Polyamide, carbon and glass reinforced

Nylon & composites filamentWhere the part is the product.

Nylon slides, survives fatigue and refuses to snap. Carbon and glass fibre add stiffness and dimensional stability. All of it is hygroscopic — this family lives and dies by drying discipline.

Process: FDM (filament)
Families: 3
SKUs: 3
Price: On request

Grades

The grades in this family.

Print settings and mechanical properties are published per grade. A colour change never alters these numbers.

PA-CF

Carbon fibre reinforced polyamide: the closest an FDM printer gets to a machined part. Stiff, dimensionally stable, and self-lubricating where it slides.

Best for

End-use mechanical parts
Gears, bushings and wear surfaces
Production tooling and fixtures

Watch out

Hygroscopic to a fault. It will absorb enough water to fail in an afternoon on an open spool.

Hardened nozzle 0.4 mm+Enclosure 50 °CActive dry box

Print settings

Nozzle: 260–290 °C
Bed: 80–100 °C
Chamber: 50 °C
Speed: 40–80 mm/s
Cooling: 0–20 %
Drying: 70 °C / 8 h
Diameter: 1,75 mm

Print settings are the common starting window for this material class, not measurements. Calibrate with a temperature tower and a flow test on your own machine.

Properties

Density: 1,17 g/cm³ISO 1183 · Fiberon™ PA6-CF20 · annealed
Tensile strength: 109,3 MPaISO 527 · XY · Fiberon™ PA6-CF20 · annealed
Impact strength: 11,0 kJ/m²ISO 179 · notched, XY · Fiberon™ PA6-CF20 · annealed
Heat deflection (HDT): 215 °CHDT 0,45 MPa · Fiberon™ PA6-CF20 · annealed
Vicat softening: 219 °CFiberon™ PA6-CF20 · annealed

Benchmarked on published grades: Polymaker Fiberon™ PA6-CF20 · Polymaker · 27/08/2026

PA12

Unfilled nylon 12: tough rather than stiff. It absorbs impact, survives millions of flex cycles, and is the right answer when a part must bend and keep working.

Best for

Living hinges and snap fits
Impact-loaded brackets
Low-friction moving parts

Watch out

Softer and more flexible than most people expect. Design for deflection, not for rigidity.

Enclosure 45 °CActive dry box

Print settings

Nozzle: 250–275 °C
Bed: 70–90 °C
Chamber: 45 °C
Speed: 40–90 mm/s
Cooling: 20–40 %
Drying: 70 °C / 12 h
Diameter: 1,75 mm

Print settings are the common starting window for this material class, not measurements. Calibrate with a temperature tower and a flow test on your own machine.

Properties

Density: 1,12 g/cm³ISO 1183 · PolyMide™ CoPA · annealed — copolyamide, nearest published grade
Tensile strength: 78,0 MPaISO 527 · XY · PolyMide™ CoPA · annealed — copolyamide, nearest published grade
Impact strength: 6,9 kJ/m²ISO 179 · notched, XY · PolyMide™ CoPA · annealed — copolyamide, nearest published grade
Heat deflection (HDT): 111 °CHDT 0,45 MPa · PolyMide™ CoPA · annealed — copolyamide, nearest published grade
Vicat softening: 180 °CPolyMide™ CoPA · annealed — copolyamide, nearest published grade

Benchmarked on published grades: Polymaker PolyMide™ CoPA · Polymaker · 27/08/2026

PA6-GF

Glass fibre nylon 6 for heat and load together. It holds its shape at temperatures where PETG has already given up, and it costs less than carbon fibre to get there.

Best for

Under-bonnet and engine bay parts
Hot tooling and fixtures
Structural mounts

Watch out

Glass fibre is harder on nozzles than carbon. Budget for a wear part, not a permanent one.

Hardened nozzle 0.6 mmEnclosure 55 °CActive dry box

Print settings

Nozzle: 270–300 °C
Bed: 90–110 °C
Chamber: 55 °C
Speed: 30–70 mm/s
Cooling: 0–10 %
Drying: 80 °C / 12 h
Diameter: 1,75 mm

Print settings are the common starting window for this material class, not measurements. Calibrate with a temperature tower and a flow test on your own machine.

Properties

Density: 1,20 g/cm³ISO 1183 · Fiberon™ PA6-GF25 · annealed
Tensile strength: 80,1 MPaISO 527 · XY · Fiberon™ PA6-GF25 · annealed
Impact strength: 10,0 kJ/m²ISO 179 · notched, XY · Fiberon™ PA6-GF25 · annealed
Heat deflection (HDT): 191 °CHDT 0,45 MPa · Fiberon™ PA6-GF25 · annealed
Vicat softening: 212 °CFiberon™ PA6-GF25 · annealed

Benchmarked on published grades: Polymaker Fiberon™ PA6-GF25 · Polymaker · 27/08/2026

The properties on this page are values published in the named manufacturers' data sheets, measured on their grades to the standard printed against each row — not measurements of a ZORVA spool. Use them to compare material classes, not as an acceptance specification.

Buy

In stock, by colour.

Each SKU carries its own batch number and Material Passport. Colours are named like tools, not like paint charts.

PA-CF

Onyx

The reference ZORVA engineering grade. Ships in a resealable dry bag with indicator desiccant.

MatteOn request

PA12

Natural

Unfilled and undyed. Dye it after printing, or leave it as the classic nylon off-white.

NaturalOn request

PA6-GF

Slate

Glass fibre shows as a fine speckle. It is the material, not a print defect.

MatteOn request

Questions

Nylon, answered.

Why does nylon have to be dried before printing?

Polyamide absorbs several percent of its weight in water from ordinary room air, in hours rather than weeks. That water flashes to steam in the nozzle, which shreds the extrusion, drops tensile strength by a third or more, and leaves a foamed, furry surface. Dry at 70 °C for 8–12 hours and print straight from a heated dry box.

Do I need a hardened nozzle for carbon fibre filament?

Yes. Chopped carbon and glass fibre abrade brass in tens of hours — the bore goes oval and flow control disappears. Use hardened steel or a ruby-tipped nozzle, 0.4 mm minimum, 0.6 mm preferred.

Is carbon fibre nylon stronger than plain nylon?

Stiffer, not tougher. Fibre reinforcement roughly doubles flexural modulus and cuts warping, but it lowers elongation at break, so the part resists bending and then fails more suddenly. For living hinges and snap fits, unfilled PA12 is the better answer.