3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPLA vs PP-CF

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

Recycled PLA (rPLA) guideCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPLA comparisonsMore PP-CF comparisons
rPLA vs PP-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLACarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[1][2][3]Polypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183)[1]0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools run 20–22[6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[12][13]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[9][14][10][11]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][3][8]Available from several mainstream brands[10][14]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[15][12][2]1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[14][10]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[2][3]Lightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[16]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[2][1][17]±0.04 (Prusament)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[1][3]270 ± 10 (Prusament)[4]
Bed temperature°C40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[1][3]85 ± 10 (Prusament)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][18]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[19][20]
Part cooling fan100 %[1]Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[4]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented3.2 at Prusa's 40 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4][21]
Warping tendency1–5None — brim not generally needed[1]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[22]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[4]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1][18]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 required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[18]Hardened steel required — Prusa states plainly that a hardened nozzle is necessary[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[23][18]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[18]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][24]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[25]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[22]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[1][17]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%0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[1]0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[26]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[26]Not applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[4]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[27][22]No special storage needed[4]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[1][17]21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[4]
Young's modulusMPa2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[1][17]Not documented
Elongation at break%3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[1][17]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[1][17]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][17]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[1][17]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[1][17]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[25][23]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[1][17]Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PP filament[28]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[29][30]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 (R = 0.2)[31][25]Good[32]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[23]Slightly flexible in thin sections[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][17]158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[1][17]115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]
Continuous service temperature°C55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[3]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[33]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[27][34]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[25][35]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[34][25]Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[20]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[27]Excellent — essentially unaffected[4]
Food contactFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[3][25]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[3]Not documented
RecyclabilityThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[3][13]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[36]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[36]
Hazardous species emittedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[2]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[36]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[36]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[35][25]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[2]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[25]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[37]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[38][39]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[37][40]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[38]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[41][40]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[38]

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. Prusament PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  2. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  28. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  29. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  34. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  35. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  36. 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
  37. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  38. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  39. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  40. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. 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