3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-CF vs rPETG

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

Carbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guideRecycled PETG (rPETG) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-CF comparisonsMore rPETG comparisons
PC-CF vs rPETG — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PCRecycled PETG (rPETG)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings$28.99/kg median; $17.24–$39.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]PETG regranulated from recycled polyester waste; Polymaker's Fiberon PETG-rCF08 adds 8 wt% recycled carbon fibre[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.27 (Prusament) and 1.30 (Fiberon PETG-rCF08), ISO 1183[3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 35–117; the middle of the market is about 63[6][7][8][9][10]1 kg spools cluster near 29[8][11][12][13]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–117 across brands; Ambrosia 35, IEMAI 39, YXPOLYER 55, Spectrum PC CF 70, Prusament 94, 3DXTech 117[6][7][8][9][10]17–40 across brands; Filament PM RePETG 17, 3DXTech ECOMAX 26, GreenGate3D 32, Fiberon rCF08 40[8][11][12][13]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][8][14]Available from several mainstream brands[8][11][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[6][8]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 1 and 3 kg spools[12][11]
Typical applicationsStiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[1][2]Not documented
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[1]±0.05 (Prusament PETG Recycled), against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][15]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C285 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]250 ± 10 (Prusament); 230–255 (Spectrum)[3][4]
Bed temperature°C110 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]80 ± 10 (Prusament); 60–80 (Spectrum)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][16]Open frame is fine — Spectrum states a closed chamber is not necessary[4]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[1]50 % (Prusament); up to 100 % (Spectrum)[3][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[17]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[15][18]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[1][16]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[17][19]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[15][18]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[19]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[18]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[16][1]Easy — minor profile tuning; Spectrum describes printing as similar to standard PETG[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[16]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[16]Not documented
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[20][17][21]Low — recycled PETG prints on the same hardware as virgin PETG: no special hot-end, no drybox and no hardened nozzle[22][23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[17]Slightly sensitive[22]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[17]No special hot-end required[22]
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[24][25][20]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — recycled PETG shares the virgin matrix, which reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[15]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]0.07 after 24 h and 0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[26]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[26]
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[19][26]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[26]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[19]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[26][18]
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]43 ± 1.8 printed horizontal at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament), against 47 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 52 at yield on moulded specimens[3][15][4]
Young's modulusMPa2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[1][2]1500 printed horizontal, 1600 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 527-1) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[3][15]
Elongation at break%4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2]4.5 at yield printed (Prusament); Spectrum quotes 400 at break on moulded specimens[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]63 ± 1 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament), against 66 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][15]
Flexural modulusMPa3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[1][2]1800 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 15 ± 3 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Charpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][25]15 ± 5 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test), against 18 ± 4 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][15]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][25]74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[3][15]
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[27][1]Below average — no recycled-grade creep test; virgin PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[28][29][30][31]
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[27]Moderate — no recycled-grade S-N curve; virgin printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[32]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[1]68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 70[3][15][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][25]68 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C127 (3DXTech, DSC)[2]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[25]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[33]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[19]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[19]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[18]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[19]Not certified for food contact as filament[18]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Not biodegradable[18]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[19]The feedstock itself — Spectrum describes collecting, shredding and re-homogenising PETG waste[4]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[34]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[34]
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[34]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[34][16]Open a window / occasional ventilation[34]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[17]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[22]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[17]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[22]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[17]No practical vapour smoothing[22]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[17]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[22]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[35]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[36][37]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[35]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[36]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[38]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[37]

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. Prusament PETG Recycled Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Spectrum r-PETG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Fiberon PETG-rCF08 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Spectrum PC CF Carbon Black, 1.75 mm / 250 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI CF-PC 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PC CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. GreenGate3D Recycled PET-G — product data GreenGate3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filament PM RePETG technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  14. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  16. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  26. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  28. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  34. 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
  35. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  36. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  37. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds