This is great news for home printing enthusiasts looking for filaments with exceptional durability.

According to Prusa Research, PA11 is “suitable for the automotive industry, but is also ideal for printing durable mechanical parts at home. Examples include parts for drones and gears”.

Prusament’s new filament consists of two materials: PA11 is made from castor oil with the addition of recycled chopped carbon fiber. Prusament encourages users to be environmentally friendly after use, explaining how the spools are disassembled and recycled after use.

Prusa Research is known for pioneering its own path, using a polyamide formulation that is atypical for desktop printable filaments.

Compared to the more common modified PA6 and PA12, PA11 is a low hygroscopic, low twist polyamide type commonly used in selective powder sintering (SLS) powders. After extensive testing, the company concluded: “PA11 is a good intermediate – it is less hygroscopic and has better adhesion to PEI printed boards (for small to medium models).”

The black color of this filament comes from the added carbon fiber. Prusament explained that the carbon made the material “virtually non-deformable,” but cautioned that “it has slightly weaker interlayer adhesion compared to pure polyamide.”

The filament is said to be particularly suitable for making heat-resistant parts like exhaust pipes or gears and pulleys — where vigorous motion can cause friction (or breakage) in less durable materials.

The company went on to announce that they would also release a new printing plate, explicitly designed for use with polyamide. It is a matte texture with a new surface layer that provides better adhesion to new filaments. Prusament introduces the PA11 Carbon Fiber Black, a new low twist option for prints that require toughness.