3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PET-CF vs PLA+

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

Carbon-fibre PET (PET-CF) guidePLA+ / Tough PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PET-CF comparisonsMore PLA+ comparisons
PET-CF vs PLA+ — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PET (PET-CF)PETGPLA+ / Tough PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$39.99/kg median; $26.00–$49.98/kg across 4 dated product listings$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistrySemi-crystalline PET reinforced with carbon fibre — a different polymer from PETG-CF, with the glycol modifier removed so the matrix can crystallise[1][2]PLA compounded with impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.29 (Bambu Lab) and 1.34 (Fiberon PET-CF17), ISO 1183[1][2]1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 45[1][5]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 16[6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg26–50 across brands; ELEGOO 26 in a 5 kg pack, Bambu Lab 45, Fiberon 50[8][1][5]10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[9][7][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[1][5][8]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][6][7][10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5][1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[10][11][9]
Typical applicationsLoad-bearing parts that must survive above PETG's 70 °C ceiling without moving to PA or PC[1][2]Functional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[13]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[1]190–230 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[3][4]
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab)[1]25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[3][4]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[1]Fan on[3][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[14][15]Textured or smooth PEI; Bambu Lab recommends glue stick or liquid glue for Tough+[3][4]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — half the speed it allows for PETG-CF[1][16]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[14][15]Sticks to anything[17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[15]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[3][17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Non-abrasive[19][18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for carbon-filled composites[20]Very low[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[21]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[22]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[21]No special hot-end required[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.37 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 % equilibrium (Fiberon)[1][2]Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.37 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 equilibrium (Fiberon PET-CF17)[1][2]0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[4]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab) — the longest and hottest dry in the polyester family; Fiberon specifies 100 °C for 10 h[1][2]55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[3][4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[23]
Effect of moisture on strengthBambu Lab publishes its whole mechanical table under the heading "Mechanical Properties (Dry state)" — the quoted figures apply only to dried filament[1]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for the modified grades; the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a strength number[23]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[23][15]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][17]
Hydrolysis at melt temperatureThe 80–100 °C dry both suppliers mandate is far above the 55–65 °C used for PETG, consistent with a melt-hydrolysis risk in the semi-crystalline PET matrix; neither publishes a molecular-weight loss figure[1][2]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa65.9 (Fiberon) to 74 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]35–43 (printed XY, ISO 527); 53 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars for Bambu Lab Tough[3][4][24][25]
Young's modulusMPa4730 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5481 ± 224 (Fiberon) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[3][4][26][27]
Elongation at break%2.4 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[2]5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa109.3 ± 2.0 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[2]62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[3][4][28][27]
Flexural modulusMPa4744 ± 136 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[2]2140–2393 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.1 ± 0.2 printed XY, ISO 179 notched (Fiberon PET-CF17); unnotched 25.1 ± 2.8[2]38.9–72.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched) — 5–9× plain PLA[3][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 80.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab Tough+); CNC Kitchen measured ~20 vs 5 kJ/m² for PolyLite PLA[4][24]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa27.9 (Fiberon) and 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2]20.9–32.4 printed Z (ISO 527); 33.0 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars vs 27.6 for PLA Basic[3][4][25]
Brittleness1–5Very brittle — elongation at break 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z[2]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3][4][24]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented78.8 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[29]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good — no creep test found; annealed PET-CF holds a 105 °C HDT at 1.8 MPa and a 4730–5481 MPa modulus against 1500–2311 for PETG[2][1]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 20.2 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, the same as plain PLA[25][30]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve; elongation at break is 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z, against 5.2–9.3 % for unfilled PETG[2]Below average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[31][4][24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%42 (Fiberon) to 47 (Bambu Lab), printed[1][2]60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[3][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C147.5 (Fiberon) and 205 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]55 (PolyMax) to 61 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C105 (Fiberon) and 182 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]52 (PolyMax) to 58 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C75 (Bambu Lab) and 79.3 (Fiberon), DSC[1][2]61 (DSC)[3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°C241.3 (Fiberon) and 250 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 226–238[1][2]149–151 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 62 (ISO 306)[3][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented48–57 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature: 48 for Polymaker PLA Pro, 50 for Sunlu PLA+, 52 for Bambu Lab Tough, 57 for PolyTerra PLA+[25][32][29][30]
Annealing responseThe PET matrix crystallises on annealing, which is what separates this grade from PETG-CF[2][1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[33]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[34]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[22][35]
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[15]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3][4]
Food contactNot certified for food contact as filament[15]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[22]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[36][22]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[15]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[36]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-CF17, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[37]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[37]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[37][1]None needed in a normal room[37]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[21]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[35][22]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[21]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[22][38]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[21]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[22]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[21]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailBambu Lab markets it on low warping and shrinkage relative to other high-temperature composites[1]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNone common; fluorinated solvents such as hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve linear polyester at 23 °C. Laboratory only.[39][40]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[41]
Softened or crazed byEnsinger rates polyester not resistant to chloroform or dichloromethane and only conditionally resistant to acetone and MEK.[40]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[41][42]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane attacks polyester and can be brushed on, but the carbon fibre blocks any useful surface flow.[40][42]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[43][42]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PET-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Fiberon PET-CF17 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolyMax PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Tough+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  15. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  25. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  27. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  28. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — 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. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  34. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  36. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  37. 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
  38. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  39. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  40. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  41. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  42. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  43. 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