3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6 vs PET-CF

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

PA6 (Nylon 6) guideCarbon-fibre PET (PET-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6 comparisonsMore PET-CF comparisons
PA6 vs PET-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6 (Nylon 6)PACarbon-fibre PET (PET-CF)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $26.00–$49.98/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]Semi-crystalline PET reinforced with carbon fibre — a different polymer from PETG-CF, with the glycol modifier removed so the matrix can crystallise[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]1.29 (Bambu Lab) and 1.34 (Fiberon PET-CF17), ISO 1183[3][4]
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 spools cluster near 45[3][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]26–50 across brands; ELEGOO 26 in a 5 kg pack, Bambu Lab 45, Fiberon 50[9][3][8]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6]Available from several mainstream brands[3][8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[6]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[8][3]
Typical applicationsWear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[1]Load-bearing parts that must survive above PETG's 70 °C ceiling without moving to PA or PC[3][4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[1][10]260–290 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed temperature°C70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[1][10]80–100 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[11][1]Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[10]0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[10][1]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[12][13]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — half the speed it allows for PETG-CF[3][14]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10][1]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[12][13]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[13]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; the filament must be kept dry throughout the print[1][15]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[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; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for carbon-filled composites[17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[10]Slightly sensitive[18]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[10]No special hot-end required[18]
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][19]Moderate — 0.37 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 % equilibrium (Fiberon)[3][4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.37 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 equilibrium (Fiberon PET-CF17)[3][4]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[11][20]80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab) — the longest and hottest dry in the polyester family; Fiberon specifies 100 °C for 10 h[3][4]
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 %[11][16]Bambu Lab publishes its whole mechanical table under the heading "Mechanical Properties (Dry state)" — the quoted figures apply only to dried filament[3]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[20][15]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[15][13]
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[11][20]The 80–100 °C dry both suppliers mandate is far above the 55–65 °C used for PETG, consistent with a melt-hydrolysis risk in the semi-crystalline PET matrix; neither publishes a molecular-weight loss figure[3][4]
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]65.9 (Fiberon) to 74 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4]
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]4730 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5481 ± 224 (Fiberon) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4]
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 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4]
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]109.3 ± 2.0 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4]
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]4744 ± 136 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.1 ± 0.2 printed XY, ISO 179 notched (Fiberon PET-CF17); unnotched 25.1 ± 2.8[4]
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]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)[21]27.9 (Fiberon) and 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[3][4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Very brittle — elongation at break 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z[4]
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[22]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate[1]Good — no creep test found; annealed PET-CF holds a 105 °C HDT at 1.8 MPa and a 4730–5481 MPa modulus against 1500–2311 for PETG[4][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Below average — no S-N curve; elongation at break is 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z, against 5.2–9.3 % for unfilled PETG[4]
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]42 (Fiberon) to 47 (Bambu Lab), printed[3][4]
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 documented147.5 (Fiberon) and 205 (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]105 (Fiberon) and 182 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]75 (Bambu Lab) and 79.3 (Fiberon), DSC[3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented241.3 (Fiberon) and 250 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 226–238[3][4]
Annealing responseNot documentedThe PET matrix crystallises on annealing, which is what separates this grade from PETG-CF[4][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[22]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[5]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[23]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[1]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis — the usual reason to choose a polyamide[1]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[13]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — a conditioned part is measurably softer and larger than the same part dry[16][11]Not documented
Food contactPolymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[1]Not certified for food contact as filament[13]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[13]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Not accepted in household plastic collection[13]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-CF17, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[4]
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]Not documented
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][3]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the toughness makes it gum rather than powder[10]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[18]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[10]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[18]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[10]No practical vapour smoothing[18]
Support material pairingPVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[10]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[18]
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]Bambu Lab markets it on low warping and shrinkage relative to other high-temperature composites[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[24]None common; fluorinated solvents such as hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve linear polyester at 23 °C. Laboratory only.[25][26]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[24]Ensinger rates polyester not resistant to chloroform or dichloromethane and only conditionally resistant to acetone and MEK.[26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[24]Dichloromethane attacks polyester and can be brushed on, but the carbon fibre blocks any useful surface flow.[26][27]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PET-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Fiberon PET-CF17 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 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. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  12. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  13. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 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. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · 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. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  26. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc