3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PAHT-CF vs PVB

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

High-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PAHT-CF comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PAHT-CF vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyHigh-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF)PAPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$59.98/kg median; $49.99–$69.98/kg across 2 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-temperature carbon-fibre nylon. Bambu Lab's PAHT-CF and Polymaker's PA612-CF15 both use a long-chain polyamide matrix for lower moisture uptake than PA6[1][2]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3]
Densityg/cm³1.03 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 1.06 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[1][2]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 60[1][5]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[5][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50–70 across brands; Bambu Lab 50, Polymaker Fiberon PA612-CF15 70[1][5]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[5][6]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[1][5]Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5][1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5][6]
Typical applicationsUnder-bonnet and near-motor parts needing 170 °C-plus heat deflection with less humidity drift than PA6[1][2]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[1]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed temperature°CNot documented75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanNot documented100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[7][8]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][9]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[7]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[8]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[1][10]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[3]
Extruder requirement0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA612-CF15 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[2]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-CF15[2]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[10]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[11][10]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[7]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[7]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — 0.88 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH for Bambu Lab PAHT-CF, a third of its PA6-CF; Polymaker's PA612-CF15 reaches 2.2 % equilibrium[1][2][12]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.88 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab PAHT-CF); 2.2 equilibrium (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[1][2]2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[3][13][4]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[1]Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA612-CF15 itself: at 2.57 % moisture tensile falls only 91.9 → 83.1 MPa and modulus 5137 → 3991 MPa — the PA612 backbone absorbs far less than PA6[2][14]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][10]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[10]Sealed with desiccant[10]
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker specifies an 80–100 °C dry and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the wet data it does publish is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[15][16]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa92 ± 7 (Bambu Lab) and 91.9 ± 2.0 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; the Polymaker grade only falls to 83.1 ± 2.2 conditioned to 2.57 % moisture[1][2]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[3][13][4]
Young's modulusMPa3860 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 5137 ± 192 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 3991 ± 137 conditioned[1][2]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][4]
Elongation at break%2.6 ± 0.2 dry (Polymaker PA612-CF15) to 8.4 ± 1.8 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 4.1 ± 0.3 conditioned[1][2]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[13]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa4230 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[13][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.1 ± 0.8 printed XY dry and 7.7 ± 0.5 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[2]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 57.5 ± 3.4 and notched 22.8 ± 1.8 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[1]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa47 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 48.3 ± 3.9 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Polymaker 35.6 ± 3.0 conditioned[1][2]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[13][4]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre long-chain nylon filament[17]Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 compound for sustained static and dynamic load with 110 °C continuous service; the long-chain PA612 matrix takes up 0.88 % at saturation, a third of the same maker's PA6-CF, so it holds dimension better[18][2]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[18]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%51 (Bambu Lab) to 53 (Polymaker PA612-CF15), printed[1][2]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C175 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 194 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][13][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C114 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 170 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][13][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C70 (Bambu Lab, DSC)[1]70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][13]
Melting point / Vicat°C210 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 225 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 206 (Polymaker)[1][2]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][13]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[15]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[8]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[8]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — less than PA6 but more than PA12[14][1]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[8]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[8]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[8]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker PA612-CF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[19]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[19]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[19]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[19]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19]Open a window / occasional ventilation[19]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[15]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[7]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[7]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[7]Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[20]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[13]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[21]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[11]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[21]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[21]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[22][11]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PAHT-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  3. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  8. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  12. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  13. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  14. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  16. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  17. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  18. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. 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
  20. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc