3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PC-ESD vs PPA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe PCPC | PPA (polyphthalamide)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $180.00/kg median; $180.00–$180.00/kg across 1 dated product listings | $45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polycarbonate compounded with a conductive filler for static-dissipative parts[1] | Polyphthalamide — a semi-aromatic polyamide in which aromatic diacid units replace part of the aliphatic backbone; Raise3D and Bambu Lab both label it high-temperature nylon[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.24 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech); Stratasys specific gravity 1.195 (ASTM D792)[1][4] | 1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 180[6] | One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[7] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 180 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in this group[6] | 45 for the only unfilled PPA filament found — Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA at 1 kg; every other PPA in retail is carbon- or glass-filled[7] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[6] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[7] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[6] | 1.75 mm, 1 kg[7] |
| Typical applications | Electronics fixtures and trays that need PC heat resistance and static dissipation together[1] | Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[5] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 280–300 (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 70–80 (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[8][9] | Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[5] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[10] | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[5] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Severe — heated chamber needed[8][9] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10][11] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[11] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[8] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[5] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[5] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[5] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry[12] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[5] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[10] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[10] | High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry[13][14][12] | High (0.8–2 %) — Siraya Tech publishes 2.59 % by ISO 62 immersion for the unfilled grade; on the equilibrium basis Bambu Lab uses, its 15 % carbon-filled PPA reaches 1.30 % against 2.35 % for the same maker's PA6-CF[5][3][15] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 2.59 by ISO 62 water immersion (Siraya Tech, unfilled) — an immersion figure, not the 25 °C / 55 % RH equilibrium basis the filled grades are quoted on, so the two are not directly comparable[5] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16] | Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No 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[11][16] | Siraya Tech publishes dry against saturated for the same grade: tensile 70 → 60 MPa, flexural 114 → 87 MPa, HDT at 1.8 MPa 73.5 → 48.5 °C, while Charpy rises 10 → 14.5 kJ/m²[5][7] |
| Storage requirement | Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[11] | Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 68 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][17][4] | 72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[5][7] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2300 (printed XY, ISO 527); Stratasys prints 1960 in XZ and 1810-1910 in ZX (ASTM D638)[1][4] | 3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Elongation at break% | 6 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 14 for the unfilled grade[1][17] | 10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 95 (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] | 115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[5][7] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2310 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[5] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 32.5-37.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the Fortus 450mc and F900)[4] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[5] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell 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[18] | Not documented |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Excellent — 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[19][4] | Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[5] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 68-77 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638)[4] | Not documented |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Siraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[5][7] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 143-146 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi); 135 moulded[4] | 81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 140-144 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); 124 moulded[4] | 73.5 dry and 48.5 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa, Siraya Tech) — unfilled PPA deflects near its Tg; the 190–227 °C figures quoted for PPA are carbon-filled grades[5][3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 143 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 142 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426)[1][4] | 80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[5] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[14] | Not documented |
| Annealing response | Not documented | Siraya Tech's product page offers annealing for strength while its own data sheet says annealing is not recommended because the print can warp; on its 15 % carbon-filled PPA, annealing lifts HDT at 1.8 MPa from 82.5 to 119 °C[5][7][20] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 68.4 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D696; source states 3.8e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a conductive-filled grade[18] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[11] | Withstands fuels, oils and industrial chemicals; Bambu Lab rates semi-aromatic nylon better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis and most organic solvents[5][3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Absorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[5][7] |
| Food contact | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[11] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[11] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[11] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ezPC[1][17] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21] | Not documented |
| 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[21] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[21][8] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[10] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[10] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[10] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[10] | Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[22] | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[23] |
| Softened or crazed by | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[22] | Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[23] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[24] | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[23] |
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
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PC Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PC-ESD — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-10 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PC — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds