3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PET-CF vs PMMA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Carbon-fibre PET (PET-CF)PETG | PMMA (acrylic)ENGINEERING |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $39.99/kg median; $26.00–$49.98/kg across 4 dated product listings | $49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Semi-crystalline PET reinforced with carbon fibre — a different polymer from PETG-CF, with the glycol modifier removed so the matrix can crystallise[1][2] | Poly(methyl methacrylate) — acrylic, sold for 3D printing as a transparent glass substitute[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.29 (Bambu Lab) and 1.34 (Fiberon PET-CF17), ISO 1183[1][2] | Not documented |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 45[1][4] | 1 kg spools cluster near 50[5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 26–50 across brands; ELEGOO 26 in a 5 kg pack, Bambu Lab 45, Fiberon 50[6][1][4] | 50 at Push Plastic's 1 kg listing; 3 kg spools run the same per kilogram[5] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[1][4][6] | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[4][1] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[5] |
| Typical applications | Load-bearing parts that must survive above PETG's 70 °C ceiling without moving to PA or PC[1][2] | Transparent covers and light guides where PC's yellowing or cost rules it out[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 260–290 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–100 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1] | Not documented |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | 0–60 % (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[7][8] | Not documented |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 8 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][9] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[7][8] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[8] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Not documented |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1] | Not documented |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for carbon-filled composites[10] | Not documented |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[11] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[11] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.37 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 % equilibrium (Fiberon)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.37 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.53 equilibrium (Fiberon PET-CF17)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °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] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[12] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Bambu Lab publishes its whole mechanical table under the heading "Mechanical Properties (Dry state)" — the quoted figures apply only to dried filament[1] | Not documented |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[12][8] | Not documented |
| Hydrolysis at melt temperature | The 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)MPa | 65.9 (Fiberon) to 74 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4730 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5481 ± 224 (Fiberon) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 2.4 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[2] | Not documented |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 109.3 ± 2.0 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[2] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 4744 ± 136 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[2] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 5.1 ± 0.2 printed XY, ISO 179 notched (Fiberon PET-CF17); unnotched 25.1 ± 2.8[2] | Not documented |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 27.9 (Fiberon) and 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Very brittle — elongation at break 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z[2] | Not documented |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good — 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] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below 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] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Not documented |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 42 (Fiberon) to 47 (Bambu Lab), printed[1][2] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 147.5 (Fiberon) and 205 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 105 (Fiberon) and 182 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 75 (Bambu Lab) and 79.3 (Fiberon), DSC[1][2] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 241.3 (Fiberon) and 250 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 226–238[1][2] | Not documented |
| Annealing response | The PET matrix crystallises on annealing, which is what separates this grade from PETG-CF[2][1] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[13] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[8] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not certified for food contact as filament[8] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[8] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[8] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-CF17, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[2] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[14] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[14][1] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[11] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[11] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[11] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[11] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Bambu Lab markets it on low warping and shrinkage relative to other high-temperature composites[1] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | None common; fluorinated solvents such as hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve linear polyester at 23 °C. Laboratory only.[15][16] | Acetone, MEK, ethyl and butyl acetate, THF, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride dissolve it; the last two are laboratory reagents.[17] |
| Softened or crazed by | Ensinger rates polyester not resistant to chloroform or dichloromethane and only conditionally resistant to acetone and MEK.[16] | Alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils and phthalate plasticisers craze it, and the threshold falls as stress rises.[17] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane attacks polyester and can be brushed on, but the carbon fibre blocks any useful surface flow.[16][18] | Dichloromethane acrylic cement (IPS Weld-On 3): 2–5 min soak, 17.2 MPa lap shear at one week. Controlled carcinogen.[19] |
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
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PET-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PET-CF17 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
- PMMA Filament 1.75mm 1kg — product page Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- 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
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 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
- 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
- Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Chemical resistance of PMMA products Mitsubishi Chemical (Acrypet) · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds