3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-GF vs PP

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

Glass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF) guidePolypropylene (PP) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-GF comparisonsMore PP comparisons
PLA-GF vs PP — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PLA (PLA-GF)PLAPolypropylene (PP)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$44.99/kg median; $29.99–$59.99/kg across 2 dated product listings$46.56/kg median; $31.99–$53.00/kg across 4 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 — a semi-crystalline polyolefin with no polar groups, so it neither absorbs water nor bonds to most bed surfaces[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.31 (eSUN) to 1.337 (Polymaker), ISO 1183 / GB/T 1033[1][2]0.91 (Prusa PP composite, ISO 1183) — the lightest common filament[6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 30[7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools span 27–53; the middle of the market is about 44[9][10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg30–60 across brands; Polymaker 30, Proto-pasta 60[7][8]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[9][13][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][8][2]Available from several mainstream brands[13][10][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[8][14]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 kg spools are common[10]
Typical applicationsStiff brackets and fixtures; the Polymaker grade is aimed at parts annealed for heat resistance[1]Living hinges, chemical-resistant containers, automotive clips and packaging prototypes[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–230 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C[4]
Bed temperature°C25–60 (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]Not documented
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[15][5]
Part cooling fanFan on — eSUN specifies 100 %[2]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[15]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPacking tape, a polypropylene sheet, or a PP-specific adhesive such as Magigoo PP — ordinary PLA and ABS adhesives do not hold it[15][5]
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]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; PP's crystallinity drives shrinkage and Prusa recommends a brim on its PP grades[6][17]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedVery difficult — special plates or slurry required. PP bonds to almost nothing; a polypropylene-specific tape or adhesive is the normal answer[6][5]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[5]
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; bed adhesion is the whole problem[5][6]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades — Simplify3D states no special hotend is required[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[15]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[18]Low — Simplify3D lists no special hotend requirement for PP and clogging is not among its listed drawbacks[19][15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[15]
Hotend requirementHardened steel or ruby nozzle; Polymaker's own slicer preset sets a minimum nozzle hardness of 40 HRC[1]No special hot-end required (Simplify3D)[15]
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[20][21]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[6]
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, measured on its PP composite)[6]
Drying temperature & time60 °C for 6 h (Polymaker HT-PLA-GF)[1]No drying step is published for PP; uptake is below the level that affects printing[6]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle; Polymaker still advises a 70 °C dry for 4–6 h despite the low uptake[5]
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[19]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[6][19]
Storage requirementNot documentedNo special storage needed[6]
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]12 at yield (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[4]
Young's modulusMPa3794 as printed, 4207 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[1]724 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D638; converted from 105,000 psi)[22]
Elongation at break%2.77 as printed, 2.3 annealed, printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 7.99[1][2]Above 600 at break (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa86.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker)[1]31.0 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4500 psi)[22]
Flexural modulusMPa3685 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); eSUN quotes 4415 flexural modulus by GB/T 9341[1][2]402 flexural modulus (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D790) — an order of magnitude below any rigid filament[4]
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]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod 10.16 kJ/m² (eSUN, GB/T 1843)[2]Izod notched 112 J/m on extruded PP stock, converted from 2.1 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[22]
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]Very ductile — bends far before failing[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded PP stock (ASTM D785)[22]
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[23][24][25]Below average[4]
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[26][1]Excellent — living hinges viable, the classic polypropylene application[4]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[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]74 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 165 °F)[22]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C59.7 as printed, 84 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]Not documented
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]205 ± 15 melting (Formfutura Centaur PP)[4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded 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[4][6]
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
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[6]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[27]Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polypropylene chalks under UV[5]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedExcellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents — the usual reason to choose PP[5]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[6]
Food contactNot documentedPolypropylene is a common food-packaging polymer, but no filament here carries a food-contact certification[5]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[5]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable as resin code 5, but printed waste is not accepted in household collection[5]
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]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands poorly — the waxy surface loads abrasive paper[15]
Painting & finishingNot documentedPaint and adhesives do not key to untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is normally needed first[5]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedNothing common bonds untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is needed before adhesives key[5]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[15]
Support material pairingNot documentedPrints its own supports; no soluble support is rated for PP[15]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNear-zero shrinkage — 0.05 % in X-Y and Z (Polymaker)[1]Shrinkage and warping dominate; the low modulus means parts flex rather than hold tolerance[6]
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 it at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C — the xylene-solubles route.[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. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  6. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  7. Polymaker HT-PLA-GF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. SUNLU product catalogue SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Fiberlogy PP Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Reli3D Low Warp PP Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. IEMAI 3D PP 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PP filament listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  18. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  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