Filament comparison
PEKK vs PETG-ESD
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PEKKHIGHTEMP | ESD-safe PETGPETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $525.00/kg median; $332.50–$771.12/kg across 6 dated product listings | $102.99/kg median; $65.98–$140.00/kg across 2 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyether ketone ketone, amorphous grade — a polyaryletherketone that stays amorphous, so it does not need PEEK's crystallisation control. Stratasys sells it as Antero 800NA and Antero 840CN03; category numbers below are unfilled unless a carbon grade is named[1][2] | PETG compounded with a conductive filler to bring surface resistivity into the static-dissipative range[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.28 unfilled (ASTM D792, Antero 800NA; 1.31 annealed) and 1.33 for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (ISO 1183)[2][1] | 1.24 (Fiberon) and 1.28 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[3][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 550[5][6][7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 66–140; the middle of the market is about 103[8][5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 333-771 across grades and formats; 3DXTech CarbonX PEKK-A+CF15 333 at 2 kg, 3D4Makers unfilled PEKK-A 485 at 2 kg, IEMAI 3D 500 at 1 kg, Kimya PEKK Carbon 771 at 500 g[5][6][7][9][10] | 66–140 across brands; Fiberon PETG-ESD 66, 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG 140[8][5] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][6][7] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8][5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools, plus Stratasys canisters[5][6][2] | 1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[8][5] |
| Typical applications | Aerospace interior and structural parts; 3DXTech labels its carbon-filled PEKK-A grade AERO and Stratasys certifies Antero 800NA for outgassing and FST[1][2] | Electronics fixtures, trays and jigs handled around static-sensitive components[3][4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 250–290 (Fiberon)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 140 (3DXTech CarbonX PEKK-A CF15)[1] | 70–80 (Fiberon); 70 (3DXTech)[3][4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Actively heated chamber required[11][12] | Open frame is fine — Fiberon specifies room-temperature chamber[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[13][14] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | Fiberon rates the material to 500 mm/s, equivalent to 40 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — a machine-limited headline rather than a measured melt rate[3][15] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[13][14] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[14] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[11][12] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; resistivity depends on getting the nozzle temperature right[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — the category spans unfilled PEKK, where brass is acceptable, and the carbon-filled aerospace grades that make up most of the market[1][2] | Hardened steel required[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — most PEKK filament sold is carbon-filled; unfilled Antero 800NA and ThermaX PEKK-A are non-abrasive[1][2] | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[16] | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-PETG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[17] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Not documented | Slightly sensitive[18] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required[18] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Not documented | Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 65 °C, 4 h pre-dry[13][17] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.41 equilibrium water absorption (Fiberon PETG-ESD)[3] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 65 °C for 3 h (Fiberon)[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No 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[16] | Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[19] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[19][14] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 86.7-90.0 at yield and 73.0 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Antero 800NA on the F900 and Fortus 450mc); 88.8 at break annealed; 126 at break for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][1] | 36.1 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 50 at break[3][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2640-3870 (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Antero 800NA; upper figure annealed); 9125 for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2][1] | 1983 ± 75 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[3] |
| Elongation at break% | 6.1 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Antero 800NA); 2.3 in ZX; 3.15 for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (ISO 527)[2][1] | 7.3 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 13 at break[3][4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 136 at 5 % strain (printed XZ, ASTM D790, Antero 800NA); 178 for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2][1] | 54.0 ± 2.5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3200 (printed XZ, ASTM D790, Antero 800NA); 8817 for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2][1] | 1651 ± 141 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon)[3] |
| Other impact data | Izod notched 41.1 J/m XZ and 33.3 J/m ZX; unnotched 1730 J/m XZ against 203 J/m ZX (printed, ASTM D256/D4812, Antero 800NA)[2] | Charpy unnotched 29.3 ± 2.2 printed XY (Fiberon, ISO 179)[3] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 50.1-59.4 at yield (printed ZX, ASTM D638, Antero 800NA); 56.0 for the ESD grade Antero 840CN03[2][20] | 20.7 ± 0.6 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[3] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate unfilled — 6.1 % elongation at break in plane; brittle in the carbon-filled grades at 3.15 %[2][1] | Moderate[3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Excellent — holds load for years. Antero 800NA still holds 82 % of its room-temperature ZX tensile strength at 104 °C and 63 % at 132 °C (printed, ASTM D638)[2] | Below average — no ESD-grade creep test; unfilled PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[21][22][23][24] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — no ESD-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[25] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Slightly flexible in thin sections[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 56-82 (Antero 800NA and 840CN03 printed on the F900 and Fortus 450mc, ZX against XZ tensile yield and break, ASTM D638)[2][20] | 57 (Fiberon, printed Z against XY tensile)[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 158 (printed XY and ZX, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi, Antero 800NA); 285 for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[2][1] | 76 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Fiberon)[3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 156-157 (printed, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi, Antero 800NA); moulded 147[2] | 72 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Fiberon)[3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 156 (ASTM D7426, Antero 800NA); 165 for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (DSC)[2][1] | 77 (Fiberon) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[3][4] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 300 melt point (ASTM D7426 peak heat, Antero 800NA); 305 for CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 (DSC)[2][1] | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 86 (Fiberon, ISO 306)[3] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 36.1 in XY and 50.2 in ZX (printed, 40-140 °C, ASTM E831, Antero 800NA); 47.4 and 51.2 for the ESD grade Antero 840CN03[2][20] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[26] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Good — years with some colour shift. 1000 h of QUV cycling to ASTM G154 left Antero 800NA's yield strength unchanged at 57 MPa and raised stress at break 3.6 %[2] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[14] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not certified for food contact as filament[14] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[14] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Not accepted in household plastic collection[14] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Unfilled PEKK is an insulator at above 1.4e14 ohm-cm (ASTM D257); CarbonX PEKK-A CF15 sits above 10^7 ohm/sq, and the Antero 840CN03 ESD grade is specified at 10^4-10^9 ohm-cm[2][1][20] | Surface resistivity falls with nozzle temperature: 7.0×10⁶–1.6×10⁷ ohm at 250 °C, 3.2×10⁵–4.7×10⁵ at 270 °C and below 1×10⁴ at 290 °C (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq[3][4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — 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[27] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[27] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[27] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1] | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[18] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[18] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[18] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[18] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Nozzle temperature has to be held steady — it moves surface resistivity by three orders of magnitude[3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Concentrated sulphuric acid, as for PEEK; no common organic solvent touches a polyaryletherketone.[28][29] | No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[30][31] |
| Softened or crazed by | Concentrated sulphuric acid and liquid Freon are the entries Ensinger marks not resistant; acetone, MEK and toluene do nothing.[28] | Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[30] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — no solvent softens a polyaryletherketone.[28] | Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[31] |
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
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber PEKK-A CF15 Technical Data Sheet v1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Antero 800NA — FDM Material Data Sheet (PEKK-based) Stratasys · 2025-08 · tds
- Fiberon PETG-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
- Kimya PEKK-A Natural 1.75 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Kimya PEKK Carbon Grey 1.75 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D PEKK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
- Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- THERMAX PEKK-A — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Antero 840CN03 — FDM Material Data Sheet (PEKK, ESD) Stratasys · 2024-08 · tds
- PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc