3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-CF vs PPA

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

Carbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guidePPA (polyphthalamide) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-CF comparisonsMore PPA comparisons
PLA-CF vs PPA — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLAPPA (polyphthalamide)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings$45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[1][2]Polyphthalamide — a semi-aromatic polyamide in which aromatic diacid units replace part of the aliphatic backbone; Raise3D and Bambu Lab both label it high-temperature nylon[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[5][2][6]1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[8][9][6][10][11]One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[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[9][8][6][13][10][14][11]45 for the only unfilled PPA filament found — Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA at 1 kg; every other PPA in retail is carbon- or glass-filled[12]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][6][13]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[13][6][15]1.75 mm, 1 kg[12]
Typical applicationsStiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[5][2]Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[7]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[8]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[5][2]280–300 (Siraya Tech)[7]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[5][2]70–80 (Siraya Tech)[7]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2]Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[7]
Part cooling fanFan on[5][2]20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[7]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[7]
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][16][2][17]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[5]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[2]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[16][2]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[7]
Extruder requirementNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[16]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[16][2]Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[7]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[16][18]Non-abrasive when unfilled[7]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[16]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[7]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[18][16]High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[7]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[16][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]High (0.8–2 %) — Siraya Tech publishes 2.59 % by ISO 62 immersion for the unfilled grade; on the equilibrium basis Bambu Lab uses, its 15 % carbon-filled PPA reaches 1.30 % against 2.35 % for the same maker's PA6-CF[7][4][19]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][2]2.59 by ISO 62 water immersion (Siraya Tech, unfilled) — an immersion figure, not the 25 °C / 55 % RH equilibrium basis the filled grades are quoted on, so the two are not directly comparable[7]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h[5][2]80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[7]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedOozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[7]
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[20]Siraya Tech publishes dry against saturated for the same grade: tensile 70 → 60 MPa, flexural 114 → 87 MPa, HDT at 1.8 MPa 73.5 → 48.5 °C, while Charpy rises 10 → 14.5 kJ/m²[7][12]
Storage requirementNot documentedDry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[7]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[5][2][6]72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[7][12]
Young's modulusMPa2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[7]
Elongation at break%8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[7]
Flexural strengthMPa51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[5][2]115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[7][12]
Flexural modulusMPa3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[5][2]10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[7]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[5]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[5][2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[2][5]Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[7]
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[21]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[22][23][21]Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[3]
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 %[24][2]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[7]
Z strength as % of XY%48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[5][2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedSiraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[7][12]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[5][2]81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[7]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[5][2]73.5 dry and 48.5 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa, Siraya Tech) — unfilled PPA deflects near its Tg; the 190–227 °C figures quoted for PPA are carbon-filled grades[7][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C62–63 (DSC)[5][2]80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[7]
Melting point / Vicat°C162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[5][2]231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[7]
Continuous service temperature°C50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[22][23][21]Not documented
Annealing responseNot documentedSiraya Tech's product page offers annealing for strength while its own data sheet says annealing is not recommended because the print can warp; on its 15 % carbon-filled PPA, annealing lifts HDT at 1.8 MPa from 82.5 to 119 °C[7][12][25]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[26]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2]Withstands fuels, oils and industrial chemicals; Bambu Lab rates semi-aromatic nylon better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis and most organic solvents[7][4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedAbsorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[7][12]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[27]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[27]Not documented
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[5][2]Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[7]
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][28][29]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.[30]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[31]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[30][32]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[33][32]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[31]

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. Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · 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. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  8. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 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
  28. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  29. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  31. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  33. 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