3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PC-GF vs PPA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PC | PPA (polyphthalamide)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/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 reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[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 | 1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[1] | 1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 71[5] | One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[6] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[5][1] | 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[6] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, 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[5][1][7][8] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[6] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[1] | 1.75 mm, 1 kg[6] |
| Typical applications | Functional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[1] | Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[4] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | +/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[1] | Not documented |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1] | 280–300 (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1] | 70–80 (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[9][10] | Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[4] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Perforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[1] | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[4] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[4] |
| Extruder requirement | Owens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[1] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[1] | Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[4] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[4] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — 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[11][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[4] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[1] | 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[4][3][13] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[1] | 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[4] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[14][15] | 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[4][6] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1] | 72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[4][6] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1] | 3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Elongation at break% | 2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1] | 10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1] | 115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[4][6] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1] | 3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| 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[4] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[1] | Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[4] |
| 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 a glass-fibre grade[16] | Not documented |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Excellent — 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[17][1] | 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[4] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Siraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[4][6] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[1] | 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[4][3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[1] | 80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[1] | 231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[4] |
| 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[4][6][18] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 26.2 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 94 | UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[1] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Good — years with some colour shift. Owens Corning lists UV resistance as a product benefit but publishes no exposure data[1] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | 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[4][3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[1] | Absorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[4][6] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Electrically insulating (Owens Corning)[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[19] | 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[19] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19][10] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Owens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[4] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | High dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[1] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[20] | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[21] |
| Softened or crazed by | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[20] | Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[21] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[22] | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[21] |
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
- XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · 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
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
- BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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