PLA-GF
Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polylactic Acid
4 products from 4 makers. Bambu Lab lists PLA-GF as a material type for the H2C; the listing covers the type, not each brand.
- Not published:
- tensile modulus (XY),
- Tensile strength (XY)
- 46MPa
- one product
- Not published:
- tensile strength (Z),
- Not published:
- notched Charpy impact,
- Not published:
- HDT at 0.45 MPa.
- Price
- 41CAD/kg
- one product
PLA-GF is glass-fibre-filled polylactic acid. Makers sell it for prototypes of mechanical parts that need rigidity and for lightweight parts, and they describe low shrinkage. On the H2C it prints at 215–230 °C with no chamber heat, but some products need a hardened nozzle, and a maker also calls for annealing.
Thinly documented Four products, with values from 4 makers' documents. Read each figure as a few sheets' word.
On the H2C
Printing in full- Nozzle
- 215–230 °C
- both that give one
- Bed
- 55–60 °C
- both that give one
- Heated chamber
- none needed
- 1 of 4 products
- Drying
- 50 °C, 3–6 h
- 2 of 4 products call for it
- Nozzle type
- hardened
- 2 of 4 products' sheets ask for one; the rest are silent
No product's setting is beyond the H2C's limits: nozzle 350 °C, bed 120 °C, heated chamber 65 °C.
Among the materials
Among the materials, PLA-GF sits in the middle half on every property it publishes comparably.
PLA-GF against its alternatives
How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?
- PLA-GF: its products' median and middle half
- an alternative
- lowest to highest
- each material's median (top row)
Each row is a material, each column a property: the bar is the middle half of a material's products, the tick their median, the hairline their lowest to highest; the ticks above the rows are every material's median.
The figure as a table
| Material | Modulus (XY) (GPa) | Strength (XY) (MPa) | Strength (Z) (MPa) | Notched Charpy (kJ/m²) | HDT 0.45 MPa (°C) | Price (CAD/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA-GF (this material) | — | 46 · 1 | — | — | — | 41 · 0 |
| PLA | 2.58 (2–2.88) · 61 | 45 (39.5–53) · 83 | 30.3 (22.1–34) · 40 | 6 (3.97–7.9) · 14 | 56 (53–58) · 50 | 33 (28–40) · 27 |
| PLA-CF | 2.8 (2.26–3.65) · 7 | 42.3 (39.3–47) · 10 | 25.3 (24.1–26) · 5 | 6.08 · 2 | 55 (55–57) · 6 | 40 · 2 |
| PETG-CF | 3.7 (2.93–4.08) · 11 | 49.4 (43–53.7) · 12 | 28.5 (27–32) · 4 | 8 (4–15.7) · 5 | 72 (71–75) · 11 | 41 · 3 |
| ASA-CF | 3.91 (2.35–4.43) · 6 | 39.1 (39–45.8) · 7 | 27.5 (23–30.3) · 4 | 5.76 · 3 | 101 (97–103) · 5 | 65 (54–120) · 5 |
| PA12-CF | 3.31 (1.97–8) · 5 | 65 (48.5–79.5) · 8 | 33.1 · 2 | 16.3 (13.7–17.8) · 4 | 131 (111–160) · 7 | 300 · 1 |
PLA-GF publishes no tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (Z), notched Charpy impact or HDT at 0.45 MPa.
Mechanical properties
Printed flat (XY), PLA-GF typically reaches a tensile strength of 46 MPa.
| As each sheet publishes it | Polymaker HT PLA GF | iSANMATE PLA Glass Fiber | eSUN PLA GF | Nobufil PLAx GF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) | 50.1 MPa | 46 MPa | not published | 40 MPaorientation not stated |
| Tensile modulus (XY) | 3.79 GPa | not published | not published | not published |
| Tensile strength (Z) | 23.7 MPa | not published | not published | not published |
| Elongation at break (XY) | 2.77 % | 2 %not described as printed | not published | 12 %orientation not stated |
| Notched Charpy impact | 5.31 kJ/m² | not published | not published | not published |
| Notched Izod impact | not published | not published | not published | 5 kJ/m²orientation not stated |
Flat and across the layers, property by property
Flat and across the layers
| Property | Printed flat (XY) | Across the layers (Z) | Z as a share of XY | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | Products | Median | Products | ||
| Tensile strength MPa | 46 | 1 | — | — | |
| Flexural strength MPa | 42 | 1 | — | — | |
The middle half of the products under each median. The share is each product's Z value as a part of its XY value, from one sheet and one state, and the median of those shares. How XY and Z differ.
Thermal properties
| As each sheet publishes it | Polymaker HT PLA GF | iSANMATE PLA Glass Fiber | eSUN PLA GF | Nobufil PLAx GF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 76 °C | not published | not published | not published |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa | 60 °C | not published | not published | not published |
| Glass transition (Tg) | 60 °C | not published | not published | not published |
Printing on the H2C
PLA-GF's print settings and service temperatures against the H2C's limits
What does printing it on the H2C take, and how hot can a part get?
- share of the products that accept each temperature
- the H2C's limit, and beyond it
- a product
Printing it on the H2C
°C
One temperature axis for the settings a print needs and the temperatures a part meets. A setting's shade is how many of the products whose sheets give a window accept each degree; the H2C's limit closes its row.
The figure as a table
| Setting or property | Most products, or the median | Products | H2C limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 190–230 °C; 215–235 °C | 2 | 350 °C |
| Bed | 45–60 °C; 55–75 °C | 2 | 120 °C |
| Heated chamber | — | 0 | 65 °C |
| Drying | 50 °C, 3–6 h | 1 | — |
No PLA-GF product gives a heated chamber window. No PLA-GF product publishes a softening temperature. Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.
| Setting | Polymaker HT PLA GF | iSANMATE PLA Glass Fiber | eSUN PLA GF | Nobufil PLAx GF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 210–230 °C | not published | 190–230 °C | 215–235 °C |
| Bed | 25–60 °C | not published | 45–60 °C | 55–75 °C |
| Heated chamber | none needed | not stated; within, by its kind | not stated; within, by its kind | not stated; within, by its kind |
| Drying | 60 °C for 6 h | not published | not published | 50 °C for 3–6 h |
| Nozzle type | hardened | not stated | not stated | hardened |
In grey, a setting a product reads from a data sheet it shares or from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide, where its own sheet is silent, or a chamber all of them leave silent, read from what the makers of its kind of plastic state.
After printing
One product publishes values measured after annealing.
Thin parts may require the lower annealing temperature to prevent warping.
Polymaker HT PLA GF, data sheet, p. 5Annealing temperature 80-100 (°C) (Recommended 100°C); Annealing time 20-30 Mins (Recommended 30 mins)
Polymaker HT PLA GF, data sheet, p. 5
What makers say about printing it
Warping and shrinkage
Shrinkage (D) 0.10%
Polymaker HT PLA GF, data sheet, p. 3Shrinkage (X-Y) 0.05%
Polymaker HT PLA GF, data sheet, p. 3The shrinkage rate is low, even if the model is printed in a larger size, it is not easy to deform and warp
iSANMATE PLA Glass Fiber, data sheet, p. 1
Nozzle wear
Additional requirements Hardened nozzle & print annealing
Polymaker HT PLA GF, data sheet, p. 5Nozzle hardened
Nobufil PLAx GF, data sheet, p. 1
Moisture sensitivity
It is highly recommended to use the PolyBox™ or PolyDryer™ Box when printing or storing Polymaker™ HT-PLA-GF
Polymaker HT PLA GF, data sheet, p. 1
Products
4 products, one from each of 4 makers.
Uses, limitations and chemicals
What it is sold for
It’s ideal for applications requiring high thermal stability, withstanding mechanical stress and temperatures up to 100°C.
Polymaker HT PLA GF, data sheet, p. 2Suitable for prototypes of mechanical parts that require rigidity and impact resistance
eSUN PLA GF, data sheet, p. 1
Finish and accuracy
Good matte texture
iSANMATE PLA Glass Fiber, data sheet, p. 1
Chemicals and environment
| Exposure | What makers say |
|---|---|
| Acid resistance | Mixed, 2 statements disagree |
| Alkali resistance | Mixed, 2 statements disagree |
| Oil and grease resistance | Resistant, in its one statement |
Makers rarely give the concentration, temperature or duration: treat them as indications, not design data. Each product's statements are on its card.
Where no maker of these products speaks to an exposure, reference data for plain PLA resin is shown. Fillers, pigments and printing change it, so it does not stand for these products.
| PLA resin | Verdict | Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Organic solvent resistance | not resistant | Chloroform (not resistant), Tetrahydrofuran (THF) (not resistant), Acetone (limited) and Toluene (limited) |
| Flammability | not resistant | Combustibility (burning behaviour) (not resistant) |
| Moisture sensitivity | limited | Moisture content before melt processing (absorbs) |
Density and price
Its three products give a density of 1,200–1,310 kg/m³. No PLA-GF product has a price in the sample.
| As each sheet publishes it | Polymaker HT PLA GF | iSANMATE PLA Glass Fiber | eSUN PLA GF | Nobufil PLAx GF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1,340 kg/m³ | 1,250 kg/m³ | 1,310 kg/m³ | 1,200 kg/m³ |
| Price | 41 CAD/kg | not published | not published | not published |
Regular prices, never sale prices, from 9 Canadian shops and 10 foreign shops, sampled 10 Sep–20 Oct 2026, not live; shipping and tax are not included.
Other properties, as published
6 more properties are published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.
The 6 properties, lowest to highest
| Property | Products | Lowest–highest |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre content | 3 | 10–20 % |
| Melt mass-flow rate | 2 | 4–22.9 g/10 min |
| Crystallization temperature | 1 | 82 °C |
| Decomposition temperature | 1 | 348 °C |
| Mould shrinkage | 1 | 0.05–0.1 % |
| Water absorption | 1 | 0.8 % |
Estimated values
No product publishes values of tensile modulus (XY), elongation at break (XY) and HDT at 0.45 MPa that can be ranked, so the selector estimates them from the products' related values and similar materials. An estimate is a range, never a product's value, and nothing above rests on it.
| Property | Likely | Plausible | Precision | Beside what is published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile modulus (XY) | 2.1–6.1 GPa | 1.6–8.0 GPa | a factor of 2.9 between its ends | no product publishes it |
| Elongation at break (XY) | 1–12 % | 0.5–19 % | a factor of 12 between its ends | two products give 2–12 % without a stated orientation, at its low end |
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 40–60 °C | 37–60 °C | 20 °C between its ends | no product publishes it |
What likely and plausible mean
Tested against known values, a likely range held the true value 8 times in 10, and a plausible range 19 times in 20. How the estimates are made.
Sources
8 documents from 6 publishers (5 data sheets, 1 printer document, 1 maker's product page or guide and 1 reference), read 10 Sep–26 Sep 2026. Each value on PLA-GF's Products page names its document and page, and links to the original.
Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide (the H2C's printer guide): print settings for 4 products.
Every document (8), by publisher
| Publisher | Documents | Values | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polymaker | 2 | 57 | 1 |
| iSANMATE | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Nobufil | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| eSUN | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Reference | 1 | 0 | 0 |
- Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide | Bambu Lab Wiki
- eSUN, ePLA-GF Technical Data Sheet
- iSANMATE, iSANMATE Brings New Glass Fiber Series to Formnext Shenzhen
- iSANMATE, PLA Glass Fiber
- Nobufil, Technical Datasheet PLAx GF
- Polymaker, Polymaker™ HT-PLA-GF Technical Data Sheet
- Polymaker, Polymaker™ HT-PLA-GF Technical Data Sheet
- Reference, Plastics Engineering: fatigue of reinforced plastics