Bambu Lab Sparkle, a trace-metal glitter grade) up to 3.9–4.0 for colorFabb bronze and copper and 2.3 for Proto-pasta steel, ISO 1183[6][3][4][9]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 40–130; the middle of the market is about 60[2][10][11]1 kg spools cluster near 78[12][13][5]
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[10][2][14][11][15]25–95 across brands; Bambu Lab Sparkle 25, Proto-pasta iron 65, colorFabb bronze and copper 84, Proto-pasta steel 95[12][5][13][9]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][10][14][11][15]Available from several mainstream brands[13][5][9][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[10][14][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.1, 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 1.5 kg spools[16][13]
Typical applicationsStiff, heat-resistant structural parts where a matte finish and lower cost beat carbon fibre[2][1]Decorative castings and props that are polished or left to patinate; the density gives prints a metallic heft[3][5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[2]195–220 (colorFabb bronze and copper); 192 (Proto-pasta iron); 198 (Proto-pasta steel); 190–230 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[3][5][9][6]
Bed temperature°CNot documented50–60 (colorFabb, Proto-pasta); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][5][6]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2]Open frame is fine[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documentedOn (colorFabb copper); 0–100 % (colorFabb bronze)[3][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[17][18]Glass plate with glue stick or tape (colorFabb)[3][4]
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][19]1.6–2.4 at Proto-pasta's 20–30 mm/s for iron and steel, 3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[5][9][3][19]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[17]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[18]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[2][20]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; brittle in filament form and slow to print[5][9]
Extruder requirement0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[2]Proto-pasta advises an extrusion width 0.05 mm larger than the nozzle and warns that feeding is inconsistent below 0.4 mm and on Bowden machines[5][9]
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]Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[5][9]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA6-GF25[1]Moderately abrasive — metal fill[5][9]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[20]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[9]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[17]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[17]Proto-pasta recommends a wear-resistant or larger nozzle for longer service intervals[5][9]
Other hardware wearNot documentedProto-pasta warns of more frequent nozzle replacement and first-layer adjustment[5][9]
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]Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; the metal powder itself does not absorb water[21][22]
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]Not documented
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[23]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][23]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[20]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[20]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[24][25]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][26]25 (colorFabb copper) and 30 (colorFabb bronze), ISO 527-1A; Bambu Lab Sparkle 39 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527[3][4][6]
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][26]1940 ± 230 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
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]3–10 (colorFabb copper) and 5–10 (colorFabb bronze), ISO 527-1A; 11.7 for Bambu Lab Sparkle printed XY[3][4][6]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented75 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
Flexural modulusMPa3670 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]2350 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
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]23.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
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][26]Izod notched 4.5 kJ/m² for colorFabb bronzeFill and 10 kJ/m² for copperFill (ISO 180); Charpy unnotched 66.5 kJ/m² for Bambu Lab Sparkle[3][4][6]
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][26]32 ± 2 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.4 % in XY[1]Brittle — Proto-pasta describes both its iron and steel grades as more brittle than standard PLA in filament form[5][9]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785)[27]Not documented
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[27][1]Poor — no metal-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[28][29][30]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[27]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and Proto-pasta describes its iron and steel grades as more brittle than standard PLA[31][5][9]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[6]
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][26]82 by tensile (printed, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
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][26]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C157 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 158 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
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][26]56 (DSC, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
Melting point / Vicat°C214.5 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 219 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 210–212 (ISO 306)[2][1]156 peak melt (DSC, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[6]
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)[27][26]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[24]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[18]Degrades within weeks outdoors[32]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedProto-pasta markets its iron grade as rustable — the iron oxidises deliberately when exposed to moisture[5]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[18]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[23]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[18]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[18]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[18]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1]Proto-pasta magnetic iron PLA is ferromagnetic and responds to magnets[5]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[33]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[33]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[33]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[33]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[33]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[33]None needed in a normal room[33]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[17]Polishing is the intended finish — colorFabb and Proto-pasta both sell these grades to be sanded and buffed to a metallic shine[3][4][9]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[17]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[17]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedcolorFabb notes the metal fill increases die swell, so flow needs raising above plain PLA[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[34]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[35]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[34]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[35][36]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[34]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[37][36]

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. bronzeFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  4. copperFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Magnetic Iron PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Sparkle Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  7. PLA Metal — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Metal Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  9. Stainless Steel PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU Nylon-6 Glass Fiber (PA6-GF) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg — product page SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA Sparkle — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. bronzeFill — product page colorFabb US · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. YXPOLYER PA6-GF Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  25. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  26. FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-07 · tds
  27. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  33. 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
  34. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  36. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  37. 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