Materials › PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF)
PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF) – Properties, Temperatures & Tips
All key properties, print settings, pros and cons and matching filaments at a glance.
Properties & print settings
- Nozzle (°C)
- 260–300
- Bed (°C)
- 100–120
- Heat resistance HDT (°C)
- approx. 175–215 (Polymaker, annealed); 184–194 (Bambu)
- Tensile strength (MPa)
- approx. 92–109 (Polymaker); flexural strength 125–151 (Bambu)
- Density (g/cm³)
- approx. 1.03–1.17
- Drying
- 80 °C, 8–12 h
- Difficulty
- demanding
Enclosed chamber required Hardened nozzle required
What is PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF) used for?
Load-bearing technical parts: brackets, jigs, engine/machine parts, drones
+ Pros
Very high strength and stiffness, HDT above 200 °C, less warping than pure nylon
– Cons
Hardened nozzle (0.6 mm recommended), enclosure (except e.g. PA11-CF per Prusa), dry before every print, expensive, more brittle
Printing tips at a glance
- Nozzle temperature: 260–300 °C – start in the middle of the range on a new spool and fine-tune with a temperature tower.
- Bed temperature: 100–120 °C.
- An enclosed chamber is strongly recommended, otherwise expect warping and layer cracks.
- Because of the abrasive filler a hardened nozzle (e.g. hardened steel) is a must – brass wears out quickly.
- Drying: 80 °C, 8–12 h. Wet filament shows up as crackling, stringing and rough surfaces.
Compare similar materials
| Material | Difficulty | Nozzle (°C) | Bed (°C) | Heat resistance HDT (°C) | Tensile strength (MPa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF) | 4/5 | 260–300 | 100–120 | approx. 175–215 (Polymaker, annealed); 184–194 (Bambu) | approx. 92–109 (Polymaker); flexural strength 125–151 (Bambu) |
| PA / Nylon (unfilled) | 4/5 | approx. 260–285 | approx. 100–110 | approx. 111 (CoPA, annealed) | approx. 78 (Polymaker CoPA, annealed) |
| PA-GF (glass fibre nylon) | 4/5 | 260–300 (per manufacturer) | 80–120 | approx. 191 (PA6-GF25, annealed) | approx. 80 (PA6-GF25) |
| PET-CF / PET-GF | 4/5 | 260–300 | 70–100 | approx. 148–205 (CF); up to approx. 238 annealed (Polymaker) | approx. 60–66; flexural strength 131 (Bambu PET-CF) |
| PETG-CF (carbon fibre PETG) | 2/5 | 240–270 | 60–80 | 69–74 | approx. 60 (Polymaker); flexural strength 70 (Bambu) |
Matching filaments from partner shops
Advertisement: The shop buttons are affiliate links – if you buy, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Selection from our filament database.
Browse all colours in the filament database →
Frequently asked questions
What nozzle temperature does PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF) need?
Guideline for PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF): 260–300 °C nozzle and 100–120 °C bed temperature. The exact values are printed on the manufacturer's spool.
How heat resistant is PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF)?
Heat deflection temperature (HDT) is around approx. 175–215 (Polymaker, annealed); 184–194 (Bambu) °C. Above that, loaded parts start to deform.
Does PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF) need to be dried?
Recommended: 80 °C, 8–12 h.
Do I need an enclosure for PA-CF (carbon fibre nylon: PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PA11-CF)?
An enclosed chamber is strongly recommended, otherwise expect warping and layer cracks. Because of the abrasive filler a hardened nozzle (e.g. hardened steel) is a must – brass wears out quickly.
Values are guidelines from manufacturer datasheets (Polymaker, Bambu Lab, Prusa). They may differ by manufacturer, colour and print settings.