Filament comparison
PET-CF vs PPS-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Carbon-fibre PET (PET-CF)PETG | Fibre-reinforced PPSHIGHTEMP |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $39.99/kg median; $26.00–$49.98/kg across 4 dated product listings | $139.98/kg median; $119.98–$174.17/kg across 5 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] | Carbon-fibre reinforced PPS — Polymaker's Fiberon grade is nominally 10 wt%[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.29 (Bambu Lab) and 1.34 (Fiberon PET-CF17), ISO 1183[1][2] | 1.29 (Fiberon PPS-CF10) and 1.36 (Fiberon PPS-GF20), ISO 1183[3][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 45[1][5] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 93–174; the middle of the market is about 140[5][6][7][8] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 26–50 across brands; ELEGOO 26 in a 5 kg pack, Bambu Lab 45, Fiberon 50[9][1][5] | 93-174 across brands and formats; Polymaker Fiberon PPS-GF20 93 at 3 kg, IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 131 at 750 g, LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PPS CF 9938 164 at 2.3 kg, Bambu Lab PPS-CF 174 at 750 g[5][6][7][8] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[1][5][9] | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6][7] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5][1] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 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] | Chemical and automotive parts needing PPS chemistry with structural stiffness[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] | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker states its Fiberon PPS-CF10 needs no heated chamber, unlike the unfilled sulfones and PAEKs[3] |
| 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[10][11] | 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][12] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[10][11] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[11] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Hardened steel required[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for carbon-filled composites[13] | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; Polymaker specifies hardened steel or ruby nozzles for carbon-filled PPS and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[14][13] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[15] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[15] | 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] | Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.225 % equilibrium for Fiberon PPS-CF10 and 0.11 % for PPS-GF20[3][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] | 0.225 equilibrium (Fiberon PPS-CF10); 0.11 (PPS-GF20)[3][4] |
| 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[16] | 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] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; equilibrium uptake is 0.225 % and Polymaker specifies a 100 °C, 10 h dry[3] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[16][11] | 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] | 59.4 ± 1.3 (PPS-CF10) and 64.1 ± 2.1 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4730 ± 260 (Bambu Lab) and 5481 ± 224 (Fiberon) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2] | 5446.7 ± 149.0 (PPS-CF10) and 4552.0 ± 54.6 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[3][4] |
| Elongation at break% | 2.4 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-CF17)[2] | 1.4 ± 0.1 (PPS-CF10) and 2.0 ± 0.2 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527 — the lowest elongation in the dataset[3][4] |
| 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] | 5.3 ± 0.2 printed XY for PPS-CF10 and 7.3 ± 0.2 for PPS-GF20, ISO 179 notched[3][4] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 27.9 (Fiberon) and 35 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2] | 32.0 ± 5.1 (PPS-CF10) and 22.9 ± 0.8 (PPS-GF20) printed Z, ISO 527[3][4] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Very brittle — elongation at break 2.4 % in XY and 0.8 % in Z[2] | Very brittle — cracks or shatters easily; elongation at break 1.4 %[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded unfilled PPS stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a fibre-filled PPS filament[17] |
| 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] | Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger lists high creep resistance for unfilled PPS stock and Spectrum states creep resistance is unchanged under continuous load at high temperature; the fibre raises heat deflection to 252 °C at 0.45 MPa[17][18][3] |
| 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] | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 42 (Fiberon) to 47 (Bambu Lab), printed[1][2] | 54 (PPS-CF10) and 36 (PPS-GF20), printed[3][4] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 147.5 (Fiberon) and 205 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2] | 252.5 (PPS-CF10) and 236.3 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 105 (Fiberon) and 182 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2] | 133 (PPS-CF10) and 125.8 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 75 (Bambu Lab) and 79.3 (Fiberon), DSC[1][2] | 97.7 (PPS-CF10) and 95.0 (PPS-GF20), DSC[3][4] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 241.3 (Fiberon) and 250 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 226–238[1][2] | 279.7 (PPS-CF10) and 279.6 (PPS-GF20) melting, DSC; Vicat 267.5 and 272.5 (ISO 306)[3][4] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F; no figure published for the carbon-filled grade[17] |
| 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[19] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[11] | Outstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[14] |
| Food contact | Not certified for food contact as filament[11] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[11] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[11] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-CF17, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[2] | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (ANSI/ESD S11.11)[3][4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[20] | 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[20] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20][1] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[20] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2] | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[15] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[15] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[15] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[15] | 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.[21][22] | None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[23][22] |
| Softened or crazed by | Ensinger rates polyester not resistant to chloroform or dichloromethane and only conditionally resistant to acetone and MEK.[22] | Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[22] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane attacks polyester and can be brushed on, but the carbon fibre blocks any useful surface flow.[22][24] | None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[23] |
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
- Fiberon PPS-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- Fiberon PPS-GF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Bambu Lab PPS-CF Black, spool (750 g) 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 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
- PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 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
- TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
- 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
- PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc