3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6 vs PC-GF

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

PA6 (Nylon 6) guideGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6 comparisonsMore PC-GF comparisons
PA6 vs PC-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6 (Nylon 6)PAGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 6, ring-opened from caprolactam — the most hygroscopic of the common nylons[1][2]Polycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[3]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[4]1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[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[5][6]1 kg spools cluster near 71[7]
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[5][6]71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[7][3]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — neither Polymaker's nor 3DXTech's polycarbonate range contains a glass-fibre grade, but BASF Forward AM and Owens Corning both sell one through European retail[7][3][8][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[3]
Typical applicationsWear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[1]Functional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[1][9]280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[3]
Bed temperature°C70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[1][9]80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[10][1]Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[11][12]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[9]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[9][1]Perforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9][1]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; the filament must be kept dry throughout the print[1][13]Not documented
Extruder requirementNot documentedOwens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet nylon pops and cracks in the melt[14][13]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and Prusa lists glass-filled composites as a higher clogging risk[15][16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[9]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[9]Not documented
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[13][17]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documentedBelow 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[3]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[10][18]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then defects that Polymaker describes as very hard to diagnose[14]Not documented
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][14]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[19][13]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[18][13]Not documented
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][18]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)[4][20]65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[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)[4][20]5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[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)[4][20]2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[3]
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)[4][20]113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[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)[4][20]5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[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[20]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa36.5 ultimate and 28.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D638)[20]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[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[21]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 glass-fibre grade[22]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate[1]Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped, and 30 wt% glass raises the tensile modulus from about 2.3 to 5.4 GPa[23][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[14]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[20]Not documented
Wear resistance & friction3DXTech sells a dedicated wear-resistant PA6 grade; abrasion resistance is the usual reason to choose PA6 over PA12[5]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C93 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[20]137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[4]145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[3]
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[21]26.2 in XY and 77.4 in Z (printed, ISO 11359-2) — a threefold anisotropy, and the lowest in-plane expansion of any polycarbonate here[3]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[4]UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[1]Good — years with some colour shift. Owens Corning lists UV resistance as a product benefit but publishes no exposure data[3]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis — the usual reason to choose a polyamide[1]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — a conditioned part is measurably softer and larger than the same part dry[14][10]Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[3]
Food contactPolymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[1]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedElectrically insulating (Owens Corning)[3]
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]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedOwens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the toughness makes it gum rather than powder[9]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[9]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[9]Not documented
Support material pairingPVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[9]Not documented
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[14]High dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[24]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[25]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[24]Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[24]Dichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[26]

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. XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · tds
  4. iOn PA6-based Nylon Alloy Technical Data Sheet v2.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. YXPOLYER PA6 Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 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. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  18. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  19. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. FDM Nylon 6 — data sheet (conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH) Stratasys · 2017-11 · tds
  21. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  24. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  26. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds