Polycarbonate filament for engineers and experienced makers who need tough, high heat parts, with PC for impact strength, carbon fibre PC-CF for stiffness, and PC-ABS blends that pair PC's heat resistance with the printability of ABS.
1.75 mm PolyCarbonate Filament - 1 KG
3 colours available
1.75 mm PC-ABS Sparkling Filament - 1 KG
8 colours available
Polycarbonate filament is for parts that must survive heat and impact that would defeat PLA, PETG and even ABS: workshop tooling, protective housings, fixtures near motors and mechanical parts under load. It is also one of the more demanding materials to print, so it rewards a printer that can run hot, a warm enclosure and filament that has been properly dried.
Our range gives you three routes into PC. Straight PC is the tough, heat resistant all-rounder. PC-CF adds 10 to 12% short strand carbon fibre for stiffness and precision. PC-ABS blends polycarbonate's heat resistance with the printability and toughness of ABS, in either standard or Sparkling colours.
| Product | Best for | Nozzle / bed | HDT |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Tough tooling, housings and heat resistant fixtures in Natural, Black or White | 240-260°C / 100-120°C | 123°C |
| PC-CF | Stiff precision parts and mechanical assemblies, matte Carbon Fibre Black | 260-300°C / 100-120°C | 125°C |
| PC-ABS | Impact resistant automotive parts, housings and workshop equipment in Black, White or Natural | 250-280°C / 90-110°C | 123°C |
| PC-ABS Sparkling | The same blend with a sparkle finish, 8 colours | 250-280°C / 90-110°C | 123°C |
All four list a print speed of 40 to 60mm/s, with 50mm/s recommended. Recommended temperatures are 250°C nozzle and 110°C bed for PC, 280°C and 110°C for PC-CF, and 265°C and 100°C for both PC-ABS options.
Carbon fibre adds stiffness and stability rather than tensile strength: PC-CF lists 38 MPa against 40 to 45 MPa for plain PC, and 43.5 to 45.5 MPa for PC-ABS. What PC-CF gives you is reduced thermal expansion, better dimensional stability under load and a textured finish that hides layer lines.
Keep part cooling low, add a brim to large or sharp cornered parts, and let the chamber warm up before you start. PC prints hot and gives off fumes, so run the printer in a well ventilated space and use a filtered enclosure or vent it outdoors. Our article Polycarbonate (PC): The Unbreakable Filament covers the material in more depth.
Damp polycarbonate prints with bubbles, stringing, rough surfaces and weaker layers. Dry PC at 80°C for 12 hours, and PC-CF, PC-ABS and PC-ABS Sparkling at 80°C for at least 12 hours. Print straight from a dry box if you can, and between jobs seal spools in a vacuum bag with desiccant from our filament storage range. See how to store filament in Australia's humidity for dryer tips.
The PC-ABS Sparkling specifications recommend annealing finished parts at 100°C for 1 to 3 hours to increase strength. Try it on a spare part first, and read why annealing 3D printed parts helps before you commit a finished print.
| Material | Choose it for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| PC and PC-CF | Heat and impact, HDT 123 to 125°C | High temperatures, an enclosure and 12 hours of drying |
| Nylon | Wear and friction: gears, bushings, clips and hinges | Absorbs moisture quickly, so storage discipline is essential |
| ASA | Outdoor parts that need UV and weather resistance | HDT of 88°C, well below PC |
If heat is the deciding factor, fibre filled nylons go further again: PA6-CF lists an HDT of 200°C and PPA-CF 220°C. Browse our carbon fibre filament range to compare them with PC-CF.
PC, PC-CF and both PC-ABS options come on 1kg rolls, so they count toward volume pricing when mixed with any of our other 1kg filament: 5% off 3 or more, 10% off 6 or more, 15% off 12 or more, or 20% off a full carton of 12 in one colour and material. Add vacuum bags and desiccant to the same order to keep dried PC ready for the next job. Three of the four product pages include a downloadable data sheet with full mechanical properties.
Very small parts sometimes succeed, but PC is not a good match for an open printer. It needs a bed of 90 to 120°C depending on the grade and warm, still air around the part, otherwise corners lift and layers crack apart. An enclosure also contains the fumes so you can filter or vent them. PC-ABS is the easiest of the range, but it still prints best enclosed.
Almost always moisture. Polycarbonate pulls water from the air, and that water boils in the nozzle, causing popping, bubbles, stringing and weak layers. Dry the spool at 80°C for 12 hours, or at least 12 hours for PC-CF and PC-ABS, then print from a dry box. Store it sealed with desiccant between prints so you are not drying it again every time.
PC is straight polycarbonate, prized for toughness and an HDT of 123°C. PC-ABS blends polycarbonate with ABS for easier printability and good impact resistance, with the same 123°C HDT in our data. PC-ABS runs a hotter nozzle at 250 to 280°C but a lower bed at 90 to 110°C. Choose standard PC-ABS for Black, White or Natural, or Sparkling for eight colours.
It is stiffer rather than stronger in tension. The carbon fibre adds rigidity, reduces thermal expansion and helps parts hold their shape under continuous stress, and its HDT is 125°C against 123°C for PC. Its listed tensile strength of 38 MPa is slightly below plain PC at 40 to 45 MPa. Choose PC-CF for precise, rigid parts and plain PC where toughness matters most.
Our PC data says it works with AMS and AMS Lite when the filament is thoroughly dry, a hardened steel nozzle is fitted and the printer profile is set for PC. PC-ABS can be used with AMS systems that support both PC and ABS materials, provided the spool fits. For PC-CF, check the product page for current feeding advice before loading it.
Our data lists an HDT of 123°C for PC and PC-ABS and 125°C for PC-CF, measured under a light 0.455 MPa load. A part carrying more load, or sitting near heat for long periods, can deform below that figure, so test parts in real conditions. The PC-ABS Sparkling specifications also list a continuous use temperature of 130°C.
