Is the older PA-CF different from PLA-CF?

Bambu Filament and Accesories
1

I have an older spool of PA-CF:
Temperature resistance of Spool <= 90C
Suggested Filament Drying Conditions: 80C 8-12H

I also have some PLA-CF from the anniversary gift/sale. IIRC, these are not the same. But it’s a bit unclear: Bambu Carbon Fiber Filaments says "we named our PA-CF PAHT-CF. Is the PA-CF that I have the same as PAHT-CF?

2

Yes, they are not the same.

PAHT-CF is an upgraded version of PA-CF (PA-CF was discontinued) aka Nylon

PLA-CF is PLA.

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3

PA-CF is a (near engineering grade filament) Nylon Carbon Fiber
PLA-CF is a basic filament with Carbon Fiber.

PA-CF Strengths

  • Its very durable
  • Strong
  • Wear resistant
  • It has excellent high temp resistance (effectively Nylons have the best temp rating of “normal” filaments).

PA-CF Downsides

  • Terrible with moisture. Have to be printed dry, and is best used in environments that will not be exposed to water or it will weaken the material.
  • Expensive
  • Can be difficult to print

PLA-CF Strengths

  • Its very stiff
  • Relatively cheap
  • Handles moisture well
  • Is easy to print.

PLA- CF Downsides

  • Very low temp resistance
  • Brittle

As far as the PAHT-CF and PA-CF, PAHT is generally used when a manufacturer is using a PA12 (Nylon 12). Its a little better than PA (generally short for PA-6 or Nylon 6) for heat resistance, but significantly better than PA/PA6 for moisture use. PAHT/PA12 only absorbs about half as much moisture as PA/PA6. However note, its good for a Nylon but still fairly high moisture absorption as far as filament in general.

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4

Thanks, both! This is really helpful!

5

The Wiki has detailed info on the various filaments: