3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEEK-CF vs rPLA

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

Fibre-reinforced PEEK guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEEK-CF comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
PEEK-CF vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyFibre-reinforced PEEKHIGHTEMPRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$597.50/kg median; $448.00–$695.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 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 regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[5][6][7]
Densityg/cm³1.39 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24 (ISO 1183)[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 448–972; the middle of the market is about 598[2][3][8]1 kg spools run 20–22[9][10][11]
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][12]16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[13][14]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][3]Available from several mainstream brands[6][7][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[2][3]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[15][13][6]
Typical applicationsStiff aerospace and oil-and-gas parts where PEEK alone is not rigid enough[1]General-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[6][7]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[6][5][16]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[5][7]
Bed temperature°CNot documented40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[5][7]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[17][18]Open frame is fine[5][19]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 %[5]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre cuts PEEK's crystallisation shrinkage[1]None — brim not generally needed[5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[20]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[17][18]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[5][19]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Non-abrasive[21][19]
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[22][23]Very low[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[24]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[20]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[5][16]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.06 in 24 h on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D570)[4]0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[5]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[25]
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[22]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[25]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[26][20]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa105 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10); 121 at yield on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[5][16]
Young's modulusMPa8100 (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10) — more than double unfilled PEEK; 6343 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[5][16]
Elongation at break%3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 28 for unfilled PEEK[1][27]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[5][16]
Flexural strengthMPa136 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 193 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[5][16]
Flexural modulusMPa8300 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 7171 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[5][16]
Other impact dataIzod notched 61.9 J/m on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 1.16 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4]Charpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[5][16]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[5][16]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation falls from 28 % to 3 %[1][27]Brittle — snaps with little warning[24][21]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M107 on extruded PEEK-CF30 stock (ASTM D785), against M100 unfilled[4][28]80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[5][16]
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 recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[29][30]
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[31][1][27]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[32][24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[21]
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][27]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[5][16]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C316 on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 600 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[4]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[5][16]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) — the fibre does not move the glass transition[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C334 melting on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 633 °F[4]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C260 long-term on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 500 °F; 300 short term[4]55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[7]
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][28]96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[33]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 on the base resin; Ensinger lists extruded PEEK-CF30 stock as inherently flame resistant[27][4]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[26][34]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[24][35]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[34][24]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[26]
Food contactNot documentedFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[7][24]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[7]
RecyclabilityNot documentedThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[7][14]
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[36]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[36]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[6]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[36]None needed in a normal room[36]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[35][24]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[6]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[24]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble in95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves the matrix at 40–70 °C and leaves the fibre. Nothing else touches PEEK.[37][38]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[39]
Softened or crazed byConcentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[40][38]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[39][41]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[40][38]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[42][41]

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. Prusament PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  6. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. IEMAI 3D GF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  17. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  18. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  22. CARBONX PEEK+CF10 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  28. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  29. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  34. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  35. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  36. 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
  37. 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
  38. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  40. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc
  41. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  42. 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