3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-CF vs PETG-GF

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

Carbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guideGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-CF comparisonsMore PETG-GF comparisons
PC-CF vs PETG-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PCGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings$27.38/kg median; $18.99–$29.99/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]Glass-fibre reinforced polyester. Polymaker's Fiberon PET-GF15 uses a PET rather than a PETG matrix and carries 15 wt% glass fibre[3]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.43 (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 35–117; the middle of the market is about 63[4][5][6][7][8]1 kg spools cluster near 25[9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–117 across brands; Ambrosia 35, IEMAI 39, YXPOLYER 55, Spectrum PC CF 70, Prusament 94, 3DXTech 117[4][5][6][7][8]19–30 across brands; ELEGOO 19, Polymaker Fiberon 30[9][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][6][11]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[4][6]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[10]
Typical applicationsStiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[1][2]Stiff, dimensionally stable fixtures; the Fiberon grade is designed to be annealed for heat resistance[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C285 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C110 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][12]Not documented
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[13]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[14][15]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[1][12]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13][16]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[14][15]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[16]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[15]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[12][1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[12]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[12]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle, 0.25 mm layers and a 120 °C pre-dry[17][13][18]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]Slightly sensitive[19]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[13]No special hot-end required[19]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry[20][21][17]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[14]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[22]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[22]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[16][22]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[22]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[16]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[22][15]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa64 ± 3 printed horizontal and 70 ± 3 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 73 at break[1][2]59.9 ± 0.8 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[1][2]4144 ± 133 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Elongation at break%4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2]4.0 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]104.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[1][2]3705 ± 85 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]8.7 ± 0.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Charpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.0 printed XY (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 179)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][21]48.2 ± 0.3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 4.0 % in XY and 2.6 % in Z[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][21]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped; short carbon fibre raises the flexural modulus from about 2.1 to 3.5-6.5 GPa, which reduces creep strain further[23][1]Below average — no GF-grade creep test; the CF grades sagged to 14.8–16.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg against 17.1–20.4 mm unfilled[24][25][26]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. No fatigue test data was found for a carbon-fibre PC filament; the unfilled polymer is rated Good on the same scale[23]Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 4.0 % in XY against 5.2–9.3 % unfilled[3][27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented80 (Fiberon PET-GF15, printed Z against XY tensile)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[1]81.6 as printed, 133.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][21]71.8 as printed, 87.3 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C127 (3DXTech, DSC)[2]59.5 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented231.6 melting (DSC); Vicat 232.6 (ISO 306)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[21]Not documented
Annealing responseNot documentedAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 81.6 to 133.7 °C[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented20 along the print bead and 63–74 in the build direction at 30 °C (30 wt% GF, large-format printed, TMA)[28]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 HB at 1.5 mm (Fiberon PET-GF15)[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[16]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[16]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[15]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[16]Not certified for food contact as filament[15]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[16]Not biodegradable[15]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16]Not accepted in household plastic collection[15]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[2]Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-GF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[29]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[29]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[29]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[29][12]Open a window / occasional ventilation[29]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[13]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[19]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[13]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[13]No practical vapour smoothing[19]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[13]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[19]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[30]No common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[31][32]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[30]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[33]Dichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[32]

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. Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v2.0 Prusa Polymers · 2023-04 · tds
  2. CarbonX Carbon Fiber ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Fiberon PET-GF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Spectrum PC CF Carbon Black, 1.75 mm / 250 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI CF-PC 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER PC CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  15. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  24. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  28. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  29. 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
  30. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  31. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds