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 (standard) 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 (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$59.98/kg median; $39.99–$130.00/kg across 6 dated product listings$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA6 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — Polymaker's grade is 25 wt%[1][2]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (Bambu Lab) and 1.20 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 1183[2][1]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[3][5][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 40–130; the middle of the market is about 60[2][6][7]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[8][9][10]
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[6][2][11][7][12]10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[13][14][15][16]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][6][11][7][12]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[17][18]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][11][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[8][19][20][15][21]
Typical applicationsStiff, heat-resistant structural parts where a matte finish and lower cost beat carbon fibre[2][1]Concept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[22]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[3][8][23]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[2]190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[3][5][4]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[3][5][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2]Open frame is fine[5][17]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[3][18]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[24][25]Smooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][26][18]
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][27]12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[27]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[28][17]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[24]Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[5][4][18]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[25]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][18][29]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[2][30]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[17][18]
Extruder requirement0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[2]Any extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[17]
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[17]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA6-GF25[1]Non-abrasive[28][17]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[30]Very low[17][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[24]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[26][31]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[24]Any standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[17]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[28][17]
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 — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[4][5][32]
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]0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][5]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[2]50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[5][4][31]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[33]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[30]
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][33]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[30]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[30]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][18]
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[34][35]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][36]35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[3][5][4][37][38]
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][36]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][5][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]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][4][3]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][39]
Flexural modulusMPa3670 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][39]
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]3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[5][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][36]Charpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[3][4]
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][36]17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][38]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.4 % in XY[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[26][28]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785)[40]81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[3][41]
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[40][1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[42][43]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[40]Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[44][26]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[28]
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][36]77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][4][38]
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][36]55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3][5][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C157 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 158 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1]54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3][5][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][36]55–61 (DSC)[3][5][4]
Melting point / Vicat°C214.5 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 219 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 210–212 (ISO 306)[2][1]145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[22][5][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[28][38]
Annealing responseNot documentedBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[4][45]
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)[40][36]96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[46]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[34]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[25]Degrades within weeks outdoors[26][22]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[22][26]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[25]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[5][26]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[33]Good — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[4][47]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[25]Base resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[26][47]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[25]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[47][26][4]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[25]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[47]
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[48]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[48]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[48]4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[48]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[48]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[48]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[48]Lactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[48]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[48]None needed in a normal room[48]
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[24]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[22][26]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[24]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[26][23]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[24]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[26]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[28][4][18]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[49]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[50]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[49]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[50][51]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[49]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[52][51]

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. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. SUNLU Nylon-6 Glass Fiber (PA6-GF) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg — product page SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER PA6-GF Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  23. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  35. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  36. FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-07 · tds
  37. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  38. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  40. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  41. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  43. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  44. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  45. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  46. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  47. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  48. 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
  49. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  50. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  51. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  52. 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