3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-CF vs PLA HS

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

Carbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guideHigh-Speed PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-CF comparisonsMore PLA HS comparisons
PLA-CF vs PLA HS — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLAHigh-Speed PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[1][2]PLA with rheology and crystallisation tuned for high volumetric flow; melt index 15.4 g/10 min vs 7–11 for standard PLA[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[5][2][6]1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[7][8][6][9][10]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[11][12][13]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[8][7][6][14][9][15][10]11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[16][17][18]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][6][14]Stocked by most mainstream brands[19][13][20]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[14][6][21]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[11][13]
Typical applicationsStiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[5][2]Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[22][19]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[7]±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[23]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[5][2]210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[3][19]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[5][2]30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][24]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on[5][2]Fan on[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[5][25][2][26]≈24 at 300 mm/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer; 30 % more flow than regular PLA at the same temperature[3][19][22][26]
Warping tendency1–5None[5]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[27]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[2]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[25][2]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[19][3]
Extruder requirementNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[25]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[25][2]Brass fine indefinitely[28]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[25][29]Non-abrasive[30][28]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[25]Very low[28]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedModerate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[31]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[29][25]No special hot-end required[27]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[25][2]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][2]Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][2]0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[3]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h[5][2]55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3][24]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[32]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[32]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[32]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[24][27]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[5][2][6]43.9 at 300 mm/s and 46.0 at 46.7 mm/s (printed XY, ISO 527); 58.6 on My Tech Fun bars for Creality Hyper PLA[3][33]
Young's modulusMPa2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[5][2]71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[5][2]5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[5]Printing at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[5][2]32.4 at 300 mm/s, 37.3 at classic speed (printed Z, ISO 527); 35.3 for Creality Hyper PLA vs 23.0 for average PLA on identical bars[3][33]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[2][5]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[34]78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[34]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[35][36][34]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[33]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[37][2]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[37][31]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[5][2]74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[5][2]53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[5][2]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C62–63 (DSC)[5][2]59 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[5][2]164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°C50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[35][36][34]53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[33]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[38]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[24][4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[31]Degrades within weeks outdoors[31][39]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[24]
Food contactNot documentedBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[31]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[40][31]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[40]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[41]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[41]None needed in a normal room[41]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[39][31]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[31][42]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[31]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[5][2]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[5][2][4][24]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[43]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[43]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[43][44]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[43][44]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[45][44]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[45][44]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  2. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  7. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  23. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  38. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  39. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  40. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  41. 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
  42. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  43. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  44. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  45. 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