3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PAHT-CF vs TPU-CF

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

High-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF) guideCarbon-fibre TPU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PAHT-CF comparisonsMore TPU-CF comparisons
PAHT-CF vs TPU-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyHigh-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF)PACarbon-fibre TPUFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$59.98/kg median; $49.99–$69.98/kg across 2 dated product listings$107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 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]Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[3]
Densityg/cm³1.03 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 1.06 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[1][2]1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 60[1][4]107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50–70 across brands; Bambu Lab 50, Polymaker Fiberon PA612-CF15 70[1][4]One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[5]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[1][4]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Extrudr's FLEX HARD CF is the only carbon-filled flexible with a published datasheet found here[3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[4][1]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[5]
Typical applicationsUnder-bonnet and near-motor parts needing 170 °C-plus heat deflection with less humidity drift than PA6[1][2]Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[1]230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
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
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[6][7]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[8][9]
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][10]1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[6]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[7]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[1][11]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[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]Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-CF15[2]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[11]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; a flexible base plus chopped carbon fibre, which Prusa lists as a higher nozzle-clogging risk, and Extrudr requires a hardened nozzle[12][3][8]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[6]Not documented
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[6]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[8]
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][13]Moderate[11]
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]Not documented
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[1]60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[11]
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 groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[11]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[11]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[11]
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]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa3860 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 5137 ± 192 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 3991 ± 137 conditioned[1][2]35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[3]
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]380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Flexural modulusMPa4230 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.1 ± 0.8 printed XY dry and 7.7 ± 0.5 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 57.5 ± 3.4 and notched 22.8 ± 1.8 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[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]70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
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]Below average — no CF-grade creep test; the grade is 70 Shore D where a 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[3][19]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[18]Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[3]
Z strength as % of XY%51 (Bambu Lab) to 53 (Polymaker PA612-CF15), printed[1][2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C175 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 194 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C114 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 170 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C70 (Bambu Lab, DSC)[1]-24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C210 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 225 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 206 (Polymaker)[1][2]Vicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[3]
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[7]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[9]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[7]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[9]
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[7]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[9]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[7]Not biodegradable[9]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[7]Not accepted in household plastic collection[9]
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[20]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[20]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[20]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[20]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[20]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20]Open a window / occasional ventilation[20]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[15]Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[6]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[9]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[6]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[9]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[6]No practical vapour smoothing[9]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[9]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedTear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[21]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[22]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[21]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[21]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[22]

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. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  7. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  8. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  9. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · 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. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  20. 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
  21. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds