3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-CF vs PLA HS

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

Carbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guideHigh-Speed PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-CF comparisonsMore PLA HS comparisons
PC-CF vs PLA HS — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PCHigh-Speed PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]PLA with rheology and crystallisation tuned for high volumetric flow; melt index 15.4 g/10 min vs 7–11 for standard PLA[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 35–117; the middle of the market is about 63[5][6][7][8][9]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–117 across brands; Ambrosia 35, IEMAI 39, YXPOLYER 55, Spectrum PC CF 70, Prusament 94, 3DXTech 117[5][6][7][8][9]11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][7][16]Stocked by most mainstream brands[17][12][18]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[5][7]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[10][12]
Typical applicationsStiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[1][2]Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[19][17]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[1]±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[20]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C285 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[3][17]
Bed temperature°C110 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][21]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][22]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[1]Fan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[23]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented≈24 at 300 mm/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer; 30 % more flow than regular PLA at the same temperature[3][17][19][24]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[1][22]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[23][25]Sticks to anything[26]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[25]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[22][1]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[17][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[22]Brass fine indefinitely[27]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[22]Non-abrasive[28][27]
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[29][23][30]Very low[27]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[23]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[31]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[23]No special hot-end required[26]
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[32][33][29]Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3][21]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[34]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[34]
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[25][34]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[34]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[25]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[21][26]
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]43.9 at 300 mm/s and 46.0 at 46.7 mm/s (printed XY, ISO 527); 58.6 on My Tech Fun bars for Creality Hyper PLA[3][35]
Young's modulusMPa2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[1][2]2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2]15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[1][2]2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Printing at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][33]32.4 at 300 mm/s, 37.3 at classic speed (printed Z, ISO 527); 35.3 for Creality Hyper PLA vs 23.0 for average PLA on identical bars[3][35]
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][33]78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[36]
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[37][1]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[35]
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[37]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[38][31]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[1]53 (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][33]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C127 (3DXTech, DSC)[2]59 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[33]53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[35]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[39]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[21][4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[25]Degrades within weeks outdoors[31][40]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[25]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[21]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[25]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[31]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[25]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[41][31]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[25]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[41]
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[42]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[42]
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[42]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[42][22]None needed in a normal room[42]
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[23]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[40][31]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[23]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[31][43]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[23]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[31]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[23]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[44]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[45]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[44]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[45][46]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[47]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[48][46]

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. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Spectrum PC CF Carbon Black, 1.75 mm / 250 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI CF-PC 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER PC CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  20. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  29. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  34. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  38. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  39. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  40. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  41. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  42. 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
  43. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  45. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  46. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  47. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  48. 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