3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-FR vs PET-CF

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

Flame-retardant PC (PC-FR) guideCarbon-fibre PET (PET-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-FR comparisonsMore PET-CF comparisons
PC-FR vs PET-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant PC (PC-FR)PCCarbon-fibre PET (PET-CF)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$87.50/kg median; $54.99–$224.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $26.00–$49.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryFlame-retardant polycarbonate. Polymaker builds its grade on Covestro's Makrolon family and rates it UL 94 V-0[1][2]Semi-crystalline PET reinforced with carbon fibre — a different polymer from PETG-CF, with the glycol modifier removed so the matrix can crystallise[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (Bambu Lab) and 1.2 (Polymaker), ISO 1183[2][1]1.29 (Bambu Lab) and 1.34 (Fiberon PET-CF17), ISO 1183[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 55–224; the two mainstream 1 kg grades are 55 and the industrial grades 120–224[2][5]1 kg spools cluster near 45[3][5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg55–224 across brands; Bambu Lab and Polymaker 55, 3DXTech FR PC/ABS 120, 3DXLABS FR-PC 224[2][5][6]26–50 across brands; ELEGOO 26 in a 5 kg pack, Bambu Lab 45, Fiberon 50[7][3][5]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[3][5][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][6][2]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5][3]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures, transport interiors and battery housings that must meet a flammability rating[1][2]Load-bearing parts that must survive above PETG's 70 °C ceiling without moving to PA or PC[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab PC FR)[2]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–280 (Bambu Lab); 250–270 (Polymaker)[2][1]260–290 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed temperature°C90–110 (Bambu Lab); 90–105 (Polymaker)[2][1]80–100 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber, Polymaker 70–100 °C[2][1]Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab); 70–100 (Polymaker)[2][1]45–60 (Bambu Lab)[3]
Part cooling fan0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[2]0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth or textured PEI plate (Bambu Lab)[2]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[8][9]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][10]8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — half the speed it allows for PETG-CF[3][10]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[1][11]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12][13]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[8][9]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[13]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[9]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][11]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[11]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 6 h pre-dry at 80 °C[14]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for carbon-filled composites[15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Slightly sensitive[16]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[12]No special hot-end required[16]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.12 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab), half that of unfilled Bambu Lab PC[2][17]Moderate — 0.37 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 % equilibrium (Fiberon)[3][4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.12 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]0.37 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 equilibrium (Fiberon PET-CF17)[3][4]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab) — the longest and hottest dry in the polyester family; Fiberon specifies 100 °C for 10 h[3][4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]
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[13][18]Bambu Lab publishes its whole mechanical table under the heading "Mechanical Properties (Dry state)" — the quoted figures apply only to dried filament[3]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[13]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[18][9]
Hydrolysis at melt temperatureNot documentedThe 80–100 °C dry both suppliers mandate is far above the 55–65 °C used for PETG, consistent with a melt-hydrolysis risk in the semi-crystalline PET matrix; neither publishes a molecular-weight loss figure[3][4]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa60 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 67 ± 4.5 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[2][1]65.9 (Fiberon) to 74 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa1670 ± 40 (Bambu Lab) and 2634 ± 182 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527[2][1]4730 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5481 ± 224 (Fiberon) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4]
Elongation at break%2.4 ± 0.3 (Bambu Lab) and 3.49 ± 0.7 (Polymaker) at break, printed XY, ISO 527 — the retardant roughly halves unfilled PC's elongation[2][1][19]2.4 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa96.6 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]109.3 ± 2.0 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2518 ± 53 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]4744 ± 136 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11.7 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker)[1]5.1 ± 0.2 printed XY, ISO 179 notched (Fiberon PET-CF17); unnotched 25.1 ± 2.8[4]
Other impact dataNotched Charpy 7.5 ± 1.6 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) and 46 ± 4.8 (Polymaker) printed Z, ISO 527[2][1]27.9 (Fiberon) and 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[3][4]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[2][1]Very brittle — elongation at break 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z[4]
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 a flame-retardant filament[20]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Moulded unfilled PC sustained 41 MPa tensile creep at room temperature without breaking, but the retardant package drops the glass transition to 115 °C in Polymaker's grade, so the unfilled rating is not carried over in full[21][1]Good — no creep test found; annealed PET-CF holds a 105 °C HDT at 1.8 MPa and a 4730–5481 MPa modulus against 1500–2311 for PETG[4][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedBelow average — no S-N curve; elongation at break is 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z, against 5.2–9.3 % for unfilled PETG[4]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%35 (Bambu Lab) to 69 (Polymaker), printed[2][1]42 (Fiberon) to 47 (Bambu Lab), printed[3][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C110 (Polymaker) and 113 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]147.5 (Fiberon) and 205 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C107 (Polymaker) and 108 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]105 (Fiberon) and 182 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C115 (Polymaker) and 145 (Bambu Lab), DSC[1][2]75 (Bambu Lab) and 79.3 (Fiberon), DSC[3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 114 (Bambu Lab, ISO 306)[2]241.3 (Fiberon) and 250 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 226–238[3][4]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[22]Not documented
Annealing responseNot documentedThe PET matrix crystallises on annealing, which is what separates this grade from PETG-CF[4][3]
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 flame-retardant grade[20]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 (Polymaker PolyMax PC-FR); 3DXTech rates its FR PC/ABS V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin[1][23]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[24]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[13]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[13]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[9]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[13]Not certified for food contact as filament[9]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[13]Not biodegradable[9]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[13]Not accepted in household plastic collection[9]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-CF17, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]
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[25]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25][11]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25][3]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[12]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[16]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[12]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[16]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[12]No practical vapour smoothing[16]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[12]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[16]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedBambu Lab markets it on low warping and shrinkage relative to other high-temperature composites[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[26]None common; fluorinated solvents such as hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve linear polyester at 23 °C. Laboratory only.[27][28]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[26]Ensinger rates polyester not resistant to chloroform or dichloromethane and only conditionally resistant to acetone and MEK.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[29]Dichloromethane attacks polyester and can be brushed on, but the carbon fibre blocks any useful surface flow.[28][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. PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PET-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Fiberon PET-CF17 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  9. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  11. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. 3DXTech Firewire FR-PC/ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  20. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  22. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  23. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  25. 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
  26. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  27. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  28. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  30. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc