Bambu Lab PPA CF

Bambu Lab PPA-CF 1.75mm Filament — Black (73100)

PPA-CF is Bambu Lab's carbon-fibre-reinforced polyphthalamide — a semi-aromatic, high-temperature nylon that sits well above PA6-CF and PAHT-CF on the performance ladder. Chopped carbon fibre gives it the stiffness and dimensional stability that unfilled nylons lack, while the PPA base resin holds its shape at temperatures that would soften PETG or ASA into uselessness. The result is a filament for parts that actually have to work: under load, under heat, and often under the bonnet.

This one is aimed at experienced makers, engineering workshops, motorsport and automotive shops, and small manufacturers producing functional end-use parts rather than display pieces. Typical jobs include automotive brackets and engine-bay components, machine jigs and fixtures, drone and RC structural parts, tooling, and prototypes that need to survive real-world testing. It is not a beginner's filament — it demands an enclosed, high-temperature printer and a hardened nozzle — but if your prints keep failing on heat or stiffness, this is the step up.

Key features

227°C heat deflection 168 MPa tensile strength 9,860 MPa bending modulus Carbon fibre reinforced Low warp for a nylon Chemical & fatigue resistant Matte engineering finish RFID auto-recognition

• Built for heat. A 227°C heat deflection temperature, 232°C Vicat softening point and 258°C melting point mean parts keep their geometry in engine bays, enclosures and anywhere near a heat source.
• Rigid where it counts. The carbon fibre loading pushes bending modulus close to 10 GPa, so brackets and fixtures flex far less under load than they would in PA6 or PETG.
• Dimensionally stable. PPA absorbs considerably less moisture than standard nylon, and the fibre reinforcement cuts shrinkage — large flat parts stay flatter.
• Tuned for Bambu Lab printers. The RFID tag on the spool is read automatically by Bambu Lab machines, so the correct profile loads without manual setup.

Print settings

• Nozzle temperature: 280–310°C
• Bed temperature: 100–120°C — apply glue stick for adhesion
• Print speed: under 100 mm/s
• Part cooling: fan off or very low — cooling encourages layer separation in PPA
• Chamber: enclosed and heated strongly recommended; keep draughts off the part
• Nozzle hardware: hardened steel is mandatory — carbon fibre will chew through a brass nozzle. 0.6 mm is the recommended size; 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm also work. 0.2 mm nozzles are not supported.
• Drying before printing: 100–140°C for 8–12 hours
• Printer compatibility: high-temperature, enclosed printers such as the Bambu Lab X1 series, P1S, H2D and other all-metal hotend machines capable of 310°C. Not compatible with the AMS or AMS Lite — load it directly through the external spool holder.

Specifications

Practical tips

Treat drying as mandatory, not optional. PPA-CF picks up moisture fast, and wet filament is the single biggest cause of stringing, popping, rough surfaces and weak layer bonding in this material. Dry it at 100–140°C for 8–12 hours before every session, and ideally print straight from a heated dryer. Between prints, seal the spool in a bag or airtight box with fresh desiccant and keep humidity under 20% RH.

Kill the part cooling fan and give the bed some grip. Unlike PLA, PPA-CF bonds best with little or no cooling — running the fan hard is the usual culprit behind layers that split apart under load. A clean bed, a glue stick layer at 100–120°C and a brim on tall or narrow parts will handle adhesion. And before your first print, double-check you have swapped in a hardened steel nozzle: abrasive carbon fibre will visibly wear out a brass one within a single spool.