3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-CF vs PP

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

Carbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guidePolypropylene (PP) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-CF comparisonsMore PP comparisons
PC-CF vs PP — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PCPolypropylene (PP)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings$46.56/kg median; $31.99–$53.00/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]Polypropylene — a semi-crystalline polyolefin with no polar groups, so it neither absorbs water nor bonds to most bed surfaces[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]0.91 (Prusa PP composite, ISO 1183) — the lightest common filament[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 35–117; the middle of the market is about 63[6][7][8][9][10]1 kg-equivalent spools span 27–53; the middle of the market is about 44[11][12][13][14]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–117 across brands; Ambrosia 35, IEMAI 39, YXPOLYER 55, Spectrum PC CF 70, Prusament 94, 3DXTech 117[6][7][8][9][10]27–53 across brands; Reli3D 32 on Amazon, SUNLU 44 at 0.8 kg, Fiberlogy 49 at 750 g, IEMAI 3D 53, and the 3DJake PP listing spans 27–49[11][15][12][13][14]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][8][16]Available from several mainstream brands[15][12][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[6][8]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 kg spools are common[12]
Typical applicationsStiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[1][2]Living hinges, chemical-resistant containers, automotive clips and packaging prototypes[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C285 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C[3]
Bed temperature°C110 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][17]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[18][4]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[1]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[18]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[19]Packing tape, a polypropylene sheet, or a PP-specific adhesive such as Magigoo PP — ordinary PLA and ABS adhesives do not hold it[18][4]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[1][17]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; PP's crystallinity drives shrinkage and Prusa recommends a brim on its PP grades[5][20]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[19][21]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required. PP bonds to almost nothing; a polypropylene-specific tape or adhesive is the normal answer[5][4]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[21]Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[4]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[17][1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; bed adhesion is the whole problem[4][5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[17]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades — Simplify3D states no special hotend is required[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[17]Non-abrasive when unfilled[18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle, 0.25 mm layers and a 120 °C pre-dry[22][19][23]Low — Simplify3D lists no special hotend requirement for PP and clogging is not among its listed drawbacks[24][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[19]Slightly sensitive[18]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[19]No special hot-end required (Simplify3D)[18]
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 pre-dry[25][26][22]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[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers, measured on its PP composite)[5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedNo drying step is published for PP; uptake is below the level that affects printing[5]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[24]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle; Polymaker still advises a 70 °C dry for 4–6 h despite the low uptake[4]
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[21][24]Not applicable in practice — with equilibrium uptake at 0.04 %, there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure. Polymaker's sensitivity tiers put polyolefins below even PLA[5][24]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[21]No special storage needed[5]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa64 ± 3 printed horizontal and 70 ± 3 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 73 at break[1][2]12 at yield (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[1][2]724 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D638; converted from 105,000 psi)[27]
Elongation at break%4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2]Above 600 at break (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]31.0 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4500 psi)[27]
Flexural modulusMPa3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[1][2]402 flexural modulus (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D790) — an order of magnitude below any rigid filament[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Izod notched 112 J/m on extruded PP stock, converted from 2.1 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[27]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][26]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][26]Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded PP stock (ASTM D785)[27]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped; short carbon fibre raises the flexural modulus from about 2.1 to 3.5-6.5 GPa, which reduces creep strain further[28][1]Below average[3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. No fatigue test data was found for a carbon-fibre PC filament; the unfilled polymer is rated Good on the same scale[28]Excellent — living hinges viable, the classic polypropylene application[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[1]74 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 165 °F)[27]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][26]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C127 (3DXTech, DSC)[2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented205 ± 15 melting (Formfutura Centaur PP)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[26]Bounded by a melting point of 205 ± 15 °C and by the 158 °C heat deflection of the carbon-filled grade; no loaded-bar service figure is published for unfilled PP[3][5]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[21]Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polypropylene chalks under UV[4]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[21]Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents — the usual reason to choose PP[4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[5]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[21]Polypropylene is a common food-packaging polymer, but no filament here carries a food-contact certification[4]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[21]Not biodegradable[4]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[21]Mechanically recyclable as resin code 5, but printed waste is not accepted in household collection[4]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[2]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][17]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[29]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[19]Sands poorly — the waxy surface loads abrasive paper[18]
Painting & finishingNot documentedPaint and adhesives do not key to untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is normally needed first[4]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[19]Nothing common bonds untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is needed before adhesives key[4]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[19]No practical vapour smoothing[18]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[19]Prints its own supports; no soluble support is rated for PP[18]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedShrinkage and warping dominate; the low modulus means parts flex rather than hold tolerance[5]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[30]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves it at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C — the xylene-solubles route.[31][32]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[30]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[33]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[31]

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. Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v2.0 Prusa Polymers · 2023-04 · tds
  2. CarbonX Carbon Fiber ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  5. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  6. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Spectrum PC CF Carbon Black, 1.75 mm / 250 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI CF-PC 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PC CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU product catalogue SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Fiberlogy PP Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Reli3D Low Warp PP Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. IEMAI 3D PP 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PP filament listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  21. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  27. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  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. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  32. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  33. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds