3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC vs PP-CF

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

Polycarbonate (PC) guideCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC comparisonsMore PP-CF comparisons
PC vs PP-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPolycarbonate (PC)PCCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$39.99/kg median; $29.99–$92.00/kg across 9 dated product listings$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryBisphenol-A polycarbonate — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic[1][2]Polypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.19 (Polymaker) to 1.22 (Prusament), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.20; Stratasys specific gravity 1.20 (ASTM D792)[1][5][6][7]0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 40[6][8][9]1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg30–92 across brands; Polymaker PolyLite 30, Bambu Lab 40, Polymaker PolyMax 52, Prusament 59, 3DXTech ezPC 64 and 3DXMAX PC 92[8][6][9][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[10][9][11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][8][11][9]Available from several mainstream brands[11][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1 and 3 kg spools[8][11][9]1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[9][11]
Typical applicationsLight guides, lenses, under-bonnet automotive parts and impact-loaded housings that must hold shape above 110 °C[2][1]Lightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[13]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Prusament PC Blend)[5]±0.04 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C250–280 across brands; Prusament 275 ± 10, Bambu Lab 260–280, Polymaker 250–270. Polymaker's material guide gives a wider 260–310 for PC and its composites[5][6][1][2]270 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Bed temperature°C90–115; Prusament 110 ± 10, Bambu Lab 90–110, Polymaker 90–105[5][6][1]85 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 70–100 °C chamber, Bambu Lab 45–60 °C and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[1][6][14]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[15][16]
Recommended chamber temperature°C70–100 (Polymaker); 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1][6]Not documented
Part cooling fanOff or very low — Polymaker specifies off, Prusament 20 % within a 0–30 % range, Bambu Lab 0–60 %[1][5][6]Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured PEI with glue when needed (Polymaker); smooth or textured PEI (Bambu Lab)[1][17]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker allows 50–200 mm/s and its material guide advises 30–60 for layer adhesion[6][1][2][18]3.2 at Prusa's 40 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][18]
Warping tendency1–5Severe — heated chamber needed[1][2][14]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[1][14]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[2]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2][14]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[3]
Extruder requirementAll-metal hotend rated to 300 °C; Polymaker advises larger nozzles and high chamber temperatures to improve bonding[2]Prusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[14]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[2]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][19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[20]Not documented
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D); Polymaker advises a hot end rated above 300 °C[20][2]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low — 0.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.15 % after 7 days at 22 % RH. Polymaker nonetheless calls PC highly hygroscopic in service[6][5][2]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%0.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.15 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[6][5]0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker); 70–80 °C for 6–8 h (Polymaker material guide)[6][1][2]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[21]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[2][21]Not applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[3]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[2]No special storage needed[3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa53.4 (PolyMax) to 69.1 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 62 +/- 2 and Prusament 63 +/- 1 at yield; Stratasys 62.3-64.6 at yield printed XZ, ASTM D638 (its PC White table duplicates the Antero 840CN03 figures and was not used)[1][22][6][5][23][7]21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2110 (Bambu Lab) to 2497 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1900, 3DXTech 2180[6][1][5][23]Not documented
Elongation at break%3.8 (Bambu Lab) to 4.8 (PolyLite) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 14 at break, Prusament 5.8 at yield[6][1][23][5]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa81.3 (PolyMax) to 108 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 88 ± 1, PolyLite 106.1[22][6][5][1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2050 (PolyMax) to 2640 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2100[22][1][5]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²4.1 (PolyLite) to 21.3 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1[1][22][5]14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's pendulum in either orientation (ISO 179-1); PolyMax PC retains 9.2 kJ/m2 notched at -30 °C. Stratasys PC Black gives 85.3 MPa flexural strength at break in ZX against no break in XZ (ASTM D790, printed)[5][22][7]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa37.1-45.3 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ASTM D638); 41.4 (PolyMax) to 56 (Bambu Lab) printed Z; Prusa's interlayer adhesion test gives 21 +/- 2[5][22][6][7]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2][5]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 79 (Prusa Polymers method) and Shore D 79 on extruded PC stock (ASTM D2240); Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales[5][24]Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PP filament[25]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC was still running unbroken at 41 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window only at 47-52 MPa (ASTM D638)[26]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good[5][2]Good[27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Z strength as % of XY%59-73 (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); 76 for PolyLite PC and 90 for Bambu Lab (printed Z against XY tensile)[6][1][7]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C110 (PolyMax PC-FR) to 114 (PolyMax PC), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 112, PolyLite 111, Prusament 113. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 144 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi)[22][1][6][5][7]158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C93 (Prusament) to 117 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite 107, PolyMax 99. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 141 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi)[5][6][1][22][7]115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C113 (Polymaker, DSC), 142.5 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426 inflection point) and 145 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Polymaker's material guide quotes 150[1][6][2][7]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 117–120 (Polymaker, ISO 306); decomposition above 360 °C[1][22]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend; extruded PC stock is rated 121 long term (converted from 250 °F)[5][24]Not documented
Annealing response90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K51.6 in XY over -50 to 30 °C, falling to 35.8 over 30-75 °C and 11.5 over 75-130 °C; 49.2 in XZ over -50 to 120 °C (printed, ASTM E831). Extruded PC stock gives 68.4 (ASTM D696)[7][24]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating on standard PC, though V-0 grades exist[28][1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors — unstabilised PC yellows and embrittles under UV[2]Not documented
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[2]Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[16]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[6]Excellent — essentially unaffected[3]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[2]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[2]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[2]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an electrical insulator, which Polymaker lists as a headline advantage[23][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][14]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[20]Not documented
Painting & finishingOptical clarity survives printing, so transparent parts are usually left unpainted[2]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[20]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[20]Not documented
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[20]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailWarping is the dominant accuracy limit; light transmission 89 % on PolyLite PC (GB/T 2410)[1][2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[30]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[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 PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A 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. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  6. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  7. PC (Polycarbonate) — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · tds
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PolyMax PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  24. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  27. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  28. PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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. 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