3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ESD vs PLA-CF

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

ESD-safe PC guideCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ESD comparisonsMore PLA-CF comparisons
PC-ESD vs PLA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe PCPCCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$180.00/kg median; $180.00–$180.00/kg across 1 dated product listings$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate compounded with a conductive filler for static-dissipative parts[1]PLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech); Stratasys specific gravity 1.195 (ASTM D792)[1][4]1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[5][3][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 180[7]1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[8][9][6][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg180 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in this group[7]19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[9][8][6][12][10][13][11]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[7]Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][6][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[12][6][14]
Typical applicationsElectronics fixtures and trays that need PC heat resistance and static dissipation together[1]Stiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[5][3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[8]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[5][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[5][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[15][16]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[5][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[17]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[5][18][3][19]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[15][16]None[5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[17][20]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[20]Slight[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[15]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[18][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[18]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Hardened steel required[18][3]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[18][21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry[22]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[17]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[17]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[21][18]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[18][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[23][24][22]Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h[5][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[20][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[20]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][26][4]31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[5][3][6]
Young's modulusMPa2300 (printed XY, ISO 527); Stratasys prints 1960 in XZ and 1810-1910 in ZX (ASTM D638)[1][4]2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[5][3][6]
Elongation at break%6 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 14 for the unfilled grade[1][26]8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[5][3][6]
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][4]51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[5][3]
Flexural modulusMPa2310 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[5][3][6]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[5][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa32.5-37.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the Fortus 450mc and F900)[4]15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[5][3]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[3][5]
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[27]71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[28]
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[29][4]Poor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[30][31][28]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[32][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%68-77 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638)[4]48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[5][3]
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[4]54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[5][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C140-144 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); 124 moulded[4]50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[5][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 142 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426)[1][4]62–63 (DSC)[5][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[5][3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[24]50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[30][31][28]
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[27]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[33]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[20]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[20]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[20]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[20]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ezPC[1][26]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[34]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[34]
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[34]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[34][15]None needed in a normal room[34]
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[17]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[17]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[17]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[17]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[5][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[5][3][35][36]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[37]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[38]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[37]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[38][39]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[40]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[41][39]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  3. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PC-ESD — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-10 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  17. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. 3DXSTAT ESD-PC — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  27. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  30. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  34. 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
  35. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  36. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  37. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  38. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  39. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  40. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  41. 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