3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6/66 vs PLA

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

PA66 (Nylon 66) guidePLA (standard) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6/66 comparisonsMore PLA comparisons
PA6/66 vs PLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA66 (Nylon 66)PAPLA (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshotsNot documented$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 66, condensed from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid; melts around 40 °C above PA6[1]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.14 (extruded unfilled PA66 stock)[4]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[2][5][3]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documentedMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[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[13][14]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[15][16]
Spool sizes & diametersNot documented1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[6][17][18][11][19]
Typical applicationsNot documentedConcept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[20]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[2][6][21]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[2][5][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[2][5][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Open frame is fine[5][15]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[2][16]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedSmooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][22][16]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[23]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[24][15]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[5][3][16]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][16][25]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[15][16]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[15]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Not documentedBrass fine indefinitely[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedNon-abrasive[24][15]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[26][27]Very low[15][16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[22][28]
Hotend requirementNot documentedAny standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[15]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[24][15]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %)[27]Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[3][5][29]
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]0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[3][5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[5][3][28]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[27]
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 %[30][26]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[27]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[3][16]
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]35–52 (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[2][5][3][31][32]
Young's modulusMPa2413 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638; converted from 350,000 psi)[4]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][5][3]
Elongation at break%50 at break on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D638)[4]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][3][2]
Flexural strengthMPa113.8 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 16,500 psi)[4]76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[2][5][3][33]
Flexural modulusMPa3034 on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D790; converted from 440,000 psi)[4]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[2][5][3][33]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented3.3–7.9 (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, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[2][3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[2][3][32]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedBrittle — snaps with little warning[22][24]
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]81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[2][34]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[35][36]
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)[37][22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[26]Rigid[24]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][3][32]
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]55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2][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]54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2][5][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented55–61 (DSC)[2][5][3]
Melting point / Vicat°C255 melting on extruded PA66 stock (ASTM D2133; converted from 491 °F)[4]145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[20][5][3]
Continuous service temperature°C85 long term and 149 short term on extruded PA66 stock (converted from 185 °F and 300 °F)[4]50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[24][32]
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[3][38]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K81.0 (extruded PA66 stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F)[4]96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[39]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-2 on extruded PA66 stock[4]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[3][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[22][20]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[20][22]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[5][22]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[3][40]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[22][40]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[40][22][3]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[40]
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[41]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]
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[41]4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[41]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[41]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[41]
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[41]Lactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[41]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[41]None needed in a normal room[41]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[20][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[22][21]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[24][3][16]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~80 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[42]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[43]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[42]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[43][44]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[42]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[45][44]

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