— FDM · MATERIAL
PLA-CF
Carbon-fiber-filled PLA. Stiffer, matte, abrasive.
PLA reinforced with chopped carbon-fiber (typically 10–20% by weight). Significantly stiffer than pure PLA, dimensionally stable as it cools, and has a beautiful matte finish — but it grinds brass nozzles to dust. Hardened steel nozzle is non-negotiable.
— Specs
The numbers your slicer cares about.
Density
1.30 g/cm³
Nozzle temp
210–230°C
Bed temp
50–70°C
Price
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— Use cases
When PLA-CF is the right call.
Best for
- Visual prototypes that need a premium matte finish
- Drone frames and RC parts where stiffness matters
- Tooling jigs that benefit from low thermal expansion
- Any part where 'looks like injection-molded carbon' is a requirement
Avoid for
- Brass-nozzle printers (the fibers will eat it in days)
- High-impact use — fibers make it stiffer but also more brittle
- Outdoor / hot-car use (PLA matrix still softens at 55°C)
- Food contact or skin-contact applications
— Honest assessment
Pros & cons, no marketing.
Pros
- Significantly stiffer than pure PLA — less flex under load
- Matte black aesthetic — no post-processing needed
- Lower warpage than PLA thanks to fiber-filled cooling
- Prints at PLA temps (no upgrade beyond the nozzle)
Cons
- Abrasive — destroys brass nozzles in 1–2 spools
- More brittle than pure PLA (fibers create stress concentrators)
- Higher cost than vanilla PLA (typically 1.5–2× per kg)
- Same heat-resistance ceiling as PLA (~55°C)
— Print tips
What we'd tell a friend printing this.
- 1Hardened steel or ruby nozzle ONLY — brass wears to oversized in days
- 2Increase wall count to 3–4 for stiffness benefit to compound
- 3Lower print speed slightly (~50mm/s) — fibers tangle at high flow
- 4Dry the spool: PLA-CF is more hygroscopic than pure PLA
— Compare
Also worth considering.
— Try this material