3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEEK-CF vs PVDF

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

Fibre-reinforced PEEK guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEEK-CF comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
PEEK-CF vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertyFibre-reinforced PEEKHIGHTEMPPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$597.50/kg median; $448.00–$695.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 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]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[5][6]
Densityg/cm³1.39 (ISO 1183)[1]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 448–972; the middle of the market is about 598[2][3][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[2]
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][7][8]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[2]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][3]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[2][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[2][3]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[2]
Typical applicationsStiff aerospace and oil-and-gas parts where PEEK alone is not rigid enough[1]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[5]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[10][11]Enclosure required (passive)[5]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre cuts PEEK's crystallisation shrinkage[1]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[5]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[10][11]Expert / industrial hardware only[5][6]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[5]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[5]
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[12][13]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[9]
Other hardware wearNot documentedHydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[6]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedNegligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.06 in 24 h on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D570)[4]Not documented
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[12]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[9]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa105 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10); 121 at yield on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[5]
Young's modulusMPa8100 (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10) — more than double unfilled PEEK; 6343 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[5]
Elongation at break%3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 28 for unfilled PEEK[1][14]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[5]
Flexural strengthMPa136 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 193 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[5]
Flexural modulusMPa8300 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 7171 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[5]
Other impact dataIzod notched 61.9 J/m on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 1.16 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4]Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[15]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation falls from 28 % to 3 %[1][14]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[5]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M107 on extruded PEEK-CF30 stock (ASTM D785), against M100 unfilled[4][16]Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[15]
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]Not documented
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[17][1][14]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[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][14]149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[15]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C316 on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 600 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[4]113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[15]
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]170 melting (ISO 11357)[5]
Continuous service temperature°C260 long-term on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 500 °F; 300 short term[4]149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[15]
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][16]127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[15]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 on the base resin; Ensinger lists extruded PEEK-CF30 stock as inherently flame resistant[14][4]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[15]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[5][15]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedOutstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[5]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[5]
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[18]Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[6]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedAbove 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[6]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[18]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[6]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Molten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[6]
Post-Processing
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedThe processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[5][6]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble in95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves the matrix at 40–70 °C and leaves the fibre. Nothing else touches PEEK.[19][20]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[21]
Softened or crazed byConcentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[22][20]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[21][23]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[22][20]None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[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

  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. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  7. IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D GF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  11. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  12. CARBONX PEEK+CF10 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  15. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  16. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  17. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  22. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds