3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6 vs PC-FR

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

PA6 (Nylon 6) guideFlame-retardant PC (PC-FR) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6 comparisonsMore PC-FR comparisons
PA6 vs PC-FR — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6 (Nylon 6)PAFlame-retardant PC (PC-FR)PC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$87.50/kg median; $54.99–$224.00/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 6, ring-opened from caprolactam — the most hygroscopic of the common nylons[1][2]Flame-retardant polycarbonate. Polymaker builds its grade on Covestro's Makrolon family and rates it UL 94 V-0[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]1.18 (Bambu Lab) and 1.2 (Polymaker), ISO 1183[4][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–136; the middle of the market is about 104, though budget unfilled PA6 has now arrived at 39[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 55–224; the two mainstream 1 kg grades are 55 and the industrial grades 120–224[4][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg39–136 across brands; YXPOLYER 39, 3DXTech iOn Nylon 6 Alloy 104, WearX Nylon 6 136. Unfilled PA6 filament stays rare — most PA6 reaches the market glass- or carbon-filled[6][7]55–224 across brands; Bambu Lab and Polymaker 55, 3DXTech FR PC/ABS 120, 3DXLABS FR-PC 224[4][8][6]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6]Available from several mainstream brands[4][8][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[6]1.75 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[8][6][4]
Typical applicationsWear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[1]Electrical enclosures, transport interiors and battery housings that must meet a flammability rating[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab PC FR)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[1][9]260–280 (Bambu Lab); 250–270 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Bed temperature°C70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[1][9]90–110 (Bambu Lab); 90–105 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[10][1]Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker 70–100 °C[4][3]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented45–60 (Bambu Lab); 70–100 (Polymaker)[4][3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[9]0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[9][1]Smooth or textured PEI plate (Bambu Lab)[4]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4][11]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSevere — heated chamber needed[3][12]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9][1]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13][14]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[14]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; the filament must be kept dry throughout the print[1][15]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[4][12]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Brass fine indefinitely[12]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet nylon pops and cracks in the melt[16][15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 6 h pre-dry at 80 °C[17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[9]Slightly sensitive[13]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[9]All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[13]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker groups nylon with PVA as the most moisture-prone class, and its own PA6-based composites reach 2.35–3.33 % equilibrium[15][18]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.12 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab), half that of unfilled Bambu Lab PC[4][19]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.12 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[10][20]75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[3]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then defects that Polymaker describes as very hard to diagnose[16]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15]
Effect of moisture on strengthMeasured dry against wet on printed specimens at 6.16 % moisture (Polymaker CoPA): tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa, Young's modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, flexural strength 109.8 → 22.6 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m² and elongation 12.7 → 13.2 %[10][16]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[14][15]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[20][15]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[14]
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker requires a 100 °C dry for 8 h and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the published wet data is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[10][20]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa62 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned to 20 °C / 50 % RH gives 67.6 ultimate and 49.3 at yield printed XZ (ASTM D638)[5][21]60 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 67 ± 4.5 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[4][3]
Young's modulusMPa2110 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2232 printed XZ and 1817 ZX (ASTM D638)[5][21]1670 ± 40 (Bambu Lab) and 2634 ± 182 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[4][3]
Elongation at break%9 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 38 printed XZ against 3.2 in ZX (ASTM D638)[5][21]2.4 ± 0.3 (Bambu Lab) and 3.49 ± 0.7 (Polymaker) at break, printed XY, ISO 527 — the retardant roughly halves unfilled PC's elongation[4][3][22]
Flexural strengthMPa78 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 97.2 printed XZ and 82 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][21]96.6 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2200 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2196 printed XZ and 1879 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][21]2518 ± 53 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented11.7 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker)[3]
Other impact dataIzod notched 106 J/m printed XZ against 43 J/m in ZX; unnotched 2873 against 192 J/m (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D256 Method A) — a 15x anisotropy unnotched[21]Notched Charpy 7.5 ± 1.6 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa36.5 ultimate and 28.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D638)[21]21 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) and 46 ± 4.8 (Polymaker) printed Z, ISO 527[4][3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[4][3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785); no figure is published for a PA6 filament[23]Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a flame-retardant filament[24]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate[1]Good. Moulded unfilled PC sustained 41 MPa tensile creep at room temperature without breaking, but the retardant package drops the glass transition to 115 °C in Polymaker's grade, so the unfilled rating is not carried over in full[25][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[16]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%54 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned, ZX against XZ ultimate tensile, ASTM D638); 59 on the yield figures[21]35 (Bambu Lab) to 69 (Polymaker), printed[4][3]
Wear resistance & friction3DXTech sells a dedicated wear-resistant PA6 grade; abrasion resistance is the usual reason to choose PA6 over PA12[6]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented110 (Polymaker) and 113 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C93 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[21]107 (Polymaker) and 108 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]115 (Polymaker) and 145 (Bambu Lab), DSC[3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 114 (Bambu Lab, ISO 306)[4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[26]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a PA6 filament, and PA6 and PA66 expand almost identically[23]68.4 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D696; source states 3.8e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a flame-retardant grade[24]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[5]UL 94 V-0 (Polymaker PolyMax PC-FR); 3DXTech rates its FR PC/ABS V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin[3][27]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[1]Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[14]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis — the usual reason to choose a polyamide[1]Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[14]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — a conditioned part is measurably softer and larger than the same part dry[16][10]Not documented
Food contactPolymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[1]Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[14]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[14]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[14]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[2]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[2]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[2]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[2]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[2]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[2]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[2]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[2][12]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the toughness makes it gum rather than powder[9]Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[13]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[9]Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[13]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[9]No practical vapour smoothing[13]
Support material pairingPVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[9]Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[13]
Dimensional accuracy & detailParts grow as they absorb moisture after printing; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[16]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[28]Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[29]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[28]Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[29]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[28]Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[30]

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. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  2. 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
  3. PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. iOn PA6-based Nylon Alloy Technical Data Sheet v2.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. YXPOLYER PA6 Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  11. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. 3DXTech Firewire FR-PC/ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  21. FDM Nylon 6 — data sheet (conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH) Stratasys · 2017-11 · tds
  22. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  26. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  27. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  30. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds