3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6 vs PLA-PHA

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

PA6 (Nylon 6) guidePLA/PHA blend guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6 comparisonsMore PLA-PHA comparisons
PA6 vs PLA-PHA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6 (Nylon 6)PAPLA/PHA blendPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/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]PLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[3]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[4]1.2 (ISO 1183)[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]Not documented
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]Not documented
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[3]
Typical applicationsWear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[1]General-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[1][8]195–220 (colorFabb)[3]
Bed temperature°C70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[1][8]50–60 (colorFabb)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[9][1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[8]0–100 %; colorFabb states the blend runs on both heated and unheated beds[3][10]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[8][1]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[10][11]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[8][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][12]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
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[13][12]Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[14]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[8]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[8]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[12][15]Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[16][17]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[9][18]Not documented
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then defects that Polymaker describes as very hard to diagnose[13]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 %[9][13]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[12]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[18][12]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[9][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][19]62–64 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[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][19]2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[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][19]4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[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][19]Not documented
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][19]2500–3300 flexural modulus (ISO 178, colorFabb)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented2.8–3.7 (ISO 179, notched, colorFabb)[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[19]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)[19]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate — colorFabb positions the blend as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA grades[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[20]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate[1]Poor — no PLA/PHA creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[21][22][23]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Below average — no S-N curve for the blend; colorFabb positions it as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA, which ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[24][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[13]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[19]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)[19]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[4]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[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[20]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[4]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[1]Degrades within weeks outdoors[25]
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[13][9]Not documented
Food contactPolymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[1]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]colorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[3]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[2]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[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]None needed in a normal room[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the toughness makes it gum rather than powder[8]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[8]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[8]Not documented
Support material pairingPVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[8]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[13]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[26]Chloroform dissolves the PLA phase (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C); THF and DMF need 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[27]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[26]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[27][28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[26]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[29][28]

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. PLA/PHA technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · 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. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  8. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  9. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  10. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  11. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  16. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  17. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  19. FDM Nylon 6 — data sheet (conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH) Stratasys · 2017-11 · tds
  20. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  28. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper