3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6/66 vs PETG-ESD

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

PA66 (Nylon 66) guideESD-safe PETG guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6/66 comparisonsMore PETG-ESD comparisons
PA6/66 vs PETG-ESD — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA66 (Nylon 66)PAESD-safe PETGPETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshotsNot documented$102.99/kg median; $65.98–$140.00/kg across 2 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 66, condensed from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid; melts around 40 °C above PA6[1]PETG compounded with a conductive filler to bring surface resistivity into the static-dissipative range[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (extruded unfilled PA66 stock)[4]1.24 (Fiberon) and 1.28 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools span 66–140; the middle of the market is about 103[5][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented66–140 across brands; Fiberon PETG-ESD 66, 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG 140[5][6]
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[6][5]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][6]
Spool sizes & diametersNot documented1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[5][6]
Typical applicationsNot documentedElectronics fixtures, trays and jigs handled around static-sensitive components[2][3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented250–290 (Fiberon)[2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented70–80 (Fiberon); 70 (3DXTech)[2][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Open frame is fine — Fiberon specifies room-temperature chamber[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[7][8]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documentedFiberon rates the material to 500 mm/s, equivalent to 40 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — a machine-limited headline rather than a measured melt rate[2][9]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[7][8]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[8]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; resistivity depends on getting the nozzle temperature right[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Not documentedHardened steel required[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedModerately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[10][11]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-PETG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[12]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[13]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[13]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %)[11]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 65 °C, 4 h pre-dry[7][12]
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]0.41 equilibrium water absorption (Fiberon PETG-ESD)[2]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented65 °C for 3 h (Fiberon)[2]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[11]
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 %[14][10]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[11]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[11][8]
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]36.1 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 50 at break[2][3]
Young's modulusMPa2413 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638; converted from 350,000 psi)[4]1983 ± 75 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[2]
Elongation at break%50 at break on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638)[4]7.3 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 13 at break[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa113.8 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 16,500 psi)[4]54.0 ± 2.5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa3034 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 440,000 psi)[4]1651 ± 141 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon)[2]
Other impact dataIzod 53 J/m on extruded PA66 stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4]Charpy unnotched 29.3 ± 2.2 printed XY (Fiberon, ISO 179)[2]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented20.7 ± 0.6 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[2]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedModerate[2]
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]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedBelow average — no ESD-grade creep test; unfilled PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[15][16][17][18]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Moderate — no ESD-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[19]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[10]Slightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented57 (Fiberon, 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]76 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Fiberon)[2]
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]72 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Fiberon)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented77 (Fiberon) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[2][3]
Melting point / Vicat°C255 melting on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D2133; converted from 491 °F)[4]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 86 (Fiberon, ISO 306)[2]
Continuous service temperature°C85 long term and 149 short term on extruded PA66 stock (converted from 185 °F and 300 °F)[4]Not documented
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 for standard grades[20]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[8]
Food contactNot documentedNot certified for food contact as filament[8]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[8]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[8]
Electrical & ESD propertiesVolume resistance 1e15 ohm-cm and dielectric constant 4 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D257, D150)[4]Surface resistivity falls with nozzle temperature: 7.0×10⁶–1.6×10⁷ ohm at 250 °C, 3.2×10⁵–4.7×10⁵ at 270 °C and below 1×10⁴ at 290 °C (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq[2][3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]
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[21]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[21]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[21]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[21]Open a window / occasional ventilation[21]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[13]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[13]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[13]
Support material pairingNot documentedPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[13]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedNozzle temperature has to be held steady — it moves surface resistivity by three orders of magnitude[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~80 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[22]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[23][24]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[22]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[23]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[22]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[24]

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. Fiberon PETG-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  3. 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  8. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  15. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  16. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  20. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  21. 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
  22. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc