How CF PEEK Pushes the Limits of 3D Printing Performance

In this video, we’re taking a close look at CF PEEK, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polyether Ether Ketone, a top-tier material that’s raising the bar for high-performance 3D printing. If you’re working on projects where strength, thermal resistance, and chemical durability matter, CF PEEK might be exactly what you’re after. CF PEEK combines the base PEEK polymer with short carbon fibers (10–30% by weight), delivering a composite that’s lightweight, incredibly stiff, and capable of handling extreme conditions. It’s a go-to material in aerospace, automotive, medical, electronics, and industrial applications. Anywhere parts need to survive high loads, high temperatures, and aggressive environments. Here’s what sets CF PEEK apart: Tensile Strength: Up to 105 MPa, so it handles tension without breaking. Tensile Modulus: 8100 MPa, meaning it’s very stiff and holds its shape even under stress. Flexural Strength: 136 MPa, giving it great resistance to bending. Flexural Modulus: 8300 MPa, so it doesn’t flex easily. Heat Deflection Temperature: 265°C, far above standard PEEK. Density: 1.39 g/cm³ lightweight but solid. ESD Safe: Surface resistance above 10^9 ohms Compared to standard PEEK, CF PEEK’s carbon fibers dramatically improve performance. Stiffness more than doubles, flexural performance jumps, and it can handle much higher temperatures. Even with a slight bump in density, the tradeoff is well worth it for most high-performance applications. We’ve seen CF PEEK used for satellite brackets that shed weight without losing strength, for motorsport components like brake cooling ducts that stay strong under heat and vibration, and for medical implants that need to be tough, lightweight, and radiolucent for clear X-rays and MRIs. In electronics and semiconductor industries, it’s used for ESD-safe parts that demand precision and thermal stability. And in heavy-duty industrial environments, CF PEEK outperforms metal parts in bearings, bushings, and chemical processing equipment, handling the toughest jobs without corroding or cracking. Printing CF PEEK isn’t for the faint of heart. It needs a nozzle temperature of 390–450°C, a bed at 130–160°C, and a heated chamber above 120°C. And because carbon fibers are so abrasive, you’ll want to run a hardened steel nozzle to avoid wear and clogs. Keep an eye on your nozzles and make sure to dry your filament at 150°C for at least four hours to keep prints bubble-free and strong. At Vision Miner, we’ve found CF PEEK to be surprisingly easy to print—especially compared to pure PEEK. The carbon fiber fill helps with dimensional accuracy and reduces the tendency for parts to warp or ooze. We pair CF PEEK with carbon fiber build plates and our nano polymer adhesive to get clean prints and avoid cracking glass beds, something we learned the hard way in the early days. In the testing portion of this video, we put CF PEEK through its paces: burning tests, mechanical stress tests, and detailed breakage analysis. You’ll see how it outperforms typical FDM materials, breaking cleanly without delaminating along layer lines critical for real-world part reliability. Whether you’re in aerospace, automotive, medical, or manufacturing, CF PEEK is a material that’s hard to beat. If you’re curious whether it’s right for your application or how it compares to other high-temperature materials like ULTEM, PSU, or PEKK, reach out and let’s talk about it. At Vision Miner, we specialize in Functional 3D printing, especially high-performance plastics like PEEK, ULTEM, PPSU, PPS, CFPA, and more. We also have extensive experience with 3D scanners, and a whole array of solutions available for purchase. If you’re interested in using functional 3D printing and materials in your business, feel free to reach out, and we can help you make the right choice for your application. Call 833-774-6863 or email [email protected], and we’re here to help! Follow Us ►Facebook:   / visionminer   ►Instagram:   / visionminer   ►Twitter:   / visionminer   ►TikTok:   / visionminer   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:12 So, what is CF PEEK? 00:58 Technical Specifications 02:00 How does CF PEEK compare to regular PEEK? 03:12 Applications 05:06 Print Specifications 06:19 Dry your filament! 06:36 CF Build Plates (found at https://visionminer.com/products/carb...) 08:46 Cole is going to test! 10:07 Let's light things on fire! 11:37 CF PEEK vs. PLA torch test 13:21 Hand Break Test 14:11 Torsion Test 15:41 Matt's take on CF PEEK 17:30 UTM Test 19:13 Let's observe SUPER up close 22:22 Reach out, we're here to help!