PC-GF (glass-fiber polycarbonate): density and when to choose it
PC-GF is polycarbonate reinforced with chopped glass fiber. It retains polycarbonate's high heat resistance but gains a noticeable stiffness boost and, especially valuable, reduced shrinkage and warping on large parts — one of plain PC's main pain points when printing.
Key properties
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Density | ≈1.32 g/cm³ |
| Nozzle temperature | 270–300°C |
| Bed temperature | 100–120°C |
| Part cooling | minimal or off |
| Shrinkage | lower than plain PC |
| Enclosure required | yes |
When to use it
- Large rigid parts and housings where plain PC warps too much.
- Fixtures and tooling operating at elevated temperature that need extra stiffness.
- Brackets and structural elements under mechanical load combined with heat.
- Replacing moderately loaded aluminum parts where PC's temperature resistance matters.
When to pick something else
- You need maximum transparency — reinforcement makes PC-GF opaque; for optical tasks you need plain PC.
- Impact toughness matters more than stiffness — reinforced PC is more brittle; plain PC or PC-ABS bends better.
- You need maximum stiffness at minimum weight — PC-CF (carbon fiber) gives a higher modulus of elasticity.
Pros and cons
Pros: polycarbonate's high heat resistance combined with increased stiffness, noticeably less warping and shrinkage than plain PC, good geometric stability on large parts.
Cons: opaque, losing PC's main aesthetic advantage; more brittle on impact than unfilled polycarbonate; glass fiber speeds up brass nozzle wear; the high print temperatures require a printer with a well-heated bed and an enclosure.
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The high nozzle and bed temperatures typical of PC carry over to the glass-filled version — energy use per print cycle is higher than for base plastics. But reduced shrinkage noticeably lowers the defect rate on large parts, which is often the biggest source of loss with plain PC. Also budget for faster brass nozzle wear from glass fiber's abrasiveness if you print this material regularly.