3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PA6-GF vs PPA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF)PA | PPA (polyphthalamide)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $59.98/kg median; $39.99–$130.00/kg across 6 dated product listings | $45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PA6 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — Polymaker's grade is 25 wt%[1][2] | Polyphthalamide — a semi-aromatic polyamide in which aromatic diacid units replace part of the aliphatic backbone; Raise3D and Bambu Lab both label it high-temperature nylon[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.14 (Bambu Lab) and 1.20 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 1183[2][1] | 1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 40–130; the middle of the market is about 60[2][6][7] | One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[8] |
| 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[6][2][9][7][10] | 45 for the only unfilled PPA filament found — Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA at 1 kg; every other PPA in retail is carbon- or glass-filled[8] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][6][9][7][10] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[8] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][9][2] | 1.75 mm, 1 kg[8] |
| Typical applications | Stiff, heat-resistant structural parts where a matte finish and lower cost beat carbon fibre[2][1] | Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[5] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 260–290 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 280–300 (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 70–80 (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2] | Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[5] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[11][12] | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[5] |
| 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][13] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[2][14] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[5] |
| 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] | Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[5] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA6-GF25[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[5] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[14] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[5] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[11] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | May require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[11] | High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| 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] | High (0.8–2 %) — Siraya Tech publishes 2.59 % by ISO 62 immersion for the unfilled grade; on the equilibrium basis Bambu Lab uses, its 15 % carbon-filled PPA reaches 1.30 % against 2.35 % for the same maker's PA6-CF[5][4][15] |
| 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] | 2.59 by ISO 62 water immersion (Siraya Tech, unfilled) — an immersion figure, not the 25 °C / 55 % RH equilibrium basis the filled grades are quoted on, so the two are not directly comparable[5] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[2] | 80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Symptoms when wet | Popping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[16] | Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| 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][16] | Siraya Tech publishes dry against saturated for the same grade: tensile 70 → 60 MPa, flexural 114 → 87 MPa, HDT at 1.8 MPa 73.5 → 48.5 °C, while Charpy rises 10 → 14.5 kJ/m²[5][8] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[14] | Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| 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[17][18] | Not documented |
| 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][19] | 72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[5][8] |
| 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][19] | 3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| 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] | 10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[5][8] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3670 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| 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] | 10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[5] |
| 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][19] | 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][19] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.4 % in XY[1] | Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[5] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785)[20] | 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[20][1] | Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[3] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[20] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[5] |
| 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][19] | Not documented |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Siraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[5][8] |
| 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][19] | 81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 157 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 158 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1] | 73.5 dry and 48.5 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa, Siraya Tech) — unfilled PPA deflects near its Tg; the 190–227 °C figures quoted for PPA are carbon-filled grades[5][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][19] | 80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 214.5 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 219 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 210–212 (ISO 306)[2][1] | 231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[5] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | Siraya Tech's product page offers annealing for strength while its own data sheet says annealing is not recommended because the print can warp; on its 15 % carbon-filled PPA, annealing lifts HDT at 1.8 MPa from 82.5 to 119 °C[5][8][21] |
| 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)[20][19] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[17] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[12] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12] | Withstands fuels, oils and industrial chemicals; Bambu Lab rates semi-aromatic nylon better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis and most organic solvents[5][4] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Absorbs water, properties shift[16] | Absorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[5][8] |
| Food contact | Not food-contact certified as filament[12] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[12] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[12] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[22] | Not documented |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | Up to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[22] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | ≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[22] | Not documented |
| Hazardous species emitted | Caprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[22] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[22] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — gums rather than powders[11] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[11] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[23] | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[23] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[23] | Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[23] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[23] | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[23] |
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
- Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 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
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PA6-GF Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PA (Nylon) — 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
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 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