3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ESD vs PEEK-CF

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

ESD-safe PC guideFibre-reinforced PEEK guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ESD comparisonsMore PEEK-CF comparisons
PC-ESD vs PEEK-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe PCPCFibre-reinforced PEEKHIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$180.00/kg median; $180.00–$180.00/kg across 1 dated product listings$597.50/kg median; $448.00–$695.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate compounded with a conductive filler for static-dissipative parts[1]Short-fibre reinforced PEEK. 3DXTech's CarbonX grade is nominally 10 wt% carbon and its FibreX grade 20 wt% glass; LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PEEK CF 9676 is 15 wt% carbon; Ensinger's machining stock runs to 30 wt% carbon[2][3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech); Stratasys specific gravity 1.195 (ASTM D792)[1][6]1.39 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 180[3]1 kg-equivalent spools span 448–972; the middle of the market is about 598[3][4][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg180 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in this group[3]448-972 across formats and filler types; IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK and GF-PEEK 448 at 1 kg, 3DXTech CarbonX PEEK+CF10 598 at 2 kg and FibreX PEEK+GF20 695 at 1 kg, Luvocom 3F PEEK CF 9676 648 at 2 kg[3][4][7][8]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[3]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[3]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[3][4]
Typical applicationsElectronics fixtures and trays that need PC heat resistance and static dissipation together[1]Stiff aerospace and oil-and-gas parts where PEEK alone is not rigid enough[2]
Printing Parameters
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[9][10]Actively heated chamber required[11][12]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[13]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[9][10]Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre cuts PEEK's crystallisation shrinkage[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13][14]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[14]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[9]Expert / industrial hardware only[11][12]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Hardened steel required[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry[15]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers to the mandatory 120 °C pre-dry[16][17]
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[18][19][15]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.06 in 24 h on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D570)[5]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]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[14][20]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[16]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[14]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa68 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) — above the 58 of 3DXTech's unfilled ezPC; Stratasys prints 47.6-49.4 at yield in XZ (ASTM D638)[1][21][6]105 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10); 121 at yield on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[2][5]
Young's modulusMPa2300 (printed XY, ISO 527); Stratasys prints 1960 in XZ and 1810-1910 in ZX (ASTM D638)[1][6]8100 (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10) — more than double unfilled PEEK; 6343 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[2][5]
Elongation at break%6 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 14 for the unfilled grade[1][21]3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 28 for unfilled PEEK[2][22]
Flexural strengthMPa95 (printed XY, ISO 178); Stratasys prints 82.6-83.2 at break in XZ against 46.3-49.5 in ZX (ASTM D790)[1][6]136 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 193 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[2][5]
Flexural modulusMPa2310 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]8300 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 7171 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[2][5]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 61.9 J/m on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 1.16 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32.5-37.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the Fortus 450mc and F900)[6]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation falls from 28 % to 3 %[2][22]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for an ESD grade[23]Rockwell M107 on extruded PEEK-CF30 stock (ASTM D785), against M100 unfilled[5][24]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Moulded unfilled PC was still running unbroken under 41 MPa tensile creep at room temperature when the test was stopped, and the conductive filler leaves the glass transition unchanged at 142 °C, so the creep mechanism is polycarbonate's[25][6]Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger rates carbon-fibre PEEK stock as very highly creep resistant and specifies 260 °C continuous service[5]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedGood. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep; the fibre cuts elongation at break from 28 % to 3 %, which limits repeated large-strain flexing[26][2][22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%68-77 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638)[6]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C143-146 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi); 135 moulded[6]265 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) against 140 for unfilled PEEK[2][22]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C140-144 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); 124 moulded[6]316 on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 600 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 142 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426)[1][6]143 (DSC, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) — the fibre does not move the glass transition[2]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented334 melting on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 633 °F[5]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[19]260 long-term on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 500 °F; 300 short term[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K68.4 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D696; source states 3.8e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a conductive-filled grade[23]14.4 (extruded PEEK-CF30 stock, ASTM D696; source states 0.80e-5 in/in/°F) — about a third of unfilled PEEK[5][24]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 on the base resin; Ensinger lists extruded PEEK-CF30 stock as inherently flame resistant[22][5]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[14]Not documented
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[14]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[14]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[14]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ezPC[1][21]Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (ASTM D257)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[27]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[27]
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[27]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27][9]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27]
Dust & fibre handling hazardConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
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, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[28]95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves the matrix at 40–70 °C and leaves the fibre. Nothing else touches PEEK.[29][30]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[28]Concentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[31][30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[32]None — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[31][30]

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. 3DXSTAT ESD-PC Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. CarbonX Carbon Fiber PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. TECAPEEK CF30 black (PEEK-CF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PC-ESD — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-10 · tds
  7. IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D GF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  11. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  12. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. 3DXSTAT ESD-PC — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  16. CARBONX PEEK+CF10 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  22. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  26. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 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
  28. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  29. The Effects of Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Ion Exchange Preparation Conditions on Membrane Properties Yee, Zhang & Ladewig, Membranes 3(3) 182–195 · 2013-07 · paper
  30. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  31. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds