3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-CF vs PLA Silk

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

Carbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-CF comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
PLA-CF vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLASilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 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 a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[4][2][5]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[6][7][5][8][9]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[7][6][5][13][8][14][9]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[15][16][17][18][19]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][7][5][13]Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][15][20]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[13][5][21]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[22][23]
Typical applicationsStiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[4][2]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[6]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[24]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[4][2]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[4][2]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2]Open frame is fine[3][25]
Part cooling fanFan on[4][2]Fan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[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[4][26][2][27]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[4]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything[28]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[2]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[26][2]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[3]
Extruder requirementNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[26]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[26][2]Brass fine indefinitely[25]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[26][29]Non-abrasive[30][25]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[26]Very low[25]
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][26]No special hot-end required[28]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[26][2]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][2]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][2]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h[4][2]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][32]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[33]
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[33]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[33]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[34][28]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[4][2][5]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][35]
Young's modulusMPa2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[4][2][5]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[4][2][5]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][34]
Flexural strengthMPa51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[4][2]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[4][2][5]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[4][2]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[4][2]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[3][35][36]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[2][4]Brittle — snaps with little warning[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[37]Not documented
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[38][39][37]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[38][40]
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 %[41][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)[41][31]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[4][2]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][2]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][2]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C62–63 (DSC)[4][2]57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[4][2]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °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)[38][39][37]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[36]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[34][42]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[31]Degrades within weeks outdoors[31][43]
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; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[42][31]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[34]
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[44][31]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[44]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[45]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[45]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[45]None needed in a normal room[45]
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[43][31]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[31][46]
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)[4][2]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[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[4][2][42][34]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
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.[47]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[47]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[47][48]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[47][48]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[49][48]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[49][48]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 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. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  35. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  36. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  40. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  42. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  43. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  44. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  45. 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
  46. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  47. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  48. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  49. 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