3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6-GF vs PVA

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

Glass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF) guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6-GF comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
PA6-GF vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA6 (PA6-GF)PAPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$59.98/kg median; $39.99–$130.00/kg across 6 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA6 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — Polymaker's grade is 25 wt%[1][2]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (Bambu Lab) and 1.20 (Polymaker Fiberon), ISO 1183[2][1]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 40–130; the middle of the market is about 60[2][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[7][5][8][9]
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][7][6][10]42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[7][5][8][11][9]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][5][7][6][10]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][5][8][11][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][7][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[7][5]
Typical applicationsStiff, heat-resistant structural parts where a matte finish and lower cost beat carbon fibre[2][1]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[2]215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2]Open frame is fine[4]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documentedPart cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[12]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[13][14]PEI sheet or painter's tape[12]
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][15]4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Sticks to most surfaces[12]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[14]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[2][16]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[16][4]
Extruder requirement0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[2]A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[4]
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[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA6-GF25[1]Non-abrasive[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[16]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[13]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[12]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[13]No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[12]
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]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[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]10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
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[17]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[16]
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][17]Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[16]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[16]Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[16][4]
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[18][19]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][20]Not documented
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][20]Not documented
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]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3670 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
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]Not documented
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][20]Not documented
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][20]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 2.4 % in XY[1]Not documented
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785)[21]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[21][1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[21]Poor — fails after a few cycles[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Not documented
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][20]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[3]
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][20]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C157 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 158 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][1]Not documented
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][20]60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C214.5 (Polymaker Fiberon) and 219 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 210–212 (ISO 306)[2][1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[3]
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)[21][20]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[18]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[14]Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[4]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[14]Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[4][12]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift[17]Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[4][3]
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[14]Not offered as a food-contact material[3]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[14]PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[12]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[14]Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[12]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker Fiberon, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1]Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[22]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[22]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp 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 emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[22]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[22]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
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[13]Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[12]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[13]Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[12]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[13]Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[4]
Support material pairingNot documentedThis is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[23]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[24][25]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[23]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[23]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[24]

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. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PA6-GF Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  19. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  20. FDM PA6/66-GF30-FR — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-07 · tds
  21. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. 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
  23. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  24. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  25. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds