3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-CF vs PLA-PHA

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

Carbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guidePLA/PHA blend guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-CF comparisonsMore PLA-PHA comparisons
PC-CF vs PLA-PHA — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PCPLA/PHA blendPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]PLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[3]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.2 (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]Not documented
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]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][6][9]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[4][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[3]
Typical applicationsStiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[1][2]General-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C285 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]195–220 (colorFabb)[3]
Bed temperature°C110 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]50–60 (colorFabb)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][11]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[1]0–100 %; colorFabb states the blend runs on both heated and unheated beds[3][12]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[13]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[12][14]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[1][11]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13][15]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[15]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[11][1]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[11]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[11]Non-abrasive[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[16][13][17]Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[13]Not documented
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[19][20][16]Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[21][22]
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[23]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[15][23]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[23]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[15]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]62–64 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[1][2]2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[3]
Elongation at break%4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2]4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[1][2]2500–3300 flexural modulus (ISO 178, colorFabb)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]2.8–3.7 (ISO 179, notched, colorFabb)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][20]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Moderate — colorFabb positions the blend as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA grades[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][20]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[24][1]Poor — no PLA/PHA creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[25][26][27]
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[24]Below average — no S-N curve for the blend; colorFabb positions it as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA, which ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[28][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[1]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][20]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C127 (3DXTech, DSC)[2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[20]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[15]Degrades within weeks outdoors[29]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[15]Not documented
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[15]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]colorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[3]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[15]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[30]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[30]
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[30]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[30][11]None needed in a normal room[30]
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[13]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[13]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[13]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[13]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[31]Chloroform dissolves the PLA phase (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C); THF and DMF need 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[32]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[31]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[32][33]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[34]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[35][33]

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