3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Glow vs PP

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

Glow-in-the-dark PLA guidePolypropylene (PP) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Glow comparisonsMore PP comparisons
PLA Glow vs PP — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLAPolypropylene (PP)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings$46.56/kg median; $31.99–$53.00/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[1]Polypropylene — a semi-crystalline polyolefin with no polar groups, so it neither absorbs water nor bonds to most bed surfaces[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[4][5]0.91 (Prusa PP composite, ISO 1183) — the lightest common filament[6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[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/kg20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[13][7][8][14]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][15][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][13]Available from several mainstream brands[15][10][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[16][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 kg spools are common[10]
Typical applicationsSignage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[4]Living hinges, chemical-resistant containers, automotive clips and packaging prototypes[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[4][17][5]210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C[2]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[4][5]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[4]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[18][3]
Part cooling fanFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[4][5]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[18]
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[18][3]
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][19]
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][3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[17][8]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; bed adhesion is the whole problem[3][6]
Extruder requirementBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[17]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[17][8][5]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades — Simplify3D states no special hotend is required[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — the phosphor is a hard ceramic; Bambu Lab groups glow with carbon fibre as the materials that wear nozzles and grind AMS PTFE, and both Bambu Lab and Polymaker require a hardened nozzle[17][5]Non-abrasive when unfilled[18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[17]Low — Simplify3D lists no special hotend requirement for PP and clogging is not among its listed drawbacks[20][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[18]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[21][17]No special hot-end required (Simplify3D)[18]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[17][5]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]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%0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers, measured on its PP composite)[6]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedNo 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[3]
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 — 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][20]
Storage requirementNot documentedNo special storage needed[6]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[4][5]12 at yield (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[2]
Young's modulusMPa2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[4][5]724 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D638; converted from 105,000 psi)[22]
Elongation at break%8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[4][5]Above 600 at break (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[2]
Flexural strengthMPa76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[4]31.0 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4500 psi)[22]
Flexural modulusMPa2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[4][5]402 flexural modulus (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D790) — an order of magnitude below any rigid filament[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[4][5]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[4][5]Izod notched 112 J/m on extruded PP stock, converted from 2.1 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[22]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[4]Very ductile — bends far before failing[2]
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 glow-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[2]
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 the glow filler leaves a brittle, highly abrasive compound[26][4]Excellent — living hinges viable, the classic polypropylene application[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Semi-flexible[2]
Z strength as % of XY%81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[4]74 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 165 °F)[22]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC)[4]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[4][5]205 ± 15 melting (Formfutura Centaur PP)[2]
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[2][6]
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[3]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedExcellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents — the usual reason to choose PP[3]
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[3]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[3]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable as resin code 5, but printed waste is not accepted in household collection[3]
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]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands 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[3]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedNothing common bonds untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is needed before adhesives key[3]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[18]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4]Prints its own supports; no soluble support is rated for PP[18]
Dimensional accuracy & detailGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[17]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.[29]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves it at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C — the xylene-solubles route.[30][31]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[29][32]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[33][32]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[30]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  2. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  7. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 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. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  15. PP filament listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  30. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  31. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  32. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  33. 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