3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6-GF vs PLA+

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

Glass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF) guidePLA+ / Tough PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6-GF comparisonsMore PLA+ comparisons
PA6-GF vs PLA+ — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF)PAPLA+ / Tough PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$59.98/kg median; $39.99–$130.00/kg across 6 dated product listings$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA6 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — Polymaker's grade is 25 wt%[1][2]PLA compounded with impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (Bambu Lab) and 1.20 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 1183[2][1]1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 40–130; the middle of the market is about 60[2][5][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 16[7][8]
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[5][2][9][6][10]10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[11][8][12][13][14]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][5][9][6][10]Stocked by most mainstream brands[11][7][8][12][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][9][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[12][13][11]
Typical applicationsStiff, heat-resistant structural parts where a matte finish and lower cost beat carbon fibre[2][1]Functional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[15]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[2]190–230 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[3][4]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2]Open frame is fine[3][4]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[3][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[16][17]Textured or smooth PEI; Bambu Lab recommends glue stick or liquid glue for Tough+[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][18]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16]Sticks to anything[19]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[17]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[3][19]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[2][20]Easy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[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-GF25 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[1]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA6-GF25[1]Non-abrasive[22][21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[20]Very low[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[16]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[23]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[16]No special hot-end required[19]
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]Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[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]0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[4]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[2]55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[3][4]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[24]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[20]
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][24]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for the modified grades; the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a strength number[20]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[20]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][19]
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[25][26]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][27]35–43 (printed XY, ISO 527); 53 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars for Bambu Lab Tough[3][4][28][29]
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][27]1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[3][4][30][31]
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]5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[3][4][32][31]
Flexural modulusMPa3670 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]2140–2393 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3][4]
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]38.9–72.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched) — 5–9× plain PLA[3][4]
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][27]Charpy unnotched 80.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab Tough+); CNC Kitchen measured ~20 vs 5 kJ/m² for PolyLite PLA[4][28]
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][27]20.9–32.4 printed Z (ISO 527); 33.0 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars vs 27.6 for PLA Basic[3][4][29]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.4 % in XY[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3][4][28]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785)[33]78.8 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[34]
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[33][1]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 20.2 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, the same as plain PLA[29][35]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[33]Below average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[36][4][28]
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][27]60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[3][4]
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][27]55 (PolyMax) to 61 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C157 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 158 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1]52 (PolyMax) to 58 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4]
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][27]61 (DSC)[3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°C214.5 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 219 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 210–212 (ISO 306)[2][1]149–151 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 62 (ISO 306)[3][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented48–57 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature: 48 for Polymaker PLA Pro, 50 for Sunlu PLA+, 52 for Bambu Lab Tough, 57 for PolyTerra PLA+[29][37][34][35]
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)[33][27]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[38]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[25]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[17]Degrades within weeks outdoors[23][39]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[17]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3][4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[24]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[17]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[23]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[17]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[40][23]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[17]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[40]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[41]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[41]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[41]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[41]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[41]None needed in a normal room[41]
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[16]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[39][23]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[16]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[23][42]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[16]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[43]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[44]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[43]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[44][45]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[43]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[46][45]

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. PolyMax PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Tough+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. SUNLU Nylon-6 Glass Fiber (PA6-GF) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg — product page SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PA6-GF Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  26. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  27. FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-07 · tds
  28. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  29. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  31. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  37. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  39. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  40. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  41. 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
  42. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  43. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  44. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  45. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  46. 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