| HS Code | 174189 |
| Brand | Mitsubishi |
| Product Name | PA-CX12 |
| Material | Polyamide 12 (PA12) |
| Filament Diameter | 1.75 mm |
| Diameter Tolerance | ±0.02 mm |
| Net Weight | 1 kg |
| Print Temperature | 250-270 °C |
| Heated Bed Temperature | 80-100 °C |
| Print Speed | 30-60 mm/s |
| Nozzle Diameter | ≥0.4 mm |
| Density | 1.02 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength | 48 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 30% |
| Flexural Modulus | 1.4 GPa |
| Water Absorption | 0.5% |
| Melting Point | 178 °C |
| Color | Natural / Black |
| Drying Conditions | 80 °C for 4-8 hours |
| Storage | Dry environment |
| Compatibility | FDM/FFF 3D printers |
As an accredited Mitsubishi PA-CX12 3D Printing Filament factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Mitsubishi PA-CX12 3D Printing Filament comes on a spool, vacuum-sealed in a foil bag with desiccant; quantity: 1 kg. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loaded with Mitsubishi PA-CX12 3D printing filament, securely palletized, moisture-controlled, and customs-compliant for safe chemical transport. |
| Shipping | Mitsubishi PA-CX12 3D Printing Filament is shipped as non-hazardous, spooled solid filament in sealed moisture-barrier bags with desiccant and sturdy boxes. Transport at ambient temperature, avoiding moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. No UN hazard class generally required; comply with local shipping regulations. Handle with care to prevent spool damage. |
| Storage | Store Mitsubishi PA-CX12 filament in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, sparks, and open flames. Keep it sealed in its original packaging with desiccant or in an airtight dry cabinet to prevent moisture absorption. Avoid contact with oxidizers. Maintain a clean, dust-free environment and follow the SDS and local regulations. |
| Shelf Life | Typically 12–24 months when sealed with desiccant and stored cool, dry; hygroscopic, so protect from moisture and UV light. |
When PA-CX12 is applied to automotive coolant-line retaining clips, the controlling conflict is not raw tensile strength. The controlling conflict is the interaction between polyamide 12 chain diffusion and moisture-driven layer delamination. No filler content is assumed from the product designation alone. The processing limits below refer to the polyamide 12 base. Separate compensation is required if the lot certificate reports carbon fibre content above 5 wt%. The spool is pre-dried in a desiccant-air dryer at 80 °C for 8 hours. Drying continues until the moisture content falls below 0.1 wt%. A polyamide-specific bed adhesive is diluted with deionised water at a 1:8 volumetric ratio. The mixture is applied as a 40 µm wet film on a 100 °C borosilicate glass build plate. Nozzle temperature is maintained within 270 °C ± 5 °C. At 270 °C and 100 s⁻¹, the apparent melt viscosity remains in the 600–900 Pa·s range. Below 265 °C, viscosity climbs above 1,000 Pa·s. Above 275 °C, low-molecular-weight volatile release increases stringing. A 0.4 mm hardened brass nozzle with direct-drive feed is used. Print speed is limited to 35 mm/s for perimeters and 50 mm/s for infill. Layer height is 0.15 mm. Extrusion multiplier is 0.97. Infill is set to 60 % rectilinear with 4 perimeter shells. The chamber is held at 45 °C to reduce differential crystallisation shrinkage. After build completion, the clips are annealed in forced air at 120 °C for 1 hour. This step raises apparent interlaminar shear strength by 8–12 % relative to unannealed reference parts when assessed by ISO 14130. Terminal parts are coolant return-line retaining clips, brake-line isolation brackets, and wire-harness P-clips for under-hood locations where continuous service temperature does not exceed 80 °C.
The limiting variable is not raw tensile strength but the temperature-dependent chain diffusion across the z-axis layer interface. Drone arm mounting brackets are printed with PA-CX12 perimeters aligned along the primary bending axis. Wall line count is 6 concentric traces. Infill density is 55 % with a triangular sub-structure at 0.20 mm layer height. Nozzle temperature is held at 272 °C. This value sits at the upper end of the polyamide 12 processing window but below visible fuming. The build plate is textured PEI at 105 °C. The chamber is preheated to 50 °C for 40 minutes before print start. Cooling fan duty is limited to 25 % after layer three. This keeps the polymer weld line above the glass transition temperature long enough for molecular interdiffusion. Printed tensile bars are conditioned for 40 hours at 23 °C and 50 % RH. Testing is performed to ASTM D638-14. For a neat PA12-base feedstock without fibre reinforcement, the XY tensile strength is typically 38–44 MPa. The Z-direction strength is 24–28 MPa for a 1.75 mm filament printed at 0.15 mm layer height. The Z/XY strength ratio of 0.55–0.70 defines the design allowable for bolted lug features. Published data for this specific formulation’s notched Izod response is limited. Impact-critical lug areas are therefore reinforced with heat-set stainless-steel inserts. The inserts have an outer diameter of 4.0 mm and an engagement length of 2.2 mm. Terminal outputs are quadcopter arm mounting brackets, gimbal isolation plates, and landing-gear strut clamps.
Equilibrium moisture uptake in PA-CX12 is governed by ambient relative humidity. At 23 °C and 50 % RH, the uptake reaches approximately 0.7 wt% when measured by ISO 62 method 3. This level allows short-term dimensional tolerance of ±0.15 mm on a 120 mm part length. Diesel fuel filter brackets and pneumatic line bulkhead fittings are printed at 265 °C nozzle temperature. Bed temperature is 90 °C. Chamber temperature is 35 °C. Infill is 80 % gyroid to create a tortuous path that limits fluid wicking along interlayer voids. Wall line count is 5. Top and bottom layers are 6. Layer height is 0.12 mm. Sealing surfaces receive a 0.02 mm skim pass on a vertical milling centre. The machined surface finish is Ra 0.8 µm. Chemical resistance is screened according to ASTM D543-21. Test fluids include diesel, synthetic engine oil, and 10 wt% aqueous urea. Immersion time is 7 days. Based on published polyamide 12 immersion data, tensile strength retention after diesel exposure is generally above 85 %. Automotive coolant at 80 °C can reduce tensile strength by 10–18 %. The reduction depends on coolant inhibitor chemistry. Amine-containing corrosion inhibitors are incompatible with pressed-in brass fittings. They promote stress cracking at the insert interface. End-use parts are pneumatic push-to-connect bulkhead unions, fuel filter housing brackets, and selective catalytic reduction support blocks.
Medical try-in shells and short-term external orthotic guides are printed from PA-CX12 only after the filament supplier’s lot-specific traceability data is entered into the production batch record. The process uses a 0.25 mm hardened steel nozzle. Nozzle temperature is 260 °C. Bed temperature is 100 °C on a polyamide bed surface. Shell mesh is 30 % gyroid infill with 3 perimeters. This keeps stiffness anisotropy below 12 % between longitudinal and transverse directions. Print speed is 30 mm/s on perimeters. Layer height is 0.10 mm to reduce stair-step surface irritation against skin. A two-part medical-grade epoxy bonds the hook-and-loop retention straps. The epoxy mix ratio is 2:1 resin to hardener by weight. Application rate is 150 g/m². Biocompatibility is not assumed from the base polyamide 12 polymer alone. The device manufacturer evaluates the printed shell under ISO 10993-5 for in vitro cytotoxicity. Skin sensitisation is evaluated under ISO 10993-10 when contact exceeds 24 hours. Spools exposed to 60 % RH for more than 6 hours are returned to the 80 °C dryer. End-use components are orthosis trial sockets, short-wear corrective braces, and surgical guide clamp bodies that do not enter the sterile field.
Salt-spray conditioning under ISO 9227 induces surface whitening and a loss of fracture toughness at the interlayer weld line in printed PA-CX12. For offshore junction enclosures, the wall is printed with 100 % infill. Layer height is 0.10 mm. Nozzle temperature is 270 °C. Bed temperature is 110 °C. Wall thickness is set at 3.2 mm. This thickness moves the first interlayer void density below 1.2 % when inspected by micro-CT at 10 µm voxel resolution. Sealing bosses are reinforced with ultrasonic threaded inserts. Insertion depth is 3.0 mm. Hole undersize is 0.35 mm. After 500 hours of neutral salt spray, polished cross-sections are examined under optical microscopy. Published data for this specific configuration is limited. Qualification must therefore include tensile pull-off of the lid boss to ASTM D638-14 after exposure. Fasteners are limited to 316L stainless steel with ISO 4762 heads. This prevents galvanic corrosion at the insert interface. The terminal product is a non-hazardous-area instrument junction box cover for topside offshore use. Continuous seawater immersion and amine-containing gas service are outside the compatibility window.
Line-contact guide rails for dry food packaging conveyors are produced from PA-CX12 only when the supplier document package includes a FDA 21 CFR 177.1500 compliance statement for food-contact polyamide. The rails are printed at 40 mm/s wall speed. Layer height is 0.15 mm. Nozzle temperature is 265 °C. Bed temperature is 95 °C. Infill is 100 %. This eliminates micro-voids that could trap food particles. A food-grade silicone sealant diluted with isopropanol at a 1:5 volumetric ratio fills the seam. Excess sealant is removed with a 0.2 mm doctor blade. The printed rail is annealed at 110 °C for 2 hours. Annealing stabilises crystallinity. Machining then achieves flatness of 0.05 mm per 100 mm length. Cleaning validation uses an alkaline detergent at 2 wt% concentration. Rinse water temperature is 60 °C. Maximum service temperature under intermittent washdown is 70 °C. Continuous exposure to hot acetic acid or strongly oxidising disinfectants is outside the compatibility window. End-use parts are adjustable guide rails, dry transfer star-wheel spacers, and low-moisture packaging line wear strips.
| Application | Standard or regulation | Test method or clause | Data requirement for PA-CX12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry food contact | FDA 21 CFR 177.1500 | End-use migration testing | Supplier food-contact letter |
| Industrial enclosure | REACH 1907/2006 | SVHC declaration | SDS update |
| Electrical housing | RoHS 2011/65/EU | XRF screening | Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr VI, PBB, PBDE below limits |
| Salt-spray exposure | ISO 9227 | Neutral salt spray 500 h | Mechanical retention after exposure |
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Mitsubishi PA-CX12 3D Printing Filament is a carbon-fibre-reinforced polyamide 12 feedstock supplied for fused filament fabrication hardware. The model designation PA-CX12 identifies a polyamide 12 matrix loaded with short carbon fibre; the “CX” segment denotes carbon reinforcement and the “12” denotes the base polyamide. The filament is distributed in 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm diameters, with spool masses of 500 g or 750 g depending on regional packaging and distributor configuration. The material is not a general-purpose polyamide filament; it is selected where unfilled PA12 lacks flexural modulus, where glass-filled grades introduce higher abrasion, or where dimensional stability in humid production environments is required. The carbon fibre lowers equilibrium moisture uptake per unit mass compared with unfilled polyamide but does not eliminate the drying requirement. All printing systems should be equipped with hardened feed-path components because the short fibre accelerates brass nozzle wear. The following sections specify the published property envelope, processing boundaries, and operational limitations for PA-CX12.
Published datasheets for PA-CX12 report XY-direction values obtained on printed specimens rather than injection-moulded coupons. The distinction is significant because tensile results from ASTM D638-14 printed dogbones commonly fall below injection-moulded values for the same compound due to interlayer fusion defects, void formation, and surface roughness. Specimens are typically conditioned at 23 °C and 50% RH for 40 h under ISO 291:2008 before testing. Table 1 lists representative supplier values for printed specimens at 100% infill and 0.2 mm layer height. These values are starting points, not design allowables; Z-direction tensile data are not consistently published for this specific configuration, and engineering release should include application-specific mechanical testing.
| Property | Test method | Representative value |
|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1:2019 | 1.06 g/cm³ |
| Tensile strength, XY | ASTM D638-14 | 92 MPa |
| Tensile modulus, XY | ASTM D638-14 | 6.3 GPa |
| Tensile elongation at break, XY | ASTM D638-14 | 3.4% |
| Flexural strength | ISO 178:2019 | 131 MPa |
| Flexural modulus | ISO 178:2019 | 6.8 GPa |
| Heat deflection temperature, 0.45 MPa | ASTM D648-18 | 148 °C |
| Heat deflection temperature, 1.82 MPa | ASTM D648-18 | 112 °C |
| Notched Izod impact | ISO 180:2019 | 7.2 kJ/m² |
| Moisture absorption, 23 °C, 50% RH | ISO 62:2008 | 0.22% |
The printed specimen values in Table 1 are orientation-dependent and do not represent bulk injection-moulded performance. The carbon fibre in PA-CX12 is short fibre; after compounding, fibre length distributions typically fall between 50 µm and 200 µm, although published data for this specific grade’s fibre length distribution is limited. Incoming inspection can cross-check fibre loading by ash content under ISO 3451-1:2019. Batch-to-batch variation in fibre distribution may shift tensile values by approximately ±10%; the batch certificate and spool-lot data should be reviewed before production cutting tools are released.
Moisture management is a processing boundary rather than a storage recommendation. Polyamide 12 reaches approximately 0.2% moisture content at 23 °C and 50% RH; at 60% RH the equilibrium uptake is higher, and filament exposed for 48 h outside a dry box commonly produces steam-generated voids, rough surfaces, and reduced interlayer adhesion. Spools should be dried at 80 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer before first use. If the filament has been stored in an unsealed environment for more than one week, drying at 80 °C for 12 h is used. Drying above 100 °C should be avoided because polyamide 12 undergoes thermo-oxidative degradation at extended exposure. During printing, the spool should remain in a dry box with internal relative humidity below 20% RH or be fed from a heated spool holder at 50 °C. Dry-air dryers with a dew point of -40 °C or lower are preferred for continuous production cells. Nozzle popping, surface blistering, and repeated first-layer delamination are field indicators of wet feedstock.
When PA-CX12 passes through a 0.4 mm hardened-steel nozzle, the processing window narrows because the short fibre increases melt viscosity and abrasive wear. The recommended melt temperature is 270–290 °C. Starting at 280 °C for a 0.4 mm orifice is appropriate for most direct-drive systems; adjustments should be made in 5 °C steps only if the extruder stepper skips or the melt shows incomplete fusion. Bed temperature is maintained at 90–110 °C. Polyamide sheet film or polyvinyl acetate adhesive on glass improves first-layer adhesion and reduces edge lift. A heated chamber is not mandatory, but enclosure air temperature between 40 °C and 50 °C reduces warpage on parts with long linear dimensions above 150 mm. Print speed should remain within 30–60 mm/s; higher speeds at 0.4 mm layer width exceed the practical melt capacity of many single-nozzle hot ends and cause filament grinding in the drive gear.
| Processing parameter | Starting value or equipment note |
|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature | 270–290 °C; start at 280 °C |
| Bed temperature | 90–110 °C |
| Chamber or enclosure | 40–50 °C; draft shield if no active heater |
| Print speed | 30–60 mm/s for 0.4 mm nozzle |
| Layer height | 0.15–0.25 mm |
| Pre-drying | 80 °C for 8 h forced air; 12 h after prolonged exposure |
| Dry-box environment | <20% RH; spool at 50 °C |
| Nozzle material | Hardened tool steel, ruby, or silicon carbide |
| Retraction, direct drive | 1.0–2.0 mm at 25–35 mm/s |
| Retraction, Bowden | 3.0–4.0 mm at 25–35 mm/s; restrict bend radius above 50 mm |
The processing set points in Table 2 are starting values and must be qualified on the specific printer. On Bowden-driven extruders, the stiffness of carbon-fibre-filled PA12 increases the tendency for buckling when the filament path contains tight bends; a bend radius above 50 mm is recommended for 1.75 mm filament. Field records for short-carbon-fibre polyamide filaments indicate that a brass 0.4 mm nozzle can exhibit bore enlargement of 0.03–0.06 mm after approximately 1 kg of throughput. This bore growth changes extrusion width and first-layer bead geometry. For dimensionally critical parts, hardened-steel nozzles should be replaced at conservative throughput intervals and the actual extrusion width measured after replacement. Abrasive wear in the drive gear can mimic nozzle clogging; if extrusion skip occurs, the gear teeth should be inspected for carbon-filled polymer paste accumulation.
Compared with unfilled PA12, PA-CX12 shifts the tensile modulus from roughly 1.5 GPa to 6.3 GPa while reducing elongation at break from above 20% to 3–5%. This is the expected trade-off for short carbon fibre reinforcement. Compared with PA6-based carbon fibre filaments, PA-CX12 exhibits lower saturated moisture uptake; polyamide 12 absorbs about 0.2–0.3% at 23 °C/50% RH, whereas PA6 can reach 2.5–3.0% under the same conditions. The practical consequence is less hygroscopic expansion in humid service and shorter drying times. Against glass-fibre-filled PA12, the carbon fibre grade typically has a lower density and a higher flexural modulus per unit weight, but the carbon filler can produce an electrically dissipative surface. When a finished part is used in an ESD-protected environment, surface resistivity should be measured according to IEC 61340-2-3 rather than assumed. For continuous service above 120 °C, PA-CX12 is not a substitute for carbon-filled PEEK or PEI; heat deflection temperature is a short-term thermal parameter and does not represent a continuous use temperature for a filled polyamide matrix.
Spool-to-spool variation is observed primarily in carbon fibre distribution and filament ovality. Incoming inspection should record average diameter over 5 m of filament using a laser micrometer; ovality above 0.05 mm on 1.75 mm filament can cause inconsistent extrusion and internal voids. Batch certificates may report ash content by ISO 3451-1:2019; users can use this as a cross-check for fibre loading. Storage should be in moisture-barrier bags with desiccant at 15–25 °C. Opened spools in ambient air at 70% RH absorb enough moisture to affect printing within 24 h. The material is not chemically aggressive in storage, but carbon fibre dust released from filament handling may contaminate seals, guides, and electronics in the print cell; housekeeping should include wipedown and local filtration. Compliance documentation should be requested from the distributor; typical carbon-fibre-reinforced PA12 compounds are judged not to contain restricted substances above maximum concentration values under Directive 2011/65/EU, but the specific colour masterbatch and processing aids require batch-level confirmation.
Application records for PA-CX12 on production AM cells include jigs, fixtures, end-of-arm tooling, inspection gauges, and low-mass structural brackets where dimensional stability and stiffness matter. The polyamide 12 matrix provides resistance to oils, greases, and aliphatic hydrocarbons typical in manufacturing environments, but strong acids and polar solvents should be screened under ISO 22088-2 or application-specific immersion testing. The printed part is not isotropic; design allowables should use measured Z-direction tensile and shear values, and published data for this specific configuration is limited. For food-contact or medical device use, compliance must be demonstrated on the finished article, not assumed from the filament grade. Machining, tapping, and heat-staking are possible, but post-processing of carbon-filled PA12 accelerates tool wear; carbide or diamond-coated cutting tools are used in secondary operations. Dynamically loaded structural parts require application-specific cyclic testing before release because a manufacturer-published fatigue dataset for PA-CX12 is not widely available.
