3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEEK-CF vs PLA Glow

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

Fibre-reinforced PEEK guideGlow-in-the-dark PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEEK-CF comparisonsMore PLA Glow comparisons
PEEK-CF vs PLA Glow — documented properties and sources
PropertyFibre-reinforced PEEKHIGHTEMPGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$597.50/kg median; $448.00–$695.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryShort-fibre reinforced PEEK. 3DXTech's CarbonX grade is nominally 10 wt% carbon and its FibreX grade 20 wt% glass; LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PEEK CF 9676 is 15 wt% carbon; Ensinger's machining stock runs to 30 wt% carbon[1][2][3][4]PLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[5]
Densityg/cm³1.39 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[6][7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 448–972; the middle of the market is about 598[2][3][8]1 kg spools cluster near 25[9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg448-972 across formats and filler types; IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK and GF-PEEK 448 at 1 kg, 3DXTech CarbonX PEEK+CF10 598 at 2 kg and FibreX PEEK+GF20 695 at 1 kg, Luvocom 3F PEEK CF 9676 648 at 2 kg[2][3][8][11]20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[12][9][10][13]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][3]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][10][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[2][3]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[14][7]
Typical applicationsStiff aerospace and oil-and-gas parts where PEEK alone is not rigid enough[1]Signage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[6]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[6][15][7]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[6][7]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[16][17]Open frame is fine[6]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[6][7]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre cuts PEEK's crystallisation shrinkage[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[16][17]Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[15][10]
Extruder requirementNot documentedBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[15]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Hardened steel required[15][10][7]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Highly abrasive — the phosphor is a hard ceramic; Bambu Lab groups glow with carbon fibre as the materials that wear nozzles and grind AMS PTFE, and both Bambu Lab and Polymaker require a hardened nozzle[15][7]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers to the mandatory 120 °C pre-dry[18][19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[15]
Hotend requirementNot documentedHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[20][15]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[15][7]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[6]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.06 in 24 h on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D570)[4]0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[6]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[18]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[21]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa105 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10); 121 at yield on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[6][7]
Young's modulusMPa8100 (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10) — more than double unfilled PEEK; 6343 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[6][7]
Elongation at break%3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 28 for unfilled PEEK[1][22]8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[6][7]
Flexural strengthMPa136 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 193 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[6]
Flexural modulusMPa8300 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 7171 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[6][7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[6][7]
Other impact dataIzod notched 61.9 J/m on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 1.16 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4]Charpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[6][7]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[6]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation falls from 28 % to 3 %[1][22]Brittle — snaps with little warning[6]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M107 on extruded PEEK-CF30 stock (ASTM D785), against M100 unfilled[4][23]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger rates carbon-fibre PEEK stock as very highly creep resistant and specifies 260 °C continuous service[4]Poor — no glow-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[24][25][26]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep; the fibre cuts elongation at break from 28 % to 3 %, which limits repeated large-strain flexing[27][1][22]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the glow filler leaves a brittle, highly abrasive compound[28][6]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[6]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[6]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C265 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) against 140 for unfilled PEEK[1][22]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C316 on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 600 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[4]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[6]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) — the fibre does not move the glass transition[1]55 (DSC)[6]
Melting point / Vicat°C334 melting on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 633 °F[4]155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[6][7]
Continuous service temperature°C260 long-term on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 500 °F; 300 short term[4]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K14.4 (extruded PEEK-CF30 stock, ASTM D696; source states 0.80e-5 in/in/°F) — about a third of unfilled PEEK[4][23]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 on the base resin; Ensinger lists extruded PEEK-CF30 stock as inherently flame resistant[22][4]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[29]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (ASTM D257)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[30]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[30]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[30]None needed in a normal room[30]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[6]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[15]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble in95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves the matrix at 40–70 °C and leaves the fibre. Nothing else touches PEEK.[31][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 byConcentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[34][32]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[33][35]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[34][32]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[36][35]

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. CarbonX Carbon Fiber PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. TECAPEEK CF30 black (PEEK-CF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  6. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  7. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  8. IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D GF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  14. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  17. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  18. CARBONX PEEK+CF10 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  29. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. 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
  31. The Effects of Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Ion Exchange Preparation Conditions on Membrane Properties Yee, Zhang & Ladewig, Membranes 3(3) 182–195 · 2013-07 · paper
  32. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  34. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  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