BASF 3D Ultrafuse PA6 GF30 is a fused-filament feedstock identified by a 30 wt% E-glass fiber loading in a polyamide 6 matrix. The material is supplied in dry-sealed spools of 750 g and nominal filament diameters of 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm. The “Dry” designation refers to the packaged moisture state, not to an indefinite shelf condition after the spool is opened and exposed to ambient humidity. Printed data are anisotropic and are conventionally reported in the XY build plane under the ISO test designations cited below. The grade is intended for open-architecture fused filament fabrication systems equipped with abrasion-resistant extrusion components.

Material constitution, bulk density, and moisture uptake behaviour

Polyamide 6 forms the continuous phase, with E-glass fiber dispersed as short-length reinforcement through compounding and filament extrusion. Bulk density of the compounded feedstock is reported as 1.35 g/cm³ under ISO 1183-1. The glass-fiber fraction is non-hygroscopic, but the polyamide 6 matrix absorbs water; equilibrium moisture uptake at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity is approximately 2.5–3.0 wt% under ISO 62. Because the glass occupies part of the total mass, the absorbed mass fraction of the composite is proportionally lower than that of unfilled PA6. Moisture content above about 0.1 wt% during extrusion is a known cause of hydrolytic molecular weight loss, steam porosity, foaming, and weak interlayer fusion. Drying at 80 °C for 4–8 h in a forced-air or vacuum dryer is the standard pre-print conditioning procedure. After drying, the spool should be held in a sealed container with desiccant or in a dedicated filament dryer maintained below 15% relative humidity. Failure to control moisture can depress tensile strength, modulus, and notched impact resistance without producing visible surface defects.

Extrusion of 30 wt% glass-filled polyamide 6 requires abrasion-resistant tooling. Brass nozzles exhibit rapid orifice enlargement under continuous glass-fiber flow; the minimum practical configuration is a hardened steel nozzle with a bore of 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm, with ruby-tipped or tungsten-carbide alternatives used for extended production campaigns. Supplier processing data for Ultrafuse PA6 GF30 specify nozzle temperatures from 250 °C to 270 °C, bed temperatures from 80 °C to 100 °C, and a closed-chamber temperature of 60 °C where available. Print speed is commonly held between 30 mm/s and 60 mm/s, with layer heights of 0.2 mm for a 0.4 mm nozzle. First-layer height is set at 0.25 mm to 0.30 mm to reduce nozzle collision with glass-fiber surface roughness. Cooling fan duty should be reduced or disabled for the initial layers and then limited to the minimum required for bridging and overhang geometry. Polyamide 6 crystallizes poorly when quenched, and early forced cooling can produce curl, elevated residual stress, and delamination. Adhesion to PEI or polyamide-specific build surfaces is preferred. Direct-drive extruders with constrained filament paths limit buckling of the stiff, brittle filament, whereas long Bowden arcs increase retraction inconsistency and filament fracture risk.

Which standardized mechanical properties characterize the dry printed state?

Mechanical data for Ultrafuse PA6 GF30 must be interpreted with orientation, thermal history, and moisture condition. BASF-reported dry-state values for fused specimens printed in the XY plane include tensile strength near 90 MPa and tensile modulus near 6,500 MPa under ISO 527-2/1A; flexural strength around 140 MPa and flexural modulus around 5,500 MPa under ISO 178; notched Charpy impact strength on the order of 10–15 kJ/m² under ISO 179-1/1eA; and heat deflection temperature above 160 °C under ISO 75-2/B at 0.45 MPa. Elongation at break is typically reported between 3% and 5% in the dry XY state, indicating a stiff, low-ductility failure mode relative to unfilled PA6. Z-axis tensile values are lower, often 40–60% of XY tensile strength depending on layer fusion, chamber temperature, and moisture. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; application-critical Z-direction loads therefore require in-house coupon validation. The glass transition temperature of dry PA6 is near 50–60 °C. Moisture plasticization can lower modulus and raise elongation, while heat deflection temperature should not be read as a continuous service temperature under load. Long-term creep and creep-rupture data for fused-filament glass-filled PA6 parts remain limited.

Compared with unfilled PA6 filament, the GF30 variant suppresses gross warpage and linear shrinkage through increased modulus and reduced volumetric contraction during crystallisation. Unfilled polyamide 6 grades commonly exhibit tensile modulus below 3,000 MPa in the dry printed state, whereas the glass-filled material exceeds 6,000 MPa under the same ISO 527-2 orientation. The penalty is ductility: unfilled PA6 may show dry-state elongation at break above 20%, while the GF30 grade fails at low strain. In tooling, jigs, and fixtures this trade-off is usually acceptable until impact loads are imposed perpendicular to the layer plane. Compared with carbon-fiber-filled PA6, the glass-fiber system is electrically non-conductive and permits use near sensitive electronics, although carbon-fiber grades generally provide higher specific stiffness and improved self-lubricity. Relative to PA12 with 15% carbon fiber, the PA6 GF30 grade offers higher dry-heat resistance but is more water-sensitive and undergoes greater moisture-induced dimensional change. The abrasive character of glass fiber must also be treated as a processing-cost input: hardened nozzles and hardened extruder drive gears replace commodity brass components.

When operational exposure includes heat, moisture, and chemical contact

Polyamide 6 is not an intrinsically hydrolysis-resistant polymer. Continuous service in hot water, glycol mixtures, steam, or concentrated mineral acids can cleave amide bonds and reduce molecular weight. The glass-fiber interface may also become a preferential wicking path for aqueous media. For aqueous service above 60 °C, users should test specimens under ISO 62 to establish equilibrium uptake and measure tensile retention under ISO 527-2 after conditioning. Alkaline environments and oxidizing agents should be avoided; exposure to strong acids and phenolic solvents is also incompatible with PA6 matrices. Contact with copper-based fittings in hot-water service should be avoided because copper ions can accelerate thermo-oxidative degradation of polyamides. Short-term exposure in dry air may approach the reported HDT range of 160–185 °C, but continuous heat ageing above 120 °C requires oxidative stabilisation, creep-rupture data, and part-specific validation that are not provided by standard fused-filament datasheets. Regulatory acceptability under REACH and RoHS must be confirmed against the supplier safety data sheet for the specific lot; no generic statement replaces lot-specific certification.

Application records for Ultrafuse PA6 GF30 on production FFF systems include conformal jigs, fixtures, end-of-arm tooling, and functional brackets exposed to dry heat. On production-scale machines with heated chambers, batch-to-batch variation in moisture content and filament ovality is a principal source of mechanical scatter. Incoming inspection should include diameter measurement according to ISO 14359 or supplier internal tolerance, typically ±0.05 mm, supported by drying-log records. For tooling subjected to repeated clamping, the low elongation at break requires generous internal fillet radii and avoidance of sharp notch details in the build orientation. Because fiber orientation follows the extrusion path, rasters should be aligned parallel to the principal tensile stress. Final part validation under ASTM D638-14 or ISO 527-2 is necessary where load-bearing replacement of machined aluminium is intended.