3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-GF vs PLA Metal

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

Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guideMetal-filled PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-GF comparisonsMore PLA Metal comparisons
PC-GF vs PLA Metal — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PCMetal-filled PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings$79.69/kg median; $24.99–$94.99/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[1]PLA loaded with real metal powder — bronze, copper, steel or iron. Bambu Lab's PLA Sparkle TDS states it has "metal particles included in its composition"; its separately sold PLA Metal does not, and the store page says so explicitly[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Densityg/cm³1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[1]1.26 (Bambu Lab Sparkle, a trace-metal glitter grade) up to 3.9–4.0 for colorFabb bronze and copper and 2.3 for Proto-pasta steel, ISO 1183[5][2][3][8]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 71[9]1 kg spools cluster near 78[10][11][4]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[9][1]25–95 across brands; Bambu Lab Sparkle 25, Proto-pasta iron 65, colorFabb bronze and copper 84, Proto-pasta steel 95[10][4][11][8]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands — neither Polymaker's nor 3DXTech's polycarbonate range contains a glass-fibre grade, but BASF Forward AM and Owens Corning both sell one through European retail[9][1][12][13]Available from several mainstream brands[11][4][8][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.1, 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 1.5 kg spools[14][11]
Typical applicationsFunctional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[1]Decorative castings and props that are polished or left to patinate; the density gives prints a metallic heft[2][4]
Diameter tolerance± mm+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]195–220 (colorFabb bronze and copper); 192 (Proto-pasta iron); 198 (Proto-pasta steel); 190–230 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[2][4][8][5]
Bed temperature°C80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]50–60 (colorFabb, Proto-pasta); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[2][4][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[15][16]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedOn (colorFabb copper); 0–100 % (colorFabb bronze)[2][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPerforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[1]Glass plate with glue stick or tape (colorFabb)[2][3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented1.6–2.4 at Proto-pasta's 20–30 mm/s for iron and steel, 3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4][8][2][17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedIntermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; brittle in filament form and slow to print[4][8]
Extruder requirementOwens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[1]Proto-pasta advises an extrusion width 0.05 mm larger than the nozzle and warns that feeding is inconsistent below 0.4 mm and on Bowden machines[4][8]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[1]Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[4][8]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[1]Moderately abrasive — metal fill[4][8]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and Prusa lists glass-filled composites as a higher clogging risk[18][19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[8]
Hotend requirementNot documentedProto-pasta recommends a wear-resistant or larger nozzle for longer service intervals[4][8]
Other hardware wearNot documentedProto-pasta warns of more frequent nozzle replacement and first-layer adjustment[4][8]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[1]Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; the metal powder itself does not absorb water[20][21]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[1]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[22][23]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[23]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]25 (colorFabb copper) and 30 (colorFabb bronze), ISO 527-1A; Bambu Lab Sparkle 39 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527[2][3][5]
Young's modulusMPa5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]1940 ± 230 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Elongation at break%2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]3–10 (colorFabb copper) and 5–10 (colorFabb bronze), ISO 527-1A; 11.7 for Bambu Lab Sparkle printed XY[2][3][5]
Flexural strengthMPa113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]75 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Flexural modulusMPa5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]2350 ± 140 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented23.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 4.5 kJ/m² for colorFabb bronzeFill and 10 kJ/m² for copperFill (ISO 180); Charpy unnotched 66.5 kJ/m² for Bambu Lab Sparkle[2][3][5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented32 ± 2 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[1]Brittle — Proto-pasta describes both its iron and steel grades as more brittle than standard PLA in filament form[4][8]
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 glass-fibre grade[24]Not documented
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, and 30 wt% glass raises the tensile modulus from about 2.3 to 5.4 GPa[25][1]Poor — no metal-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[26][27][28]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedPoor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and Proto-pasta describes its iron and steel grades as more brittle than standard PLA[29][4][8]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[5]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented82 by tensile (printed, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[1]56 (DSC, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Melting point / Vicat°C270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[1]156 peak melt (DSC, Bambu Lab Sparkle)[5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K26.2 in XY and 77.4 in Z (printed, ISO 11359-2) — a threefold anisotropy, and the lowest in-plane expansion of any polycarbonate here[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Good — years with some colour shift. Owens Corning lists UV resistance as a product benefit but publishes no exposure data[1]Degrades within weeks outdoors[30]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedProto-pasta markets its iron grade as rustable — the iron oxidises deliberately when exposed to moisture[4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[1]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesElectrically insulating (Owens Corning)[1]Proto-pasta magnetic iron PLA is ferromagnetic and responds to magnets[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[31]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[31]
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[31]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[31][16]None needed in a normal room[31]
Dust & fibre handling hazardOwens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedPolishing is the intended finish — colorFabb and Proto-pasta both sell these grades to be sanded and buffed to a metallic shine[2][3][8]
Dimensional accuracy & detailHigh dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[1]colorFabb notes the metal fill increases die swell, so flow needs raising above plain PLA[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[32]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[33]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[32]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[33][34]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[35]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[36][34]

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. XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · tds
  2. bronzeFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  3. copperFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Magnetic Iron PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Sparkle Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PLA Metal — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Metal Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  8. Stainless Steel PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
  9. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PLA Sparkle — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. bronzeFill — product page colorFabb US · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. TECANAT natural (PC) — 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. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  30. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  31. 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
  32. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  33. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  34. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  36. 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