3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PEEK-CF vs Breakaway

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

Fibre-reinforced PEEK guideBreak-away support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PEEK-CF comparisonsMore Breakaway comparisons
PEEK-CF vs Breakaway — documented properties and sources
PropertyFibre-reinforced PEEKHIGHTEMPBreak-away supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$597.50/kg median; $448.00–$695.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 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]Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[5][6]
Densityg/cm³1.39 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[5][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 448–972; the middle of the market is about 598[2][3][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[8][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][7][11]26–80 across brands and grades; IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE 26, Polymaker PolySupport for PLA 40 at 750 g, YXPOLYER 45, PolySupport for PA12 80 at 500 g[8][9][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][3]Available from several mainstream brands[8][2]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[2][3]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8]
Typical applicationsStiff aerospace and oil-and-gas parts where PEEK alone is not rigid enough[1]Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[5]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required[12][13]Open frame is fine[5]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[5]
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[12][13]Easy — minor profile tuning[5]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[5]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Non-abrasive[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[14][15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Polymaker specifies a 55 °C dry for the PLA grade and warns brass nozzle life falls to about 9 h on the PA12 grade[5][6]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.06 in 24 h on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D570)[4]0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[5]
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[14]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa105 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10); 121 at yield on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa8100 (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10) — more than double unfilled PEEK; 6343 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4]Not documented
Elongation at break%3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 28 for unfilled PEEK[1][17]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa136 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 193 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa8300 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 7171 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod notched 61.9 J/m on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 1.16 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation falls from 28 % to 3 %[1][17]Not documented
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M107 on extruded PEEK-CF30 stock (ASTM D785), against M100 unfilled[4][18]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]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[19][1][17]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
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][17]43 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, PolySupport for PA12). Polymaker's sheet prints a higher figure at the higher load, which is physically inverted; treat both HDT numbers as approximate[6]
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, PolySupport for PA12) — printed above the 0.45 MPa figure on Polymaker's own sheet, which cannot be right; treat both as approximate[6]
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]Vicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[6]
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][18]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 on the base resin; Ensinger lists extruded PEEK-CF30 stock as inherently flame resistant[17][4]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (ASTM D257)[1]Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[20][21]
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[22]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[22]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[22]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Support material pairingNot documentedThis is the support material. Polymaker publishes an adhesion matrix per model material, from very good to unusable, because break-away supports only work against the polymer they were matched to[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.[23][24]None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[25]
Softened or crazed byConcentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[26][24]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[26][24]None — there is no solvent to weld or smooth with.[25]

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. PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  6. PolySupport for PA12 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  7. IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER Breakaway Support Filament 1 kg Black — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE breakaway support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D GF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  13. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  14. CARBONX PEEK+CF10 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  18. TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
  20. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  21. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc