3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PPA vs PPS-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PPA (polyphthalamide)PA | Fibre-reinforced PPSHIGHTEMP |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 dated product listings | $139.98/kg median; $119.98–$174.17/kg across 5 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | 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[1][2] | Carbon-fibre reinforced PPS — Polymaker's Fiberon grade is nominally 10 wt%[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[4] | 1.29 (Fiberon PPS-CF10) and 1.36 (Fiberon PPS-GF20), ISO 1183[3][5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[6] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 93–174; the middle of the market is about 140[7][8][9][10] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 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[6] | 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[7][8][9][10] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[6] | Available from several mainstream brands[7][8][9] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm, 1 kg[6] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[7] |
| Typical applications | Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[4] | Chemical and automotive parts needing PPS chemistry with structural stiffness[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 280–300 (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 70–80 (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[4] | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker states its Fiberon PPS-CF10 needs no heated chamber, unlike the unfilled sulfones and PAEKs[3] |
| Part cooling fan | 20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[4] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[4] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[4] | Hardened steel required[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[4] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[4] | 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[11][12] |
| Hotend requirement | High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | 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[4][2][13] | Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.225 % equilibrium for Fiberon PPS-CF10 and 0.11 % for PPS-GF20[3][5] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 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[4] | 0.225 equilibrium (Fiberon PPS-CF10); 0.11 (PPS-GF20)[3][5] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | 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[4][6] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; equilibrium uptake is 0.225 % and Polymaker specifies a 100 °C, 10 h dry[3] |
| Storage requirement | Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[4][6] | 59.4 ± 1.3 (PPS-CF10) and 64.1 ± 2.1 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[3][5] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[4] | 5446.7 ± 149.0 (PPS-CF10) and 4552.0 ± 54.6 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[3][5] |
| Elongation at break% | 10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[4] | 1.4 ± 0.1 (PPS-CF10) and 2.0 ± 0.2 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527 — the lowest elongation in the dataset[3][5] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[4][6] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[4] | 5.3 ± 0.2 printed XY for PPS-CF10 and 7.3 ± 0.2 for PPS-GF20, ISO 179 notched[3][5] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 32.0 ± 5.1 (PPS-CF10) and 22.9 ± 0.8 (PPS-GF20) printed Z, ISO 527[3][5] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[4] | Very brittle — cracks or shatters easily; elongation at break 1.4 %[3] |
| 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[14] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[1] | 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[14][15][3] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[4] | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 54 (PPS-CF10) and 36 (PPS-GF20), printed[3][5] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Siraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[4][6] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[4] | 252.5 (PPS-CF10) and 236.3 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][5] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 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[4][2] | 133 (PPS-CF10) and 125.8 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][5] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[4] | 97.7 (PPS-CF10) and 95.0 (PPS-GF20), DSC[3][5] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[4] | 279.7 (PPS-CF10) and 279.6 (PPS-GF20) melting, DSC; Vicat 267.5 and 272.5 (ISO 306)[3][5] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F; no figure published for the carbon-filled grade[14] |
| Annealing response | Siraya 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[4][6][16] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | 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[4][2] | Outstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[11] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Absorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[4][6] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (ANSI/ESD S11.11)[3][5] |
| 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[17] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Not documented | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[17] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Support material pairing | Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[4] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[18] | None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[19][20] |
| Softened or crazed by | Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[18] | Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[20] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[18] | None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[19] |
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
- Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PPS-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PPS-GF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 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
- 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
- TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · 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
- 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