Filament comparison
PLA Stone vs PPA-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Stone-filled PLAPLA | PPA-CF (carbon-fibre polyphthalamide)PA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $22.99/kg median; $15.99–$49.16/kg across 6 dated product listings | $84.99/kg median; $21.99–$266.67/kg across 7 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | PLA filled with stone or mineral powder — Formfutura StoneFil declares 40–50 wt% stone powder[1][2] | 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 %[3][4][5][6] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.22 (Bambu Lab PLA Marble) and 1.50–1.70 (Formfutura StoneFil), ISO 1183[2][1] | 1.15 (Raise3D) to 1.25 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D), ISO 1183; Flashforge 1.21–1.23[3][4][5][7] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 21[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/kg | 16–49 across brands; SUNLU 16, ELEGOO 19, Polymaker 21, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 38, Filament PM MarbleJet 49 on 0.5 kg spools[16][9][8][17][18][19] | 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][20][13][14][15] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][16] | Available from several mainstream brands[10][11][12][13][14] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools plus refills[9][1] | 1.75 mm; 750 g, 1 kg, 2 kg and 2.5 kg spools[3][12][14] |
| Typical applications | Architectural models, sculpture and props with a matte mineral surface[2] | Under-bonnet automotive brackets, jigs and end-use parts that must stay stiff above the 100 °C working ceiling of PA6-CF[4][5] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | 0.05 (Bambu Lab and Siraya Tech, 1.75 mm)[3][6] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 190–230 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 280–310 (Bambu Lab and CHCKX); 280–320 (Siraya Tech)[3][6][15] |
| Bed temperature°C | 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 100–120 (Bambu Lab and CHCKX); Siraya Tech runs cooler at 70–90[3][6][15] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[2] | 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[3][5][12] |
| 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[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Fan on[2] | Bambu Lab turns the part fan on; Siraya Tech runs it off[3][6] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | Smooth or textured PEI plate with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[3][6] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 8–12 mm³/s at 300–320 °C (Siraya Tech)[6] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Easy — minor profile tuning; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[21] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; a 320 °C hot end and a hardened nozzle are the entry requirements[3][6] |
| Extruder requirement | Nozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[21] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's compatibility table says no hardened nozzle is needed while the note under the same table groups PLA Marble with particle-filled materials that should always use one[21] | Hardened steel required — Siraya Tech and CHCKX specify hardened steel or better, Raise3D warns brass wears quickly[4][6][15] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — stone fill[21][1] | Highly abrasive — standard CF/GF composites and glow fills[4][6] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[21] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech states nozzles below 0.4 mm will clog[6][12] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.44 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2] | 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[3][7][22] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.44 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2] | 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[3][4][5][6][23][7][22] |
| 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[3][4][6] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker 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[24] | Not documented |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant (Bambu Lab); Raise3D keeps the spool in a dry box throughout the print[3][4] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 33 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 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[3][4][5][6][23][7] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2330 ± 240 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 7100–11800 (printed XY): Flashforge 7100–8000, Raise3D and Siraya Tech 7800, Siraya Tech Core 9300, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 11800[3][4][5][6][23][7] |
| Elongation at break% | 6.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 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[3][4][5][6][23][7] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 75 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 145–221 (printed XY, ISO 178): Siraya Tech 145, Siraya Tech Core 178, Raise3D 190, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 208, Flashforge 210–221[3][4][5][6][23][7] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2920 ± 180 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 6500–9860 (printed XY, ISO 178): Flashforge 6500–7000, Siraya Tech 6800, Raise3D 8510, Siraya Tech Core 8700, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 9860[3][4][5][6][23][7] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 9.5 ± 2.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2] | 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[3][4][6][7] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 24.0 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2] | 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[3][5][7] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2] | 57 printed Z (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, ISO 527); Raise3D measures 30.2 by a custom mono-layer method[3][4][7] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning[2] | Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2–3 % elongation at break is typical[3][4][6] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Poor — no stone-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[25][26][27] | Good — Flashforge cites outstanding creep resistance at high temperature and Raise3D high creep resistance, both against other nylons[4][5] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the mineral filler leaves a brittle compound[28][2] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 91 by tensile, 73 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[2] | 34 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, Z against XY tensile, ISO 527)[3][7] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 56 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2] | 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[3][4][5][6][23][7] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2] | 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[3][4][6][23][7] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 56 (DSC)[2] | 80 (Siraya Tech, ASTM D3418) to 85 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, DSC)[3][6][7] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 156 peak melt (DSC); Formfutura gives a 120–170 melting range for StoneFil[2][1] | Melting point 231 (Raise3D) to 258 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D); Vicat softening 230–238 (ISO 306)[3][4][6][23][7] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 120 (Flashforge, IEC 60216, LUVOCOM PPA-CF)[5] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | 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[3][4][6] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; Bambu Lab lists water, carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides as combustion products. No UL 94 rating is published for the filament grades surveyed[3] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Degrades within weeks outdoors[29] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | 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[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Good — minor absorption; 1.3 % saturated moisture is roughly half what PA6-CF takes up[3][22] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | 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[5] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[30] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | None needed in a normal room[30] | Not documented |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Formfutura's SDS sets an occupational limit of 1 mg/m³ for the stone powder and lists it as both a fibre and a particulate — do not dry-sand without extraction[1] | Chopped carbon fibre; dry sanding and cutting release respirable fibre-laden dust[31] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands to a stone-like matte surface[1] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2] | 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[3][4] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Matte mineral surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[2] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[32] | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[33] |
| Softened or crazed by | Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[32][34] | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[33] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[35][34] | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[33] |
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
- StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Marble Bambu Lab · 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
- PLA Marble — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 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
- ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU High Speed PLA Marble 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- Filament PM PLA MarbleJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Core Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 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
- BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — 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
- PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- 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