Filament Atlas
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PCTG-CF

Glycol-Modified Polycyclohexylenedimethylene Terephthalate (Carbon fibre)

3 products from 3 makers. Bambu Lab does not list this material for the H2C; its published process temperatures are within the printer's limits.

Not published:
tensile modulus (XY),
Tensile strength (XY)
39–70MPa
as published · test bar not described as printed
Not published:
tensile strength (Z),
Not published:
notched Charpy impact.
HDT at 0.45 MPa
78°C
50300
one product
Price
138CAD/kg
0300
one product

PCTG-CF is a carbon-fibre-filled PCTG copolyester. A maker sells it for tooling, equipment and manufacturing aids, wear-resistant parts and end-use parts, and stresses its low shrinkage. On the H2C it prints at 250–275 °C without chamber heat, but makers call for a hardened nozzle, because the carbon fibres are abrasive, and for drying before printing.

Thinly documented Three products, with values from three makers' documents: FormFutura's, Nobufil's and Fiberlogy's. Tensile strength (XY) is published only on test bars no document describes as printed, or with no usable orientation stated, so it is shown as published and not ranked against other materials. Read each figure as a few sheets' word.

On the H2C

Printing in full
Nozzle
250⁠–⁠275 °C
most products that give one
Bed
85⁠–⁠100 °C
most products that give one
Heated chamber
none needed
all 3 products
Drying
60–75 °C, 3–24 h
all 3 products call for it
Nozzle type
hardened
2 of 3 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, PCTG-CF sits in the middle half on every property it publishes comparably.

PCTG-CF costs more than PCTG, PETG-CF and ABS-CF and others

How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?

  • PCTG-CF: its products' median and middle half
  • an alternative
  • lowest to highest
  • each material's median (top row)
  • set apart: test bar not described as printed, or no stated load
All materials
PCTG-CF3 products
PCTG8 products
PCTG-GF3 products
PETG-CF24 products
ABS-CF11 products
ASA-CF17 products
Modulus (XY)GPa, log scale
Strength (XY)MPa
Strength (Z)MPa
Notched CharpykJ/m², log scale
HDT 0.45 MPa°C
PriceCAD/kg

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
MaterialModulus (XY) (GPa)Strength (XY) (MPa)Strength (Z) (MPa)Notched Charpy (kJ/m²)HDT 0.45 MPa (°C)Price (CAD/kg)
PCTG-CF (this material)—39⁠–⁠70 as published (3)——78 · 1138 · 1
PCTG1.75 · 149 · 2——76 (74⁠–⁠76) · 548 · 1
PCTG-GF3.4 as published (1)55 as published (3)——78 · 2165 · 1
PETG-CF3.7 (2.93⁠–⁠4.08) · 1149.4 (43⁠–⁠53.7) · 1228.5 (27⁠–⁠32) · 48 (4⁠–⁠15.7) · 572 (71⁠–⁠75) · 1141 · 3
ABS-CF4.35 (3.75⁠–⁠4.76) · 444 (36.2⁠–⁠47) · 728 · 316.1 · 190 (78⁠–⁠91) · 545 · 2
ASA-CF3.91 (2.35⁠–⁠4.43) · 639.1 (39⁠–⁠45.8) · 727.5 (23⁠–⁠30.3) · 45.76 · 3101 (97⁠–⁠103) · 565 (54⁠–⁠120) · 5

PCTG-CF publishes no tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (Z) or notched Charpy impact. Its tensile strength (XY) states no orientation, so it is drawn as published.

How the numbers are worked out

Mechanical properties

As published, its products give a tensile strength of 39⁠–⁠70 MPa and an elongation at break of 5⁠–⁠9 %.

As each sheet publishes itFormFutura AthenaX CF10Nobufil PCTG CFFiberlogy PCTG+CF10
Tensile strength (XY)70 MPanot described as printed39 MPaorientation not stated70 MPanot described as printed
Elongation at break (XY)5 %not described as printed9 %orientation not stated5 %not described as printed
Notched Izod impact4 kJ/m²not described as printed0.7 kJ/m²orientation not stated4 kJ/m²not described as printed

Not published for PCTG-CF: tensile modulus and strength across the layers.

Thermal properties

Its products put HDT at 78 °C under 0.45 MPa and 68⁠–⁠72 °C under 1.8 MPa, against a glass transition of 88 °C. As published, Vicat softening is 89 °C, from one product.

As each sheet publishes itFormFutura AthenaX CF10Nobufil PCTG CFFiberlogy PCTG+CF10
HDT at 0.45 MPa78 °Cglassy: countsnot published76 °Cnot described as printed
HDT at 1.8 MPa68 °Cglassy: counts72 °C64 °Cnot described as printed
Glass transition (Tg)not publishednot published88 °C

Printing on the H2C

PCTG-CF prints within the H2C's limits and softens near 78 °C, above its 65 °C chamber

What does printing it on the H2C take, and how hot can a part get?

  • share of the products that accept each temperature
  • what most products accept
  • the H2C's limit, and beyond it
  • a product
  • PCTG-CF: its products' median and middle half
  • as published, under each sheet's own test

Printing it on the H2C

Nozzle250⁠–⁠275 °C, accepted by most of the 3 products that give a window · the H2C reaches 350 °C
Bed85⁠–⁠100 °C, accepted by most of the 3 products that give a window · the H2C reaches 120 °C
Heated chambernone needed by any of the 3 products · the H2C reaches 65 °C
Drying60⁠–⁠75 °C, 3⁠–⁠24 h, 3 products

In service

HDT at 1.8 MPa2 products
70 °C
HDT at 0.45 MPa1 product
78 °C
Glass transition (Tg)1 product
88 °C
Vicat softening temperature1 product, as published
89 °C

°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 propertyMost products, or the medianProductsH2C limit
Nozzle250⁠–⁠275 °C3350 °C
Bed85⁠–⁠100 °C3120 °C
Heated chamber—065 °C
Drying60⁠–⁠75 °C, 3⁠–⁠24 h3—
HDT at 1.8 MPa70 °C2—
HDT at 0.45 MPa78 °C1—
Glass transition (Tg)88 °C1—
Vicat softening temperature89 °C1—

No PCTG-CF product gives a heated chamber window. Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.

How the numbers are worked out

SettingFormFutura AthenaX CF10Nobufil PCTG CFFiberlogy PCTG+CF10
Nozzle250⁠–⁠290 °C255⁠–⁠275 °C250⁠–⁠270 °C
Bed85⁠–⁠100 °C75⁠–⁠95 °C90⁠–⁠110 °C
Heated chambernone needednone needednone needed
Drying75 °C for 24 h60⁠–⁠70 °C for 3⁠–⁠6 h60 °C for 4 h
Nozzle typehardenedhardenednot stated

What makers say about printing it

Nozzle wear

  • We recommend to use ruby nozzles or hardened steel nozzles. FormFutura AthenaX CF10, data sheet, p. 1
  • In general these carbon fibers will accelerate the nozzle-wear of brass nozzles, much faster than unfilled filaments. FormFutura AthenaX CF10, data sheet, p. 1
  • Nozzle hardened Nobufil PCTG CF, data sheet, p. 1
  • Please be aware that carbon fiber reinforced filaments contain a relatively high concentration of extremely hard carbon fibers, which have an abrasive nature. FormFutura AthenaX CF10, data sheet, p. 1

Moisture sensitivity

  • PCTG is moderately hygroscopic and therefore it is recommended to pre-dry the filament at 75°C for approximately 24 hours before usage FormFutura AthenaX CF10, data sheet, p. 1
  • For optimal print results we recommend to print AthenaX CF10 filament from a drying box to avoid that the material can accumulate humidity from the environment. FormFutura AthenaX CF10, data sheet, p. 2
More from makers: warping and shrinkage and adhesion between layers

Warping and shrinkage

Adhesion between layers

  • Its low shrinkage factor and perfect layer adhesion make AthenaX CF10 a breeze to print with. FormFutura AthenaX CF10, data sheet, p. 1

Products

Three products from three makers: Fiberlogy, FormFutura and Nobufil.

Compare the 3 products

Uses, limitations and chemicals

What it is sold for

Finish and accuracy

Chemicals and environment

No maker of these products publishes resistance to a named chemical, to water or to sunlight.

Density and price

All three products give a density of 1,280 kg/m³. One product has a sampled price: Fiberlogy PCTG+CF10 at 138 CAD/kg, from Texas Filament Supply's listing in USD, converted at the Bank of Canada rate of 29 Sep 2026. No Canadian shop in the sample sells it.

As each sheet publishes itFormFutura AthenaX CF10Nobufil PCTG CFFiberlogy PCTG+CF10
Density1,280 kg/m³1,280 kg/m³1,280 kg/m³
Pricenot publishednot published138 CAD/kg

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

One more property is published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.

Fibre content
PropertyProductsLowest–highest
Fibre content310 %

Estimated values

No product publishes values of tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (XY) and elongation at break (XY) 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.

PropertyLikelyPlausiblePrecisionBeside what is published
Tensile modulus (XY)1.6⁠–⁠5.6 GPa1.2⁠–⁠7.6 GPaa factor of 3.5 between its endsno product publishes it
Tensile strength (XY)33⁠–⁠80 MPa25⁠–⁠104 MPaa factor of 2.4 between its endsthree products give 39–70 MPa without a stated orientation, at its low end
Elongation at break (XY)1⁠–⁠17 %0.9⁠–⁠33 %a factor of 17 between its endsthree products give 5–9 % without a stated orientation, inside 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

9 documents from 4 publishers (4 data sheets, 4 makers' product pages and guides and 1 printer document), read 10 Sep–4 Oct 2026. Each value on PCTG-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 (9), by publisher
PublisherDocumentsValuesProducts
Fiberlogy4121
Nobufil2131
FormFutura2101