3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Wood vs PPA

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

Wood-filled PLA guidePPA (polyphthalamide) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Wood comparisonsMore PPA comparisons
PLA Wood vs PPA — documented properties and sources
PropertyWood-filled PLAPLAPPA (polyphthalamide)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.49/kg median; $13.99–$76.40/kg across 6 dated product listings$45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with wood powder — 10–18 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS); colorFabb woodFill uses a PLA/PHA base with recycled wood fibre[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/cm³1.15 (colorFabb) to 1.23 (Fiberlogy), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.21[5][2][6]1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25; counting the 0.5 kg specialty spools the middle of the market is about 34[8][9][10]One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg14–76 across brands; SUNLU 14, ELEGOO 19, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 44, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools, colorFabb 76[9][8][12][13][14][10]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[11]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][13][6]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.6, 0.85 and 1 kg spools[13][6][8]1.75 mm, 1 kg[11]
Typical applicationsDecorative and model-making prints that are sanded and stained like timber[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)[5]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–240 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb advises 195–220 for its PLA/PHA base[5][2]280–300 (Siraya Tech)[7]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–70 (Fiberlogy)[5][6]70–80 (Siraya Tech)[7]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5]Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[7]
Part cooling fanFan on[5]20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[7]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[7]
Warping tendency1–5None[5]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; pre-drying is required and the wood content chars if it sits hot[15][5]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 does not recommend the AMS lite[15]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's PLA compatibility table lists no hardened-nozzle requirement, but its nozzle guide names wood among the abrasive filaments hardened steel exists for[15][16]Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[7]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — wood fill[15]Non-abrasive when unfilled[7]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; wood particles char and block small nozzles[15]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 requirementNot documentedHigh-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[7]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High — 1.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, the highest in the PLA family[5]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][17]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%1.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[5]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 8 h in a forced-air dryer; Bambu Lab lists pre-drying as required[5][15]80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[7]
Symptoms when wetBambu Lab flags pre-drying and ventilation as specific requirements for this grade[15]Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[7]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. At 1.25 % saturated uptake the practical loss shows as poor layer adhesion, rough surface and weak layers[18][5]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][11]
Storage requirementNot documentedDry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[7]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa26 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 28.4 (colorFabb) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy quotes 35 at yield[5][2][6]72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[7][11]
Young's modulusMPa2360 ± 190 (Bambu Lab) and 2479 (colorFabb) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy 2950[5][2][6]3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[7]
Elongation at break%4.5 (colorFabb) to 15.3 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy 6.5[5][2][6]10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[7]
Flexural strengthMPa55 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[5]115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[7][11]
Flexural modulusMPa2780 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[5]3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²3.81 (colorFabb) and 6.3 ± 2.2 (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 12.28 (colorFabb) and 15.7 (Bambu Lab), printed, ISO 179[5][2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 28 against 55 in XY[5]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[5]Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[7]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no wood-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[19][20][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 grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the wood filler cuts elongation and the parts snap without warning[22][5]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[5]Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[7]
Z strength as % of XY%58 by tensile, 51 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedSiraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[7][11]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5]81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[7]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C57 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5]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)°C54 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Fiberlogy quotes 55–60[5][6]80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[7]
Melting point / Vicat°C156 peak melt (DSC)[5]231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[7]
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][11][23]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[24]Not documented
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands 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][11]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[25]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room; Bambu Lab specifically advises ventilation for this grade[15]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and stains like timber — the usual reason for choosing it[2]Not documented
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5]Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[7]
Dimensional accuracy & detailWood grain hides layer lines; colour darkens with nozzle temperature[5][2]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.[26]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[27]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[26][28]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[29][28]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[27]

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 SDS20250723SA16 — Bambu PLA Wood Bambu Lab · 2025-07 · msds
  2. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · 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 — PLA Wood Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. FiberWood technical data sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  7. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  8. PLA Wood — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PLA+ WOODJet - Natur (1,75 mm; 0,5 kg) Filament PM shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. woodFill — product page colorFabb US · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. SUNLU Optimized Wood PLA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  23. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. 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
  26. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  27. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  29. 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