For engineers, designers, and manufacturers tackling demanding environments—such as aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, and healthcare—standard filaments like PLA or PETG aren’t enough. This is where high performance filament comes into play. Offering extreme heat resistance, mechanical strength, flame retardancy, and chemical stability, these advanced polymers are engineered for applications where reliability and precision are critical.
At Filamentive, we’re proud to optimise our UK range of high-performance polymers to better serve industrial 3D print users. Our current offering includes PEEK, PEEK-CF, and Ultem™ filaments—each developed for high-strength, high-temperature applications in additive manufacturing.
Whether you’re seeking weight reduction, replacing machined parts, or developing functional prototypes, this guide will walk you through our premium material portfolio—and help you decide which high temperature 3D printer filament suits your needs best.
What is High Performance Filament?
High performance filaments refer to engineering-grade thermoplastics with superior properties compared to standard materials. These include:
- Continuous-use temperatures over 150°C
- Flame retardancy (UL 94 V-0)
- Broad chemical resistance
- Mechanical strength equivalent to or greater than metals
- Long-term dimensional stability
Materials such as PEEK, PEEK-CF, PEKK, PPSU, and Ultem (PEI) fall into this category. To compare these materials in greater detail, check out our full breakdown:
PEEK vs PEKK vs PPSU vs Ultem (PEI) – Comparing High Performance 3D Printing Filament
PEEK Filament – The Benchmark for Strength and Resistance
Polyether Ether Ketone – PEEK filament – is one of the most trusted thermoplastics for high-performance applications. It exhibits a continuous-use temperature above 250°C, high tensile strength, and excellent resistance to chemicals, abrasion, and fatigue. It is semi-crystalline in structure, which contributes to its dimensional stability under load.
PEEK is widely used in the aerospace, automotive, and medical sectors, especially where metal replacement or lightweighting is a priority. At Filamentive, we offer 3F PEEK 9581 filament—engineered specifically for FDM printing to achieve excellent print quality without sacrificing mechanical integrity.
PEEK-CF Filament – Carbon Fibre Reinforced for Maximum Rigidity
PEEK-CF filament is PEEK reinforced with 15% chopped carbon fibre. This dramatically increases stiffness, compressive strength, and HDT—up to 280°C in the case of our 3F PEEK CF 9676 filament. It also helps reduce warping and deformation during printing, making it ideal for structural and load-bearing parts.
Use cases for carbon fibre PEEK include automotive brackets, aerospace panels, drone components, and high-load mechanical parts where weight-to-strength ratio is critical.
Ultem™ Filament – Flame Retardant and Aerospace-Certified
Ultem™ is the brand name for PEI (Polyether Imide), an amorphous thermoplastic known for its flame resistance and ease of processing. Unlike PEEK, which is semi-crystalline, Ultem is amorphous—giving it excellent dimensional stability and predictable shrinkage behaviour.
At Filamentive, we supply both Ultem 9085 and Ultem 1010 filaments. Ultem 9085 is ideal for aerospace interiors and transport applications with certifications such as FAR25.853 and EN45545. Ultem 1010 offers a higher Tg (217°C) and is better suited for tooling and medical applications.
Compared to PEEK, Ultem offers similar benefits at a lower price point, although it operates at slightly lower continuous temperatures (up to 170°C vs 250°C for PEEK). It’s also easier to post-process, making it a practical choice for users without advanced machining equipment.
Your Source for High Performance 3D Print Filament in the UK
Filamentive PRO is our dedicated portfolio of industrial-grade materials, engineered for functional prototyping, metal replacement, and certified production parts. We currently offer:
Each filament is vacuum-sealed after extrusion, produced using a moisture-free process, and supplied on 100% recyclable cardboard spools, shipped from UK stock.
Selecting the right high performance filament depends on your application’s temperature range, mechanical demands, regulatory requirements, and processing capabilities. Whether it’s the extreme resistance of PEEK, the stiffness of PEEK-CF, or the versatility of Ultem, Filamentive’s optimised range ensures UK manufacturers have access to premium materials tailored for industrial use.