Polycarbonate vs Nylon Filament: Which One Should You Buy?

Polycarbonate vs nylon filament is a choice between engineering plastics for functional printed parts. Polycarbonate, as stated in the listings here, offers high impact resistance and heat resistance for functional parts. Nylon is the other side of this comparison, but no nylon listing is included here, so this guide states polycarbonate figures from the listings and marks nylon figures as not stated rather than guessing them.

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Polycarbonate vs nylon filament: what the listings state

All listings here are polycarbonate filament for FDM printing, with a diameter of 1.75 mm and a spool size of 1KG. The ELEGOO listing describes polycarbonate as a professional filament with high impact resistance to withstand stretching and compression, for functional parts, prototypes and standard engineering components. The SUNLU listings describe polycarbonate as a high-performance engineering filament with outstanding impact resistance, for automotive components and electronic enclosures. No listing here describes nylon, so this guide cannot compare nylon strength, nylon heat resistance or nylon print settings from a listing, and any nylon figure would be a guess.

Heat resistance is the clearest polycarbonate claim in the listings. The ELEGOO listing states excellent heat resistance and superior thermal stability for everyday functional parts that require high-temperature resistance, such as automotive parts and electrical components. The SUNLU listings state a high-temperature resistant reusable spool that withstands temperatures up to 101 °C (214 °F). That spool figure is about the spool, not about the printed part, so it should not be read as a part temperature limit. The ELEGOO listing also states low warping and dimensional stability from a low creep rate, for large models and high-precision parts, while the SUNLU listings state low shrinkage, strong bed adhesion and dimensional accuracy of +/-0.02mm, for warping and cracking prevention. The ELEGOO listing states dimensional accuracy of +/- 0.05mm, which is a different accuracy figure from the SUNLU figure, so those figures belong to different listings and should not be swapped.

Gear for polycarbonate printing

The SUNLU listings state the most complete print parameters here, and they state the same core figures, so they lead this section together. Both SUNLU listings state an impact resistance up to 35 kJ/m², a spool that withstands temperatures up to 101 °C (214 °F), a nozzle temperature of 260-280°C, a bed temperature with glue of 100-110°C, a print speed of ≤150mm/s, and dimensional accuracy of +/-0.02mm. The SUNLU listings differ in part numbers and model wording, with the B0FB2KNC8P listing stating part number AWUS-PC-BS-1KG and the B0GZZJ55DY listing stating part number DCUS-PC-BS-1KG, so they are presented as listings with the same stated core figures, not as different materials. Both SUNLU listings state a natural white colour, a 1KG spool, neat winding for smooth feeding, and compatibility with most FDM 3D printers or most 3D printers, as stated in each listing.

The ELEGOO listing comes next in this section because it states fewer print parameters. The ELEGOO listing states a black polycarbonate filament with a diameter of 1.75 mm, a spool size of 1KG, dimensional accuracy of +/- 0.05mm, and vacuum-sealed aluminum foil packaging to keep the filament dry for smooth printing without bubbling and clogging. The ELEGOO listing states that an enclosed 3D printer is required for better results and that the filament is compatible with most enclosed 3D printers, plus a drying recommendation of 80 ± 5 °C for 8 hours in a blast oven before use. No nozzle temperature, bed temperature or print speed is stated for the ELEGOO listing, so those figures are not stated for that listing and are not borrowed from the SUNLU listings. No warranty term is stated for any listing here.

Printing polycarbonate: setup notes

Setup for polycarbonate, as stated in these listings, depends on the listing, starting with the ELEGOO drying note and a printer that can reach the stated temperatures. The ELEGOO listing states drying before use at 80 ± 5 °C for 8 hours in a blast oven, and vacuum-sealed aluminum foil packaging to keep the filament dry. The SUNLU listings state a nozzle temperature of 260-280°C and a bed temperature with glue of 100-110°C, plus a print speed of ≤150mm/s, so a printer and bed that cannot reach the stated nozzle and bed temperatures is not a match for the SUNLU listings. The ELEGOO listing states that an enclosed printer is required for better results, while the SUNLU listings state compatibility with most FDM 3D printers without stating an enclosed printer requirement, so the enclosed printer point belongs to the ELEGOO listing only. Strong bed adhesion is stated for the SUNLU listing with part number AWUS-PC-BS-1KG, with glue stated for the bed temperature figure, and low warping is stated for all listings here in different wording; the ELEGOO listing ties low warping to large models and high-precision parts.

Polycarbonate is a printing material in this guide, not a laser material. The site rule for laser work is clear: never laser polycarbonate, since it can release harmful fumes and damage a laser machine, so a polycarbonate spool bought for printing should not be put through a laser cutter or engraver. For printing, the project types named across the listings include functional parts, prototypes, automotive components, electronic enclosures, manufacturing fixtures and mechanical parts. A part that needs a nylon property, such as a property only a nylon listing states, cannot be chosen from this guide, since no nylon listing is included.

FAQ: lasers and CNC

Is polycarbonate filament good for functional parts?

On the listings here, yes for the uses they state. The ELEGOO listing states high impact resistance for functional parts, prototypes and standard engineering components, with heat resistance for automotive parts and electrical components. The SUNLU listings state impact resistance up to 35 kJ/m² for automotive components and electronic enclosures.

Does polycarbonate need an enclosed printer?

It depends on the listing. The ELEGOO listing states that an enclosed 3D printer is required for better results, and that the filament is compatible with most enclosed 3D printers. The SUNLU listings state compatibility with most FDM 3D printers or most 3D printers, without stating an enclosed printer requirement, so that requirement should not be applied to the SUNLU listings.

What print settings do the SUNLU listings recommend?

The SUNLU listings recommend a nozzle temperature of 260-280°C, a bed temperature with glue of 100-110°C, and a print speed of ≤150mm/s. Both SUNLU listings state the same settings, with dimensional accuracy of +/-0.02mm and a high-temperature resistant reusable spool that withstands temperatures up to 101 °C (214 °F).

Is there a nylon listing in this guide?

No nylon listing is included here. All listings are polycarbonate filament, so no nylon diameter, nozzle temperature, bed temperature or impact figure is stated in this guide. Before choosing nylon, check a nylon listing for its own stated diameter, temperatures and impact figures, rather than assuming it matches polycarbonate.

Related: see our PLA vs nylon filament comparison, our nylon vs ABS filament comparison, and our filament dryer vs dry box comparison.