3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-ABS vs PP-CF

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

PC/ABS blend guideCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-ABS comparisonsMore PP-CF comparisons
PC-ABS vs PP-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPC/ABS blendPCCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[1][2]Polypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[1][2][5]0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[8][7][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[6][7][10][11]57–138 across brands; Reli3D 57 at 700 g on Amazon, Prusament 108 direct from Prusa and 138 at Printed Solid, 3DXTech CarbonX PP+CF 120[8][12][7][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Available from several mainstream brands[7][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[6][7]1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[12][7]
Typical applicationsAutomotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[1]Lightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[13]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.04 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–270 (Polymaker)[1]270 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Bed temperature°C90–105 (Polymaker)[1]85 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[1]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[14][15]
Recommended chamber temperature°C90–100 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fanOff (Polymaker)[1]Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[16]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s20 at Polymaker's 250 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][17]3.2 at Prusa's 40 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][17]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[1][18]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16][19]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[19]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1][18]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedPrusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[18]Hardened steel required — Prusa states plainly that a hardened nozzle is necessary[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry of 4 h or more[20]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher, and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[4][21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[16]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[16]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h or more pre-dry[22][23][20]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Prusa measures 0.03 % in 24 h and 0.04 % in 7 days on its PP composite, the lowest figures it publishes for any filament[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3]
Drying temperature & time75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[24]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[19][24]Not applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[3]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[19]No special storage needed[3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa39.9 ± 1.0 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 60 at break for its FR PC/ABS[1][2]21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[1][2]Not documented
Elongation at break%4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[1][2]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[1][2]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[1]14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[3]
Other impact dataNotched Charpy still 13 ± 2 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA), against 1.5 in Z. Stratasys prints Izod notched at 241 J/m XZ against 34.0 J/m ZX, and unnotched 655 against 101 J/m (ASTM D256, F900 T16).[1][5]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa25.9-30.2 at break printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the F900 and Fortus 450mc); 22.9 +/- 1.2 printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[1][5]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a PC/ABS filament[25]Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PP filament[26]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC/ABS was still running unbroken at 30 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window at 39-47 MPa (ASTM D638)[27]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedGood[28]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Z strength as % of XY%75-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638) against 57 (Polymaker, printed Z against XY tensile)[1][5]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C112 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 117.9 in XY and 126.1 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi), against 125.0 moulded[1][5]158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 107.5 in XY and 112.0 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi), against 102.9 moulded[1][5]115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[1][2][5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[23]Not documented
Annealing response90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K59.9 over -50 to 35 °C and 73.0 over -50 to 95 °C (printed XY, ASTM E831)[5]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[19]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[19]Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[15]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[3]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[19]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[19]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[29]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission. Inferred: no polyolefin was among the nine filaments in the Azimi chamber study, so this is a family-level judgement rather than a measurement[29]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[29]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[29][18]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[29]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[16]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[16]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone attacks the ABS phase, so surface smoothing is partial rather than full[1]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[16]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[30][31]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[32][33]
Softened or crazed byPetrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[30][31]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[32]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[1][34]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[32]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. Polymaker PC-ABS Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  4. CarbonX PP+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Reli3D PC-ABS Filament, Black, 1000 g spool Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU PC-ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  28. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  30. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  31. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  33. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  34. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds