3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-GF vs PP-CF

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

Glass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF) guideCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-GF comparisonsMore PP-CF comparisons
PLA-GF vs PP-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF)PLACarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$44.99/kg median; $29.99–$59.99/kg across 2 dated product listings$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with chopped glass fibre — 12 wt% (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF), 15–20 wt% (eSUN PLA-GF). Bambu Lab PLA Galaxy uses glass microspheres, not fibre, and is not equivalent[1][2][3]Polypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.31 (eSUN) to 1.337 (Polymaker), ISO 1183 / GB/T 1033[1][2]0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 30[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg30–60 across brands; Polymaker 30, Proto-pasta 60[6][7]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][11][9][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][7][2]Available from several mainstream brands[9][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[7][12]1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[11][9]
Typical applicationsStiff brackets and fixtures; the Polymaker grade is aimed at parts annealed for heat resistance[1]Lightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[13]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.04 (Prusament)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–230 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]270 ± 10 (Prusament)[4]
Bed temperature°C25–60 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]85 ± 10 (Prusament)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[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]
Part cooling fanFan on — eSUN specifies 100 %[2]Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[4]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s28 at Polymaker's stated 350 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; eSUN prints its specimens at 60 mm/s[1][2][16]3.2 at Prusa's 40 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4][16]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedVery difficult — special plates or slurry required[4]
Shrinkage%0.05 in X-Y and Z, 0.10 diagonal (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedPrusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Hardened steel required — Prusa states plainly that a hardened nozzle is necessary[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[17]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[5][17]
Hotend requirementHardened steel or ruby nozzle; Polymaker's own slicer preset sets a minimum nozzle hardness of 40 HRC[1]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[18][19]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[4]
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)[4]
Drying temperature & time60 °C for 6 h (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[20]Not applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[4]
Storage requirementNot documentedNo special storage needed[4]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa50.1 as printed and 50.2 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 59.3 by GB/T 1040[1][2]21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[4]
Young's modulusMPa3794 as printed, 4207 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%2.77 as printed, 2.3 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 7.99[1][2]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa86.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3685 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 4415 flexural modulus by GB/T 9341[1][2]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.31 ± 0.46 as printed and 4.92 ± 0.50 annealed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); Z 4.28 ± 0.18[1]14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[4]
Other impact dataIzod 10.16 kJ/m² (eSUN, GB/T 1843)[2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23.7 as printed, 22.5 annealed, printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Very brittle — elongation at break 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PP filament[21]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no GF-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22][23][24]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation at break falls to 2.77 % in XY and 0.85 % in Z[25][1]Good[26]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[4]
Z strength as % of XY%47 as printed (23.7 Z against 50.1 XY), printed[1]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictioneSUN describes high wear resistance and positions the grade for wear parts[2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C75.5 as printed, 114.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the point of the material[1]158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C59.7 as printed, 84 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C59.8 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C174.9 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 148.9 as printed, 148.3 annealed[1]Not documented
Annealing responseAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 75.5 to 114.7 °C and modulus from 3794 to 4207 MPa[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[27]Not documented
Chemical resistanceNot documentedExcellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[15]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[28]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[28]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[28]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[28]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[29]Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4]
Post-Processing
Dimensional accuracy & detailNear-zero shrinkage — 0.05 % in X-Y and Z (Polymaker)[1]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[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 byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[30][33]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[34][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. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  2. eSUN ePLA-GF Technical Data Sheet V1.0 (Nov 2023) eSUN (copy hosted on 3d.nice-cdn.com) · 2023-11 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Galaxy Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  5. CarbonX PP+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 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. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  19. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  26. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  27. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. 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
  29. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  30. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · 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. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper