3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6/66 vs PLA-CF

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

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

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6/66 comparisonsMore PLA-CF comparisons
PA6/66 vs PLA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA66 (Nylon 66)PACarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshotsNot documented$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 66, condensed from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid; melts around 40 °C above PA6[1]PLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (extruded unfilled PA66 stock)[4]1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[5][3][6]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[7][8][6][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[8][7][6][11][9][12][10]
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[13][14]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][6][11]
Spool sizes & diametersNot documented1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[11][6][14]
Typical applicationsNot documentedStiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[5][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[7]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[5][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[5][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[5][3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[5][15][3][16]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[5]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[15][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[15]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Not documentedHardened steel required[15][3]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedHighly abrasive — standard CF composite[15][17]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[18][19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[15]
Hotend requirementNot documentedHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[17][15]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[15][3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %)[19]Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][3]
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]0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h[5][3]
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 %[20][18]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[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]31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[5][3][6]
Young's modulusMPa2413 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638; converted from 350,000 psi)[4]2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[5][3][6]
Elongation at break%50 at break on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638)[4]8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[5][3][6]
Flexural strengthMPa113.8 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 16,500 psi)[4]51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[5][3]
Flexural modulusMPa3034 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 440,000 psi)[4]3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[5][3][6]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[5][3]
Other impact dataIzod 53 J/m on extruded PA66 stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4]Charpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[5][3]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedBrittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[3][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]71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[21]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[22][23][21]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[24][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[18]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[5][3]
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]54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[5][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]50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[5][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented62–63 (DSC)[5][3]
Melting point / Vicat°C255 melting on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D2133; converted from 491 °F)[4]162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[5][3]
Continuous service temperature°C85 long term and 149 short term on extruded PA66 stock (converted from 185 °F and 300 °F)[4]50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[22][23][21]
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]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[25]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Electrical & ESD propertiesVolume resistance 1e15 ohm-cm and dielectric constant 4 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D257, D150)[4]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[26]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[26]
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[26]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[26]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[26]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[26]None needed in a normal room[26]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
Post-Processing
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[5][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[5][3][27][28]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~80 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[29]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[30]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[29]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[30][31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[29]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[32][31]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  3. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  7. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 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. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — 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. 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
  27. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  28. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. 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