3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-CF vs PLA-GF

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

Carbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guideGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-CF comparisonsMore PLA-GF comparisons
PC-CF vs PLA-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PCGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings$44.99/kg median; $29.99–$59.99/kg across 2 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]PLA filled with chopped glass fibre — 12 wt% (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF), 15–20 wt% (eSUN PLA-GF). Bambu Lab PLA Galaxy uses glass microspheres, not fibre, and is not equivalent[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.31 (eSUN) to 1.337 (Polymaker), ISO 1183 / GB/T 1033[3][4]
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 30[11][12]
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]30–60 across brands; Polymaker 30, Proto-pasta 60[11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][8][13]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[11][12][4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[6][8]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[12][14]
Typical applicationsStiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[1][2]Stiff brackets and fixtures; the Polymaker grade is aimed at parts 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]210–230 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Bed temperature°C110 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]25–60 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][15]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[1]Fan on — eSUN specifies 100 %[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[16]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented28 at Polymaker's stated 350 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; eSUN prints its specimens at 60 mm/s[3][4][17]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[1][15]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16][18]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[18]Not documented
Shrinkage%Not documented0.05 in X-Y and Z, 0.10 diagonal (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[15][1]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[15]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[15]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[19][16][20]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[16]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[16]Hardened steel or ruby nozzle; Polymaker's own slicer preset sets a minimum nozzle hardness of 40 HRC[3]
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[21][22][19]Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[23][24]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]Not documented
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60 °C for 6 h (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[25]Not documented
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[18][25]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[25]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[18]Not documented
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]50.1 as printed and 50.2 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 59.3 by GB/T 1040[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[1][2]3794 as printed, 4207 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[3]
Elongation at break%4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2]2.77 as printed, 2.3 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 7.99[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]86.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[1][2]3685 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 4415 flexural modulus by GB/T 9341[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]5.31 ± 0.46 as printed and 4.92 ± 0.50 annealed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); Z 4.28 ± 0.18[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Izod 10.16 kJ/m² (eSUN, GB/T 1843)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][22]23.7 as printed, 22.5 annealed, printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[3]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Very brittle — elongation at break 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][22]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[26][1]Poor — no GF-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][28][29]
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[26]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation at break falls to 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[30][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented47 as printed (23.7 Z against 50.1 XY), printed[3]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedeSUN describes high wear resistance and positions the grade for wear parts[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[1]75.5 as printed, 114.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the point of the material[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][22]59.7 as printed, 84 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C127 (3DXTech, DSC)[2]59.8 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented174.9 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 148.9 as printed, 148.3 annealed[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[22]Not documented
Annealing responseNot documentedAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 75.5 to 114.7 °C and modulus from 3794 to 4207 MPa[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[18]Degrades within weeks outdoors[31]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[18]Not documented
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[18]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[18]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[18]Not documented
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[32]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[32]
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[32]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[32][15]None needed in a normal room[32]
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[33]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[16]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[16]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[16]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[16]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedNear-zero shrinkage — 0.05 % in X-Y and Z (Polymaker)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[34]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[35]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[34]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[35][36]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[37]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[38][36]

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. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  4. eSUN ePLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.0 (Nov 2023) eSUN (copy hosted on 3d.nice-cdn.com) · 2023-11 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Galaxy Bambu Lab · 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. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  23. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  24. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  27. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  31. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  32. 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
  33. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  34. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  35. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  36. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  37. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  38. 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