3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-GF vs PLA+

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

Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guidePLA+ / Tough PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-GF comparisonsMore PLA+ comparisons
PC-GF vs PLA+ — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PCPLA+ / Tough PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[1]PLA compounded with impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[1]1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[2][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 71[4]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 16[5][6]
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[4][1]10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[7][6][8][9][10]
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[4][1][11][12]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][5][6][8][9]
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; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[8][9][7]
Typical applicationsFunctional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[1]Functional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[2][3]
Diameter tolerance± mm+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[1]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[13]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]190–230 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[2][3]
Bed temperature°C80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[2][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[14][15]Open frame is fine[2][3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[2][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPerforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[1]Textured or smooth PEI; Bambu Lab recommends glue stick or liquid glue for Tough+[2][3]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[16]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[2][16]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedEasy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[2][3]
Extruder requirementOwens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[1]Brass fine indefinitely[17]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[1]Non-abrasive[18][17]
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[19][20]Very low[17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[21]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[16]
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]Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[1]0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[2][3]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[22]
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[23][22]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for the modified grades; the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a strength number[22]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[3][16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]35–43 (printed XY, ISO 527); 53 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars for Bambu Lab Tough[2][3][24][25]
Young's modulusMPa5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[2][3][26][27]
Elongation at break%2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[2][3][28][27]
Flexural modulusMPa5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]2140–2393 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2][3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented38.9–72.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched) — 5–9× plain PLA[2][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 80.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab Tough+); CNC Kitchen measured ~20 vs 5 kJ/m² for PolyLite PLA[3][24]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented20.9–32.4 printed Z (ISO 527); 33.0 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars vs 27.6 for PLA Basic[2][3][25]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2][3][24]
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[29]78.8 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[30]
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[31][1]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 20.2 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, the same as plain PLA[25][32]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedBelow average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[33][3][24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[2][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (PolyMax) to 61 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[1]52 (PolyMax) to 58 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[2][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[1]61 (DSC)[2][3]
Melting point / Vicat°C270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[1]149–151 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 62 (ISO 306)[2][3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented48–57 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature: 48 for Polymaker PLA Pro, 50 for Sunlu PLA+, 52 for Bambu Lab Tough, 57 for PolyTerra PLA+[25][34][30][32]
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]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[35]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[3][2]
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[21][36]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2][3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[1]Not documented
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[21]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[37][21]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[37]
Electrical & ESD propertiesElectrically insulating (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[38]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[38]
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[38]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[38][15]None needed in a normal room[38]
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 documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[36][21]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[21][39]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[21]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2][3]
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]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[40]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[41]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[40]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[41][42]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[43]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[44][42]

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. PolyMax PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Tough+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  15. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  25. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  27. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  28. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  29. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  32. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  34. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  36. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  37. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  38. 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
  39. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  40. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  41. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  42. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  43. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds
  44. 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