3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Silk vs PPA-CF

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

Silk PLA guidePPA-CF (carbon-fibre polyphthalamide) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Silk comparisonsMore PPA-CF comparisons
PLA Silk vs PPA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertySilk PLAPLAPPA-CF (carbon-fibre polyphthalamide)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings$84.99/kg median; $21.99–$266.67/kg across 7 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[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/cm³1.27 (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/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–267; the middle of the market is about 85[10][11][12][13][14][15]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[16][17][18][19][20]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[10][11][12][21][13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][16][22]Available from several mainstream brands[10][11][12][13][14]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[23][24]1.75 mm; 750 g, 1 kg, 2 kg and 2.5 kg spools[2][12][14]
Typical applicationsDecorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[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±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[25]0.05 (Bambu Lab and Siraya Tech, 1.75 mm)[2][5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[1]280–310 (Bambu Lab and CHCKX); 280–320 (Siraya Tech)[2][5][15]
Bed temperature°C35–45[1]100–120 (Bambu Lab and CHCKX); Siraya Tech runs cooler at 70–90[2][5][15]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][26]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][12]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented50–80 (Bambu Lab); specimens were printed at a 52 °C chamber and Bambu Lab notes 70–80 °C raises Z properties[2]
Part cooling fanFan on[1]Bambu Lab turns the part fan on; Siraya Tech runs it off[2][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[1]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/sNot documented8–12 mm³/s at 300–320 °C (Siraya Tech)[5]
Warping tendency1–5None[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[27]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[1]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 required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[26]Hardened steel required — Siraya Tech and CHCKX specify hardened steel or better, Raise3D warns brass wears quickly[3][5][15]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[28][26]Highly abrasive — standard CF/GF composites and glow fills[3][5]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[26]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech states nozzles below 0.4 mm will clog[5][12]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[29]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[27]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[1]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][30]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]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][31][6][30]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[1][32]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 wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[33]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[33]Not documented
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[34][27]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)MPa33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[1][35]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][31][6]
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[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][31][6]
Elongation at break%2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[1][34]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][31][6]
Flexural strengthMPa75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[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][31][6]
Flexural modulusMPa2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[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][31][6]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[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 dataNot documentedBambu 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 tensileMPa25 (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[1][35][36]57 printed Z (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, ISO 527); Raise3D measures 30.2 by a custom mono-layer method[2][3][6]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2–3 % elongation at break is typical[2][3][5]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[37][38]Good — Flashforge cites outstanding creep resistance at high temperature and Raise3D high creep resistance, both against other nylons[3][4]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[39][29]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]34 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, Z against XY tensile, ISO 527)[2][6]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C60 (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][31][6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C56 (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][31][6]
Glass transition (Tg)°C57 (DSC)[1]80 (Siraya Tech, ASTM D3418) to 85 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, DSC)[2][5][6]
Melting point / Vicat°C158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[1]Melting point 231 (Raise3D) to 258 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D); Vicat softening 230–238 (ISO 306)[2][3][5][31][6]
Continuous service temperature°C50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[36]120 (Flashforge, IEC 60216, LUVOCOM PPA-CF)[4]
Annealing response50–55 °C for 6–12 h[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]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[34][40]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
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[29][41]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[40][29]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 service1–5Good — insoluble in water[34]Good — minor absorption; 1.3 % saturated moisture is roughly half what PA6-CF takes up[2][30]
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[29]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[42][29]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[42]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedFlashforge'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 toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[43]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[43]Not documented
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedChopped carbon fibre; dry sanding and cutting release respirable fibre-laden dust[44]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[41][29]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[29][45]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[29]Not documented
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[1]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]
Dimensional accuracy & detail55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[1]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[46]Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[47]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[46][48]Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[47]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[49][48]None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[47]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
  4. Flashforge PPA-CF Filament Technical Data Sheet (LUVOCOM PPA-CF, 10 % carbon fibre) Flashforge · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. IEMAI 3D CF-PPA Technical Data Sheet IEMAI 3D · 2025-04 · tds
  7. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PPA-CF — Bambu Lab US Store Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Filament 1.75 mm (1 kg) — product listing MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Fibreheart PPA-CF Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI 3D CF-PPA 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. CARBONX HTN+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. CHCKX PPA-CF 3D Printing Filament Matte Black 1 kg 1.75 mm 10 % Carbon Fiber — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Core Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Core Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  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. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  40. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  41. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  42. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  43. 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
  44. PET-CF / PPA-CF / PPS-CF / PA6-CF carbon fibre filament usage guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  45. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  46. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  47. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · 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