PEI-CF
Carbon-fibre-filled PEI, 3 products from 2 makers.
Beyond H2C capability. Kept for reference, never a candidate: it needs more heat than the H2C gives.
- Tensile modulus (XY)
- 8.15GPa
- 2 products · 7.7–8.6
- Tensile strength (XY)
- 119MPa
- 2 products · 93–145
- Not published:
- tensile strength (Z),
- Not published:
- notched Charpy impact,
- HDT at 0.45 MPa
- 185°C
- 2 products · 165–205
- Not published:
- price.
PEI-CF is carbon-fibre-filled polyetherimide. A maker sells it for aerospace components, and another for parts that should not deform under stress and heat. Its HDT at 0.45 MPa is 165–205 °C. It is beyond H2C capability: its nozzle window of 370–390 °C exceeds the printer's limit, and its sheets ask for more bed and chamber heat too. Makers recommend a hardened or reinforced nozzle.
Thinly documented Three products, with values from two makers' documents: 3DXTECH's and Nanovia's. Read each figure as one or two sheets' word.
On the H2C
Printing in full- Nozzle
- 370–390 °C
- both that give one
- Bed
- 140–160 °C
- one product; one gives at least 150 °C
- Heated chamber
- at least 120 °C
- one product; beyond the H2C's 65 °C
- Drying
- 100–140 °C, 6–8 h
- 1 of 3 products calls for it; 1 more gives it as optional
- Nozzle type
- hardened
- 2 of 3 products' sheets ask for one; the rest are silent
Beyond the H2C's limits (nozzle 350 °C, bed 120 °C, heated chamber 65 °C): nozzle for 2 products, bed for 2 products and chamber for 1 product.
Among the materials
Against PA6-CF, PEI-CF is 87 % stiffer and 70 % stronger flat, and its HDT at 0.45 MPa is 8 °C lower. Against PA6-GF, PEI-CF is 88 % stiffer and 45 % stronger flat. Among the materials, PEI-CF has a high tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (XY), HDT at 0.45 MPa and density, and a low elongation at break (XY): each is in the top or bottom quarter of the materials that publish it.
Against its alternatives, PEI-CF has the highest tensile strength
How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?
- PEI-CF: its products' median and middle half
- an alternative
- lowest to highest
- each material's median (top row)
- beyond the scale
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEI-CF (this material) | 8.15 · 2 | 119 · 2 | — | — | 185 · 2 | — |
| PA6-CF | 4.37 (4.09–4.61) · 6 | 70 (62.3–104) · 8 | 48 · 3 | 13.4 · 3 | 193 (185–202) · 6 | 130 (113–160) · 4 |
| PA6-GF | 4.35 (3.91–4.66) · 4 | 82.3 (76.3–87.9) · 6 | 60.7 · 3 | 8.6 · 2 | 186 (181–191) · 7 | 84 · 3 |
| PPS-CF | 8 (7.46–8) · 5 | 87 (63–95) · 5 | 28.2 · 3 | 5.75 · 2 | 251 (245–253) · 5 | 210 · 2 |
| PPA-GF | 6.56 · 3 | 100 · 3 | 57.5 · 2 | — | 196 · 3 | 106 · 1 |
| PAHT-CF | 8.39 · 3 | 103 · 3 | 37.9 · 3 | 13.8 · 2 | 170 · 2 | 124 · 1 |
PEI-CF publishes no tensile strength (Z), notched Charpy impact or price.
Mechanical properties
Printed flat (XY), PEI-CF typically reaches a tensile strength of 119 MPa at a modulus of 8.15 GPa, and breaks at 1.75 % elongation. In bending, its flexural strength is typically 120 MPa at a flexural modulus of 7.97 GPa.
| As each sheet publishes it | 3DXTECH PEI | 3DXTECH 9085 | Nanovia PEI CF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) | 145 MPa | 93 MPa | not published |
| Tensile modulus (XY) | 7.7 GPa | 8.6 GPa | 4.68 GPanot described as printed |
| Elongation at break (XY) | 1.5 % | 2 % | 3.5 %not described as printed |
Not published for PEI-CF: strength across the layers and notched impact.
Thermal properties
Its products put HDT at 165–205 °C under 0.45 MPa, against a glass transition of 186–217 °C. As published, Vicat softening is 215 °C, from one product.
| As each sheet publishes it | 3DXTECH PEI | 3DXTECH 9085 | Nanovia PEI CF |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 205 °C | 165 °C | > 200 °Cnot described as printed |
| Glass transition (Tg) | 217 °C | 186 °C | not published |
Not published for PEI-CF: HDT at 1.8 MPa.
Printing on the H2C
PEI-CF's nozzle, bed and heated chamber run past what the H2C gives
What does printing it on the H2C take, and how hot can a part get?
- share of the products that accept each temperature
- one end given ("at least")
- the H2C's limit, and beyond it
- a product
- PEI-CF: its products' median and middle half
- as published, under each sheet's own test
Printing it on the H2C
In service
°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 | 365–390 °C; 370–400 °C | 2 | 350 °C |
| Bed | 140–160 °C | 1 | 120 °C |
| Heated chamber | — | 0 | 65 °C |
| Drying | 100–140 °C, 6–8 h | 2 | — |
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 185 °C | 2 | — |
| Glass transition (Tg) | 202 °C | 2 | — |
| Vicat softening temperature | 215 °C | 1 | — |
Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.
| Setting | 3DXTECH PEI | 3DXTECH 9085 | Nanovia PEI CF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | not published | 365–390 °C | 370–400 °C |
| Bed | not published | 140–160 °C | at least 150 °C |
| Heated chamber | not published | not published | at least 120 °C |
| Drying | not published | 140 °C for 6–8 h | optional: 100 °C for 6 h |
| Nozzle type | not stated | hardened | hardened |
What makers say about printing it
Nozzle wear
A reinforced nozzle, suitable for abrasive materials is recommended.
Nanovia PEI CF Ultem 1010, data sheet, p. 1Strongly recommend this material to be printed through a hardened steel nozzle rather than a softer metal.
3DXTECH CarbonX Carbon Fiber Ultem 9085, maker's product page or guide, p. 1Nozzle Specs Hardened Steel with .4mm diameter minimum
3DXTECH CarbonX Carbon Fiber Ultem 9085, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Printing advice
Heated Chamber Recommended
3DXTECH CarbonX Carbon Fiber Ultem 9085, maker's product page or guide, p. 1Layer Height 0.25mm or higher
3DXTECH CarbonX Carbon Fiber Ultem 9085, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Moisture sensitivity
Drying Specs 140°C for 6-8 hours
3DXTECH CarbonX Carbon Fiber Ultem 9085, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
More from makers: warping and shrinkage
Warping and shrinkage
Excellent dimensional stability – lower CTE, warp, and shrinkage vs unfilled grades
3DXTECH CarbonX Carbon Fiber Ultem 9085, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Products
Three products from two makers: 3DXTECH and Nanovia.
Uses, limitations and chemicals
What it is sold for
It’s useable temperature up to 200 °C and its UL-V0 certified non-flamability make it an ideal material for components that should not deform under stress and extreme heat.
Nanovia PEI CF Ultem 1010, data sheet, p. 1Ultem™ 9085 is FAA-approved for FST applications (Flame/Smoke/Toxicity) and meets FAR 25.853 and OSU 65/65 standards.
3DXTECH CarbonX Carbon Fiber Ultem 9085, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Chemicals and environment
No maker of these products publishes resistance to a named chemical, to water or to sunlight.
Density and price
Its three products give a density of 1,270–1,390 kg/m³. No PEI-CF product has a price in the sample.
| As each sheet publishes it | 3DXTECH PEI | 3DXTECH 9085 | Nanovia PEI CF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1,310 kg/m³ | 1,390 kg/m³ | 1,270 kg/m³ |
Other properties, as published
One more property is published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.
Fibre content
| Property | Products | Lowest–highest |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre content | 1 | 15 % |
Sources
5 documents from 3 publishers (3 data sheets, 1 maker's product page or guide and 1 printer document), read 10 Sep–26 Sep 2026. Each value on PEI-CF'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 3 products.
Every document (5), by publisher
| Publisher | Documents | Values | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DXTECH | 3 | 17 | 2 |
| Nanovia | 1 | 6 | 1 |
- 3DXTECH, CARBONX™ PEI 9085+CF
- 3DXTECH, Technical Data Sheet: CarbonX™ Carbon Fiber Ultem™ 9085 3D Printing Filament
- 3DXTECH, Technical Data Sheet: CarbonX™ Carbon Fiber Ultem™ PEI 3D Printing Filament
- Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide | Bambu Lab Wiki
- Nanovia, Nanovia PEI CF Ultem 1010 : Carbon fiber reinforced : Nanovia