3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-CF vs PLA

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

Carbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guidePLA (standard) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-CF comparisonsMore PLA comparisons
PC-CF vs PLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PCPLA (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[3][5][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 35–117; the middle of the market is about 63[6][7][8][9][10]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[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]10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[14][15][16][17]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][8][18]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[19][20]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[6][8]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[11][21][22][16][23]
Typical applicationsStiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[1][2]Concept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[24]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[1]±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[3][11][25]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C285 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[3][5][4]
Bed temperature°C110 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[3][5][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][26]Open frame is fine[5][19]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[1]100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[3][20]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[27]Smooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][28][20]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[29]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[1][26]None[30][19]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[27][31]Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[5][4][20]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[31]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][20][32]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[26][1]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[19][20]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[19]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[26]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[26]Non-abrasive[30][19]
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[33][27][34]Very low[19][20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[27]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[28][35]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[27]Any standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[19]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[30][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[36][37][33]Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[4][5][38]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[5][4][35]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[39]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[39]
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[31][39]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[39]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[31]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][20]
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]35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[3][5][4][40][41]
Young's modulusMPa2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[1][2]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][5][4]
Elongation at break%4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][4][3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][42]
Flexural modulusMPa3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[1][2]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][42]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[5][4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Charpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[3][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][37]17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][41]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[28][30]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][37]81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[3][43]
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[44][1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[45][46]
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[44]Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[47][28]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[30]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][4][41]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[1]55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3][5][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][37]54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3][5][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C127 (3DXTech, DSC)[2]55–61 (DSC)[3][5][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[24][5][4]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[37]50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[30][41]
Annealing responseNot documentedBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[4][48]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[49]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[31]Degrades within weeks outdoors[28][24]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[24][28]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[31]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[5][28]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[4][50]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[31]Base resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[28][50]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[31]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[50][28][4]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[31]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[50]
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[51]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[51]
VOC emission rateµg/minNot documented4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[51]
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[51]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[51]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedLactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[51]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[51][26]None needed in a normal room[51]
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[27]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[24][28]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[27]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[28][25]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[27]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[28]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[27]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[30][4][20]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[52]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[53]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[52]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[53][54]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[55]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[56][54]

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 PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  25. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  36. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  37. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  38. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  39. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  40. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  41. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  43. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  44. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  45. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  46. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  47. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  48. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  49. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  50. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  51. 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
  52. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  53. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  54. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  55. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  56. 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