3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEEK-CF vs PLA Silk

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

Fibre-reinforced PEEK guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEEK-CF comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PEEK-CF vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyFibre-reinforced PEEKHIGHTEMPSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$597.50/kg median; $448.00–$695.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 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 gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[5]
Densityg/cm³1.39 (ISO 1183)[1]1.27 (ISO 1183)[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 448–972; the middle of the market is about 598[2][3][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]
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][6][10]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[11][12][13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][3]Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][11][16]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[2][3]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[17][18]
Typical applicationsStiff aerospace and oil-and-gas parts where PEEK alone is not rigid enough[1]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[5]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[19]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[5]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[20][21]Open frame is fine[5][22]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[5]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre cuts PEEK's crystallisation shrinkage[1]None[5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[23]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[20][21]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[22]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Non-abrasive[24][22]
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[25][26]Very low[22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[27]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required[23]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.06 in 24 h on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D570)[4]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[5][28]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[29]
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[25]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[29]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[30][23]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa105 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10); 121 at yield on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[5][31]
Young's modulusMPa8100 (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10) — more than double unfilled PEEK; 6343 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[5]
Elongation at break%3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 28 for unfilled PEEK[1][32]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[5][30]
Flexural strengthMPa136 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 193 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[5]
Flexural modulusMPa8300 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 7171 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[5]
Other impact dataIzod notched 61.9 J/m on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 1.16 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[5][31][33]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation falls from 28 % to 3 %[1][32]Brittle — snaps with little warning[5]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M107 on extruded PEEK-CF30 stock (ASTM D785), against M100 unfilled[4][34]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 silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[35][36]
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[37][1][32]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[38][27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[5]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[5]
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][32]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C316 on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 600 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[4]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C143 (DSC, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) — the fibre does not move the glass transition[1]57 (DSC)[5]
Melting point / Vicat°C334 melting on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 633 °F[4]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[5]
Continuous service temperature°C260 long-term on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 500 °F; 300 short term[4]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[33]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[5]
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][34]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 on the base resin; Ensinger lists extruded PEEK-CF30 stock as inherently flame resistant[32][4]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[30][39]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[27][40]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[39][27]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[30]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[27]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[41][27]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[41]
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[42]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[42]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[42]None needed in a normal room[42]
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[40][27]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[27][43]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[27]
Support material pairingNot documentedSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[5]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble in95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves the matrix at 40–70 °C and leaves the fibre. Nothing else touches PEEK.[44][45]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[46]
Softened or crazed byConcentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[47][45]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[46][48]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[47][45]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[49][48]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI 3D GF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  21. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  25. CARBONX PEEK+CF10 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  32. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  35. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  39. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  40. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  41. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  42. 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
  43. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. 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
  45. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  46. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  47. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc
  48. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  49. 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