Filament comparison
PEEK-CF vs PP-GF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Fibre-reinforced PEEKHIGHTEMP | Glass-fibre PP (PP-GF)POLYOLEFIN |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $597.50/kg median; $448.00–$695.00/kg across 5 dated product listings | $49.09/kg median; $46.27–$86.01/kg across 3 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Short-fibre reinforced PEEK. 3DXTech's CarbonX grade is nominally 10 wt% carbon and its FibreX grade 20 wt% glass; LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PEEK CF 9676 is 15 wt% carbon; Ensinger's machining stock runs to 30 wt% carbon[1][2][3][4] | Polypropylene reinforced with chopped glass fibre[5][6] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.39 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.12 (Prusament PP Glass Fiber, ISO 1183) — the glass lifts it above water[5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 448–972; the middle of the market is about 598[2][3][7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 49[8][9][10] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 448-972 across formats and filler types; IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK and GF-PEEK 448 at 1 kg, 3DXTech CarbonX PEEK+CF10 598 at 2 kg and FibreX PEEK+GF20 695 at 1 kg, Luvocom 3F PEEK CF 9676 648 at 2 kg[2][3][7][11] | 46-86 across brands; BCN3D PP GF30 46 at 700 g, BASF Ultrafuse PP GF30 49 at 2.2 kg, Prusament PP Glass Fiber 86 at 850 g[8][9][10] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][3] | Available from several mainstream brands[8][9][10] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 200 g to 2 kg spools[2][3] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 700 g, 850 g and 2.2 kg spools[8][9][10] |
| Typical applications | Stiff aerospace and oil-and-gas parts where PEEK alone is not rigid enough[1] | Stiff, chemically resistant parts where PP-CF's cost or conductivity is unwanted[6] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | ±0.04 (Prusament)[5] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 245 ± 10 (Prusament) — 25 °C below the carbon-fibre grade[5][12] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 95 ± 10 (Prusament)[5] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Actively heated chamber required[13][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] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[5] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 4 at Prusa's 50 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[5][17] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; the fibre cuts PEEK's crystallisation shrinkage[1] | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[5] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[5] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[13][14] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[5] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | Prusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[5] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Hardened steel required[5] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1] | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[5] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers to the mandatory 120 °C pre-dry[18][19] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[19] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Not documented | Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.11 % at both 24 h and 7 days, higher than the carbon-fibre grade's 0.04 % but still very low[5][12] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.06 in 24 h on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D570)[4] | 0.11 after 24 h and 0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[5] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[18] | Not applicable in practice at 0.11 % equilibrium uptake[5] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | No special storage needed[5] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 105 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10); 121 at yield on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4] | 46.6 ± 1.3 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527) — more than double the carbon-fibre grade's 21[5][12] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 8100 (printed XY, ISO 527, CF10) — more than double unfilled PEEK; 6343 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D638)[1][4] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 28 for unfilled PEEK[1][20] | Not documented |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 136 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 193 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 8300 (printed XY, ISO 178, CF10); 7171 on extruded CF30 stock (ASTM D790)[1][4] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 7.9 ± 0.4 printed horizontal and 9.9 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[5] |
| Other impact data | Izod notched 61.9 J/m on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 1.16 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[4] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation falls from 28 % to 3 %[1][20] | Moderate[5] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell M107 on extruded PEEK-CF30 stock (ASTM D785), against M100 unfilled[4][21] | Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a glass-fibre PP filament[22] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger rates carbon-fibre PEEK stock as very highly creep resistant and specifies 260 °C continuous service[4] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good. Victrex rates PEEK for long-term fatigue as well as creep; the fibre cuts elongation at break from 28 % to 3 %, which limits repeated large-strain flexing[23][1][20] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[5] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 265 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) against 140 for unfilled PEEK[1][20] | 138.3 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 316 on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 600 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[4] | 112.6 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 143 (DSC, CarbonX PEEK+CF10) — the fibre does not move the glass transition[1] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 334 melting on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 633 °F[4] | Not documented |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 260 long-term on extruded CF30 stock, converted from 500 °F; 300 short term[4] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 14.4 (extruded PEEK-CF30 stock, ASTM D696; source states 0.80e-5 in/in/°F) — about a third of unfilled PEEK[4][21] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | UL 94 V-0 on the base resin; Ensinger lists extruded PEEK-CF30 stock as inherently flame resistant[20][4] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[16] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — essentially unaffected[5] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (ASTM D257)[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[24] | 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[24] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24] | Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[24] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1] | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[5] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | 95–98 wt% sulphuric acid dissolves the matrix at 40–70 °C and leaves the fibre. Nothing else touches PEEK.[25][26] | None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[27][28] |
| Softened or crazed by | Concentrated nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic and hydriodic acids attack it; DCM, DMSO and THF swell thin-walled sections.[29][26] | Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[27] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — no solvent softens PEEK, so parts are joined thermally or mechanically, never chemically.[29][26] | None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[27] |
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
- CarbonX Carbon Fiber PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
- TECAPEEK CF30 black (PEEK-CF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament PP Glass Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- IEMAI 3D CF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- BASF Ultrafuse PP GF30 Black 2.85 mm 2.200 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- BCN3D PP GF30 Black 2.85 mm 700 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa Prusament PP Glass Fiber Natural (NFC), 1.75 mm / 850 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D GF-PEEK 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
- Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- CARBONX PEEK+CF10 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- ThermaX PEEK Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAPEEK natural (PEEK) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- PEEK polymers — product overview Victrex · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- The Effects of Sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) Ion Exchange Preparation Conditions on Membrane Properties Yee, Zhang & Ladewig, Membranes 3(3) 182–195 · 2013-07 · paper
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
- US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
- What solvents are not compatible with PEEK? — fluidics technical FAQ IDEX Health & Science · 2026-08 · doc