Filament comparison
PETG-GF vs PPA-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF)PETG | PPA-CF (carbon-fibre polyphthalamide)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $27.38/kg median; $18.99–$29.99/kg across 3 dated product listings | $84.99/kg median; $21.99–$266.67/kg across 7 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Glass-fibre reinforced polyester. Polymaker's Fiberon PET-GF15 uses a PET rather than a PETG matrix and carries 15 wt% glass fibre[1] | Polyphthalamide — semi-aromatic nylon — with 10–15 wt% chopped carbon fibre; Bambu Lab lists the composition as semi-aromatic nylon plus carbon fibre, Raise3D and Siraya Tech state 15 wt%, Flashforge 10 %[2][3][4][5] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.43 (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 1183)[1] | 1.15 (Raise3D) to 1.25 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D), ISO 1183; Flashforge 1.21–1.23[2][3][4][6] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 25[7][8] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–267; the middle of the market is about 85[9][10][11][12][13][14] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 19–30 across brands; ELEGOO 19, Polymaker Fiberon 30[7][8] | 22–267 across brands; CHCKX 22 on Amazon, IEMAI 3D 51, Siraya Tech 57 and 85, Bambu Lab 200 at 750 g, Raise3D 209, 3DXTech CarbonX HTN+CF 267 at 750 g[9][10][11][15][12][13][14] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][8] | Available from several mainstream brands[9][10][11][12][13] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[8] | 1.75 mm; 750 g, 1 kg, 2 kg and 2.5 kg spools[2][11][13] |
| Typical applications | Stiff, dimensionally stable fixtures; the Fiberon grade is designed to be annealed for heat resistance[1] | Under-bonnet automotive brackets, jigs and end-use parts that must stay stiff above the 100 °C working ceiling of PA6-CF[3][4] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | 0.05 (Bambu Lab and Siraya Tech, 1.75 mm)[2][5] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 280–310 (Bambu Lab and CHCKX); 280–320 (Siraya Tech)[2][5][14] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 100–120 (Bambu Lab and CHCKX); Siraya Tech runs cooler at 70–90[2][5][14] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Not documented | Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 50–80 °C chamber and Siraya Tech requires an enclosure, while Flashforge states its LUVOCOM-based grade prints on machines with no heated chamber[2][4][11] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 50–80 (Bambu Lab); specimens were printed at a 52 °C chamber and Bambu Lab notes 70–80 °C raises Z properties[2] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | Bambu Lab turns the part fan on; Siraya Tech runs it off[2][5] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[16][17] | Smooth or textured PEI plate with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[2][5] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 8–12 mm³/s at 300–320 °C (Siraya Tech)[5] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[16][17] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[17] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; a 320 °C hot end and a hardened nozzle are the entry requirements[2][5] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Hardened steel required — Siraya Tech and CHCKX specify hardened steel or better, Raise3D warns brass wears quickly[3][5][14] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1] | Highly abrasive — standard CF/GF composites and glow fills[3][5] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[18] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech states nozzles below 0.4 mm will clog[5][11] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[19] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[19] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[16] | High (0.8–2 %) — 1.30 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH for Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D against 2.35 % for the same makers' PA6-CF, which is the whole reason to pay for PPA[2][6][20] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 1.30 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D) against 2.35 for their PA6-CF; Siraya Tech 1.37 and 1.09 by ISO 62, Raise3D 0.6 by ISO 62 Method 1, Flashforge below 0.1 at 23 °C / 24 h[2][3][4][5][21][6][20] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 100–140 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab, hotter is better within that range); Siraya Tech 100 °C for 4–6 h; Raise3D 80–100 °C for 6–12 h[2][3][5] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[22] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | 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[22] | Not documented |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[22][17] | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant (Bambu Lab); Raise3D keeps the spool in a dry box throughout the print[2][3] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 59.9 ± 0.8 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1] | 95–168 (printed XY, ISO 527): Siraya Tech 95, Flashforge 108–112, Siraya Tech Core 112, Raise3D 122 conditioned and annealed, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 168[2][3][4][5][21][6] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 4144 ± 133 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1] | 7100–11800 (printed XY): Flashforge 7100–8000, Raise3D and Siraya Tech 7800, Siraya Tech Core 9300, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 11800[2][3][4][5][21][6] |
| Elongation at break% | 4.0 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1] | 1.9–5 at break (printed XY): Raise3D 1.9, Siraya Tech 2, Siraya Tech Core 2.25, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 3.2, Flashforge 3.5–5[2][3][4][5][21][6] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 104.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1] | 145–221 (printed XY, ISO 178): Siraya Tech 145, Siraya Tech Core 178, Raise3D 190, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 208, Flashforge 210–221[2][3][4][5][21][6] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3705 ± 85 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1] | 6500–9860 (printed XY, ISO 178): Flashforge 6500–7000, Siraya Tech 6800, Raise3D 8510, Siraya Tech Core 8700, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 9860[2][3][4][5][21][6] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 8.7 ± 0.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1] | 6.5 notched Charpy XY (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, ISO 179); Raise3D 7.8 and Siraya Tech 11 by ISO 179 without stating notched[2][3][5][6] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.0 printed XY (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 179)[1] | Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D unnotched Charpy 41.7 kJ/m² XY against 4.3 in Z; Flashforge Izod 9–11 kJ/m² XY against 2.5–3 in Z[2][4][6] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 48.2 ± 0.3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1] | 57 printed Z (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, ISO 527); Raise3D measures 30.2 by a custom mono-layer method[2][3][6] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 4.0 % in XY and 2.6 % in Z[1] | Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2–3 % elongation at break is typical[2][3][5] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Below average — no GF-grade creep test; the CF grades sagged to 14.8–16.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg against 17.1–20.4 mm unfilled[23][24][25] | Good — Flashforge cites outstanding creep resistance at high temperature and Raise3D high creep resistance, both against other nylons[3][4] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 4.0 % in XY against 5.2–9.3 % unfilled[1][26] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 80 (Fiberon PET-GF15, printed Z against XY tensile)[1] | 34 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, Z against XY tensile, ISO 527)[2][6] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 81.6 as printed, 133.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1] | 188–227 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa): Raise3D 188, Flashforge 220, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 227; Siraya Tech reaches 192–199 only after annealing, 84.5–97 unannealed[2][3][4][5][21][6] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 71.8 as printed, 87.3 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1] | 113–196 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa): Raise3D 113, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 196; Siraya Tech reaches 119–126 only after annealing, 82.5–84 unannealed[2][3][5][21][6] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 59.5 (DSC)[1] | 80 (Siraya Tech, ASTM D3418) to 85 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, DSC)[2][5][6] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 231.6 melting (DSC); Vicat 232.6 (ISO 306)[1] | Melting point 231 (Raise3D) to 258 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D); Vicat softening 230–238 (ISO 306)[2][3][5][21][6] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 120 (Flashforge, IEC 60216, LUVOCOM PPA-CF)[4] |
| Annealing response | Annealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 81.6 to 133.7 °C[1] | Bambu Lab anneals at 120–140 °C for 6–12 h; Raise3D at 80–100 °C for 8 h and warns of up to 0.5 % Z shrinkage. On Siraya Tech's grades annealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 84.5 to 192 °C while notched Charpy falls from 11 to 6.3 kJ/m²[2][3][5] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 20 along the print bead and 63–74 in the build direction at 30 °C (30 wt% GF, large-format printed, TMA)[27] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | UL 94 HB at 1.5 mm (Fiberon PET-GF15)[1] | Flammable; Bambu Lab lists water, carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides as combustion products. No UL 94 rating is published for the filament grades surveyed[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[17] | Better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis, most organic solvents and most oils and greases (Bambu Lab); not resistant to strong acids or strong alkalis[2] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Good — minor absorption; 1.3 % saturated moisture is roughly half what PA6-CF takes up[2][20] |
| Food contact | Not certified for food contact as filament[17] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[17] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[17] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-GF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1] | Flashforge's data sheet gives a surface resistance of 10³ Ω or below (IEC 60093) for its LUVOCOM-based PPA-CF — the carbon loading makes it conductive rather than merely dissipative[4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[28] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Chopped carbon fibre; dry sanding and cutting release respirable fibre-laden dust[29] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[19] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[19] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[19] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[19] | Bambu Lab pairs it with Support for PA/PET; Raise3D warns that PPA-CF used as its own support bonds permanently to the model once it takes up moisture, so supports must come off before annealing[2][3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | No common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[30][31] | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[32] |
| Softened or crazed by | Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[30] | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[32] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[31] | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[32] |
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
- Fiberon PET-GF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
- Flashforge PPA-CF Filament Technical Data Sheet (LUVOCOM PPA-CF, 10 % carbon fibre) Flashforge · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
- IEMAI 3D CF-PPA Technical Data Sheet IEMAI 3D · 2025-04 · tds
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- PPA-CF — Bambu Lab US Store Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · vendor
- Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Filament 1.75 mm (1 kg) — product listing MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
- Fibreheart PPA-CF Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D CF-PPA 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- CARBONX HTN+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- CHCKX PPA-CF 3D Printing Filament Matte Black 1 kg 1.75 mm 10 % Carbon Fiber — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Core Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 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
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Core Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
- 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
- PET-CF / PPA-CF / PPS-CF / PA6-CF carbon fibre filament usage guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds