PC Blend filaments: identifying formulations and requirements

Two datasheets, two filaments under one name

The Prusament PC Blend datasheet describes an unfilled blended polycarbonate. The manufacturer positions it for mechanically stressed parts, calling it very strong and rigid, impact resistant and dimensionally stable. It states that print behavior is improved over conventional polycarbonates, with less warping and very rare layer cracking. It also notes the filament contains no styrene and absorbs very little moisture.

The Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber datasheet, abbreviated PCCF, describes a different product. It is the same blend filled with recycled carbon fibers from the manufacturing process. According to the manufacturer, the fibers add dimensional stability, good UV and common chemical resistance, high wear resistance and a matte finish. The filament is lighter than unfilled PC Blend, but it is breakable, unlike the unfilled version.

One limit matters here: these requirements apply only to these two Prusament references. Another brand selling a "PC blend" formulates its own mix with its own temperatures and constraints. Never carry values from one datasheet over to a different product.

Read the requirements table before you buy

The pages present a table with four categories: bed, surface, extruder and cooling. Use it as an initial checklist against your printer's published limits. It does not replace the complete profile or identification of the setup: an allowable temperature alone validates neither nozzle, surface nor every slicer parameter. Keep the filament and hardware references with your record rather than assigning compatibility from a single headline value. The two product pages are the basis for this checklist, not a test of each printer on the market.

For unfilled PC Blend, the datasheet lists a bed at 110 ± 10 °C, heated bed required, with a skirt or enclosure recommended. The extruder runs at 275 ± 10 °C and the page says no special hotend is required, without dispensing with its rated-temperature check. Part cooling fan speed is set at 20%. The print surface is a PEI sheet or a powder-coated sheet with a separating agent.

For PC Blend Carbon Fiber, the bed stays at 110 ± 10 °C, heated bed required, but the datasheet states an enclosure is not needed. The extruder goes to 285 ± 10 °C and a hardened steel nozzle is required. Cooling is not recommended. Record the nozzle and cooling instructions separately for each product. The print temperatures guide explains how to check these ceilings on your machine.

Enclosure recommended or unnecessary: compare the guidance

The most visible difference between the two datasheets is the printing environment. Unfilled PC Blend is rated with a high susceptibility to warping and a high printing difficulty. The manufacturer calls it prone to warping on large models and lists nine remedies: raise the bed temperature, add a brim at least 4 mm wide, add a circular skirt as tall as the model, reduce perimeters and infill, center the model, print smaller objects, avoid drafts and cold rooms, and place the printer in an enclosure.

Prusament rates PCCF as having low warping susceptibility and easy printing difficulty; the manufacturer says an enclosure is not needed for this reference and describes its use of recycled carbon fibers. Those points do not establish a single cause for stability or guarantee a large print on every machine.

These datasheets do not test which product suits an open or enclosed printer better. Compare the published requirements—bed, nozzle temperature, surface, nozzle and cooling—with your machine’s documented limits and the exact product profile. Do not add or rule out an enclosure based on those two ratings alone. The 3D printer enclosure page covers enclosure types.

Build surface and separating agent

For unfilled PC Blend, Prusament calls for a separating layer on smooth and textured sheets and recommends a thin paper-glue layer. Its page explicitly warns that omitting that layer can damage the sheet. The damage warning therefore is not exclusive to PCCF. Keep each variant's guidance attached to it: the unfilled product's page also applies the separating layer to its textured sheet. A shared family name does not make the two surface instructions interchangeable.

For PCCF, Prusament advises against printing on smooth PEI without glue: the material may adhere too strongly and damage the sheet, and that damage is not covered by warranty. The datasheet allows a clean satin or textured powder-coated sheet without a separating agent. It lists cleaning with isopropyl alcohol on a cold surface or soapy water. Follow the bed-temperature precautions; the bed may be at 110 °C.

Before starting a print, check the surface installed and the instruction for the chosen reference. The datasheets describe suitable surfaces for each product; they do not say a sheet must be permanently dedicated to the filament. The PEI build plate page helps distinguish smooth, satin and textured sheets.

Nozzle and cooling: the lines that truly separate the two

The unfilled PC Blend datasheet rates abrasivity as “none” and says no special hotend is required; it lists an extruder temperature of 275 ± 10 °C and a 20% part fan. It does not explicitly name a nozzle material. Check those requirements and the Prusament profile against your machine.

The PCCF datasheet rates abrasivity as high and calls for a hardened steel nozzle; it also reports thickness precision of 0.04 mm listed as lower in its drawbacks and describes the filament as breakable. The manufacturer does not recommend part cooling. Check the exact profile and whether your printer can use those requirements instead of categorically ruling out generic profiles without checking them.

Prusament points to its PCCF PrusaSlicer profile and recommends the product for somewhat more experienced users because of a combination of factors. The nozzle and cooling lines alone do not explain that experience recommendation or reconstruct a complete profile. With another slicer, check parameter correspondence and instructions for the setup; the PrusaSlicer guide helps identify the starting profile. Copying four summarized requirements is not a record of every setting in the original profile.

Picking the right reference for the part and your experience

The unfilled PC Blend page lists mechanically stressed parts among its uses and states temperature resistance of 113 °C. The PCCF page also names mechanical parts, heat-stressed parts such as a fan shroud and functional engineering parts; those are manufacturer examples for that reference. They do not validate a particular geometry or application. First compare the part’s conditions with data for the exact grade.

Prusament states temperature resistance of 113 °C for PC Blend and 114 °C after printing, up to 130 °C after the described PCCF anneal (oven preheated to 140 °C, 120 minutes, then cooled to room temperature). The manufacturer also states less than 1% shrinkage for that PCCF procedure. These are not continuous-use temperatures or guarantees for a part; check the exact product conditions and limits.

The PCCF page recommends that reference for somewhat more experienced users; that note applies to the carbon-filled product and does not set a universal experience level for PC Blend filaments. Both Prusament pages list price among the drawbacks but provide no verified market comparison here. To estimate your purchase, enter the displayed price for the exact variant and market into the startup budget tool. Both pages state that these references do not need pre-print drying; follow their storage instructions.

Sources and limits

• Prusament PC Blend | Prusament
• Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber | Prusament

We organize manufacturer and community documentation; we have not measured these products ourselves. The manual for your exact model takes precedence over general guidance.