3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6 vs PLA

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

PA6 (Nylon 6) guidePLA (standard) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6 comparisonsMore PLA comparisons
PA6 vs PLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6 (Nylon 6)PAPLA (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 6, ring-opened from caprolactam — the most hygroscopic of the common nylons[1][2]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[3][6][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[7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][10][11]
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[7][8]10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[12][13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[16][17]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[9][18][19][14][20]
Typical applicationsWear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[1]Concept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[21]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[3][9][22]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[1][23]190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[3][6][4]
Bed temperature°C70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[1][23]25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[3][6][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[24][1]Open frame is fine[6][16]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[23]100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[3][17]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[23][1]Smooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[6][25][17]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[26]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[27][16]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[23][1]Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[6][4][17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[6][17][28]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; the filament must be kept dry throughout the print[1][29]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[16][17]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[16]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Brass fine indefinitely[16]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[27][16]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet nylon pops and cracks in the melt[30][29]Very low[16][17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[23]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[25][31]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[23]Any standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[16]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[27][16]
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[29][32]Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[4][6][33]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][6]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[24][34]50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[6][4][31]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then defects that Polymaker describes as very hard to diagnose[30]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[29]
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 %[24][30]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[29]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[34][29]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][17]
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[24][34]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][35]35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[3][6][4][36][37]
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][35]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][6][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][35]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[6][4][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)[5][35]76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[3][6][4][38]
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][35]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[3][6][4][38]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[6][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[35]Charpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[3][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa36.5 ultimate and 28.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D638)[35]17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][37]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[25][27]
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[39]81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[3][40]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate[1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[41][42]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[43][25]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[30]Rigid[27]
Z strength as % of XY%54 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned, ZX against XZ ultimate tensile, ASTM D638); 59 on the yield figures[35]77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[6][4][37]
Wear resistance & friction3DXTech sells a dedicated wear-resistant PA6 grade; abrasion resistance is the usual reason to choose PA6 over PA12[7]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3][6][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C93 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[35]54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3][6][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]55–61 (DSC)[3][6][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[21][6][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[27][37]
Annealing responseNot documentedBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[4][44]
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[39]96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[45]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[5]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][6]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[1]Degrades within weeks outdoors[25][21]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[21][25]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis — the usual reason to choose a polyamide[1]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[6][25]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — a conditioned part is measurably softer and larger than the same part dry[30][24]Good — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[4][46]
Food contactPolymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[1]Base resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[25][46]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[46][25][4]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[46]
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]4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[2]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[2]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[2]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[2]Lactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[2]
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[23]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[21][25]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[23]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[25][22]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[23]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[25]
Support material pairingPVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[23]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[6][4]
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[30]Good — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[27][4][17]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[47]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[48]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[47]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[48][49]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[47]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[50][49]

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. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. iOn PA6-based Nylon Alloy Technical Data Sheet v2.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER PA6 Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  22. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  25. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  33. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  34. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  35. FDM Nylon 6 — data sheet (conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH) Stratasys · 2017-11 · tds
  36. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  37. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  39. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  43. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  44. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  45. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  46. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  47. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  48. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  49. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  50. 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