Filament comparison
PPA-CF vs PPS-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PPA-CF (carbon-fibre polyphthalamide)PA | Fibre-reinforced PPSHIGHTEMP |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $84.99/kg median; $21.99–$266.67/kg across 7 dated product listings | $139.98/kg median; $119.98–$174.17/kg across 5 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | 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 %[1][2][3][4] | Carbon-fibre reinforced PPS — Polymaker's Fiberon grade is nominally 10 wt%[5] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.15 (Raise3D) to 1.25 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D), ISO 1183; Flashforge 1.21–1.23[1][2][3][6] | 1.29 (Fiberon PPS-CF10) and 1.36 (Fiberon PPS-GF20), ISO 1183[5][7] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 22–267; the middle of the market is about 85[8][9][10][11][12][13] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 93–174; the middle of the market is about 140[14][15][16][17] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 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[8][9][10][18][11][12][13] | 93-174 across brands and formats; Polymaker Fiberon PPS-GF20 93 at 3 kg, IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 131 at 750 g, LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PPS CF 9938 164 at 2.3 kg, Bambu Lab PPS-CF 174 at 750 g[14][15][16][17] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[8][9][10][11][12] | Available from several mainstream brands[14][15][16] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 750 g, 1 kg, 2 kg and 2.5 kg spools[1][10][12] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[14] |
| Typical applications | Under-bonnet automotive brackets, jigs and end-use parts that must stay stiff above the 100 °C working ceiling of PA6-CF[2][3] | Chemical and automotive parts needing PPS chemistry with structural stiffness[5] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | 0.05 (Bambu Lab and Siraya Tech, 1.75 mm)[1][4] | Not documented |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 280–310 (Bambu Lab and CHCKX); 280–320 (Siraya Tech)[1][4][13] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 100–120 (Bambu Lab and CHCKX); Siraya Tech runs cooler at 70–90[1][4][13] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | 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[1][3][10] | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker states its Fiberon PPS-CF10 needs no heated chamber, unlike the unfilled sulfones and PAEKs[5] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 50–80 (Bambu Lab); specimens were printed at a 52 °C chamber and Bambu Lab notes 70–80 °C raises Z properties[1] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | Bambu Lab turns the part fan on; Siraya Tech runs it off[1][4] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Smooth or textured PEI plate with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[1][4] | Not documented |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 8–12 mm³/s at 300–320 °C (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; a 320 °C hot end and a hardened nozzle are the entry requirements[1][4] | Expert / industrial hardware only[5] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — Siraya Tech and CHCKX specify hardened steel or better, Raise3D warns brass wears quickly[2][4][13] | Hardened steel required[5] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF/GF composites and glow fills[2][4] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[5] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech states nozzles below 0.4 mm will clog[4][10] | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; Polymaker specifies hardened steel or ruby nozzles for carbon-filled PPS and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[19][20] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | 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[1][6][21] | Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.225 % equilibrium for Fiberon PPS-CF10 and 0.11 % for PPS-GF20[5][7] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 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[1][2][3][4][22][6][21] | 0.225 equilibrium (Fiberon PPS-CF10); 0.11 (PPS-GF20)[5][7] |
| Drying temperature & time | 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[1][2][4] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not documented | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; equilibrium uptake is 0.225 % and Polymaker specifies a 100 °C, 10 h dry[5] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed below 20 % RH with desiccant (Bambu Lab); Raise3D keeps the spool in a dry box throughout the print[1][2] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 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[1][2][3][4][22][6] | 59.4 ± 1.3 (PPS-CF10) and 64.1 ± 2.1 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[5][7] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 7100–11800 (printed XY): Flashforge 7100–8000, Raise3D and Siraya Tech 7800, Siraya Tech Core 9300, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 11800[1][2][3][4][22][6] | 5446.7 ± 149.0 (PPS-CF10) and 4552.0 ± 54.6 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[5][7] |
| Elongation at break% | 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[1][2][3][4][22][6] | 1.4 ± 0.1 (PPS-CF10) and 2.0 ± 0.2 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527 — the lowest elongation in the dataset[5][7] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 145–221 (printed XY, ISO 178): Siraya Tech 145, Siraya Tech Core 178, Raise3D 190, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 208, Flashforge 210–221[1][2][3][4][22][6] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 6500–9860 (printed XY, ISO 178): Flashforge 6500–7000, Siraya Tech 6800, Raise3D 8510, Siraya Tech Core 8700, Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D 9860[1][2][3][4][22][6] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 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[1][2][4][6] | 5.3 ± 0.2 printed XY for PPS-CF10 and 7.3 ± 0.2 for PPS-GF20, ISO 179 notched[5][7] |
| Other impact data | 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[1][3][6] | Not documented |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 57 printed Z (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, ISO 527); Raise3D measures 30.2 by a custom mono-layer method[1][2][6] | 32.0 ± 5.1 (PPS-CF10) and 22.9 ± 0.8 (PPS-GF20) printed Z, ISO 527[5][7] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2–3 % elongation at break is typical[1][2][4] | Very brittle — cracks or shatters easily; elongation at break 1.4 %[5] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded unfilled PPS stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a fibre-filled PPS filament[23] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good — Flashforge cites outstanding creep resistance at high temperature and Raise3D high creep resistance, both against other nylons[2][3] | Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger lists high creep resistance for unfilled PPS stock and Spectrum states creep resistance is unchanged under continuous load at high temperature; the fibre raises heat deflection to 252 °C at 0.45 MPa[23][24][5] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[5] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 34 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, Z against XY tensile, ISO 527)[1][6] | 54 (PPS-CF10) and 36 (PPS-GF20), printed[5][7] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 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[1][2][3][4][22][6] | 252.5 (PPS-CF10) and 236.3 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[5][7] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 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[1][2][4][22][6] | 133 (PPS-CF10) and 125.8 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[5][7] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 80 (Siraya Tech, ASTM D3418) to 85 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D, DSC)[1][4][6] | 97.7 (PPS-CF10) and 95.0 (PPS-GF20), DSC[5][7] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Melting point 231 (Raise3D) to 258 (Bambu Lab and IEMAI 3D); Vicat softening 230–238 (ISO 306)[1][2][4][22][6] | 279.7 (PPS-CF10) and 279.6 (PPS-GF20) melting, DSC; Vicat 267.5 and 272.5 (ISO 306)[5][7] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 120 (Flashforge, IEC 60216, LUVOCOM PPA-CF)[3] | 170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F; no figure published for the carbon-filled grade[23] |
| Annealing response | 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[1][2][4] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; Bambu Lab lists water, carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides as combustion products. No UL 94 rating is published for the filament grades surveyed[1] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | 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[1] | Outstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[19] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Good — minor absorption; 1.3 % saturated moisture is roughly half what PA6-CF takes up[1][21] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | 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[3] | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (ANSI/ESD S11.11)[5][7] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[25] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Not documented | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Chopped carbon fibre; dry sanding and cutting release respirable fibre-laden dust[26] | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[5] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Support material pairing | 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[1][2] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Formic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[27] | None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[28][29] |
| Softened or crazed by | Zinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[27] | Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[29] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[27] | None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[28] |
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
- 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
- Fiberon PPS-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- IEMAI 3D CF-PPA Technical Data Sheet IEMAI 3D · 2025-04 · tds
- Fiberon PPS-GF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- 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
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Bambu Lab PPS-CF Black, spool (750 g) 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Core Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 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
- TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
- 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
- Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds