3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6/66 vs PETG-CF

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

PA66 (Nylon 66) guideCarbon-fibre PETG (PETG-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6/66 comparisonsMore PETG-CF comparisons
PA6/66 vs PETG-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA66 (Nylon 66)PACarbon-fibre PETG (PETG-CF)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshotsNot documented$29.99/kg median; $16.00–$74.22/kg across 11 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 66, condensed from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid; melts around 40 °C above PA6[1]PETG reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (extruded unfilled PA66 stock)[4]1.25 (Bambu Lab) to 1.34 (3DXTech), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.27[2][5][3]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools span 16–74; the middle of the market is about 29[2][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented16–74 across brands; ELEGOO 16 in a 5 kg pack, Reli3D 17, SUNLU 20, IEMAI 22, Siraya Tech 25, Bambu Lab 32, Sakata 3D 53, 3DXTech 67, Prusament 70, Filament PM 74 on 0.5 kg spools[13][2][14][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — no unfilled PA66 filament appeared in any catalogue searched, and the 3DXTech nylon range offers PA6, PA12 and a 6/66 copolymer but no straight PA66[14][15]Stocked by most mainstream brands[2][14][6][13]
Spool sizes & diametersNot documented1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[14][2]
Typical applicationsNot documentedStiff functional parts and fixtures where PETG's toughness is traded for rigidity and a matte finish[2][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented240–270 (Bambu Lab); 265 ± 10 (Prusament)[2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented65–75 (Bambu Lab); 90 ± 10 (Prusament)[2][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Open frame fine; draught shield helps — Bambu Lab specifies a 35–50 °C chamber[2]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented35–50 (Bambu Lab)[2]
Part cooling fanNot documented0–60 % (Bambu Lab); 50 % (Prusament)[2][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedTextured PEI or engineering plate with glue (Bambu Lab)[2]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented11.5 on My Tech Fun's Bambu Lab PETG-CF profile[16]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds the right surface or a thin adhesive[2]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — the fibre reduces stringing against unfilled PETG[2][17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Not documentedHardened steel required[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedHighly abrasive — standard CF composite[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[18][19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher, and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[20][21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[17]
Hotend requirementNot documentedHardened steel nozzle; no high-temperature hot-end needed[2][17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %)[19]Low — 0.30 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%8.5 at saturation on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D570) — the highest uptake of any polymer in this dataset[4]0.30 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.10 after 7 days at 22 % RH[2][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented65 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19]
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 %[22][18]No dry-versus-conditioned figures published; Bambu Lab states PETG-CF must be properly dried before printing and stored dry after use[2][19]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; Bambu Lab says store dry after use[2][19]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa82.7 at yield and 84.8 at break on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638; converted from 12,000 and 12,300 psi) — no printed figure exists because no unfilled PA66 filament was found[4]35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 47 ± 2 at yield (Prusament) printed XY, ISO 527; 56 at break for 3DXTech[2][3][5]
Young's modulusMPa2413 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638; converted from 350,000 psi)[4]2460 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 1700 (Prusament) printed XY, ISO 527[2][3]
Elongation at break%50 at break on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638)[4]4.3 at yield (Prusament, printed XY, ISO 527); 3 at break for 3DXTech[3][5]
Flexural strengthMPa113.8 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 16,500 psi)[4]68 ± 3 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa3034 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 440,000 psi)[4]2300 printed horizontal, 3100 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament)[3]
Other impact dataIzod 53 J/m on extruded PA66 stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4]Charpy unnotched 29 ± 6 printed horizontal and 43 ± 8 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1); Izod 4.91 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun bars[3][16]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented29 ± 4 printed Z (Bambu Lab, ISO 527); 18 ± 3 by Prusa's interlayer adhesion test; 10.7 on My Tech Fun bars[2][3][16]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedBrittle — snaps with little warning[5]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785)[4]77 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedBelow average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 16.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, less than plain PETG's 19.4[16]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Moderate — no CF-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[18]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented83 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]
Wear resistance & frictionWear factor 200e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D3702); Ensinger lists very good slide and wear properties[4]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C232 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 450 °F)[4]74 (Bambu Lab) and 96 (Prusament), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C90 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 194 °F) — the gap to the 0.45 MPa figure is the widest in the dataset[4]68 (Bambu Lab) and 80 (Prusament), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented68 (Bambu Lab) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[2][5]
Melting point / Vicat°C255 melting on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D2133; converted from 491 °F)[4]225 melting (Bambu Lab, DSC) — the carbon fibre lets the PET fraction crystallise[2]
Continuous service temperature°C85 long term and 149 short term on extruded PA66 stock (converted from 185 °F and 300 °F)[4]77 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature, against 61 for Bambu Lab PETG Basic[16]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K81.0 (extruded PA66 stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F)[4]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-2 on extruded PA66 stock[4]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedModerate — a season or two; the carbon fibre does not add UV stabilisation[24]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure, as for unfilled PETG[24]
Food contactNot documentedNot certified for food contact[24]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[24]
RecyclabilityNot documentedFibre-filled PETG is not accepted in household plastic collection[24]
Electrical & ESD propertiesVolume resistance 1e15 ohm-cm and dielectric constant 4 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D257, D150)[4]Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — carbon fibre at this loading is not static-dissipative (3DXTech)[5]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]
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[25]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[25]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[25]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25]Open a window / occasional ventilation[25]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[5]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands to a matte finish more readily than unfilled PETG[17]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds it[17]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[17]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA or its own material (Bambu Lab)[2]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte finish hides layer lines; stringing is reduced against unfilled PETG[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~80 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[26]No common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[27][28]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[26]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[26]Dichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Prusament PETG Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  4. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  5. CarbonX Carbon Fiber PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. SUNLU PETG-CF (PETG Carbon Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Fibreheart PETG-CF Pro Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI CF-PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PETG Filament 1.75 mm, 1 kg Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PET-G CF15 Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filament PM CFJet technical data sheet (TDS CFJet ENG.pdf) Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  13. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. CARBONX PETG+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  24. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. 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
  26. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc