3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Silk vs PP-CF

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

Silk PLA guideCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Silk comparisonsMore PP-CF comparisons
PLA Silk vs PP-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertySilk PLAPLACarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[1]Polypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.27 (ISO 1183)[1]0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[4][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[10][11][12][13][14]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[7][15][8][9]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][10][16]Available from several mainstream brands[8][15]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[17][18]1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[15][8]
Typical applicationsDecorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[1]Lightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[19]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[20]±0.04 (Prusament)[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[1]270 ± 10 (Prusament)[2]
Bed temperature°C35–45[1]85 ± 10 (Prusament)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][21]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[22][23]
Part cooling fanFan on[1]Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidCool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[1]Not documented
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[2][24]
Warping tendency1–5None[1]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[25]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[2]
Extruder requirementNot documentedPrusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[21]Hardened steel required — Prusa states plainly that a hardened nozzle is necessary[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[26][21]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[21]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[3][27]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[28]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[25]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[1]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[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[2]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[1][29]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[30]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[30]Not applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[2]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[31][25]No special storage needed[2]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[1][32]21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[2]
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[1][31]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[1]14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[2]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[1][32][33]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
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[34]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[35][36]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)[37][28]Good[38]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Z strength as % of XY%76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1]158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]
Glass transition (Tg)°C57 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[33]Not documented
Annealing response50–55 °C for 6–12 h[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[31][39]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[28][40]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[39][28]Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[23]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[31]Excellent — essentially unaffected[2]
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[28]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[41][28]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[41]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[42]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[42]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[42]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[42]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[40][28]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[28][43]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[28]Not documented
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detail55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[1]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.[44]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[45][46]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[44][47]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[45]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[48][47]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[45]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  3. CarbonX PP+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  32. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  33. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  35. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  38. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  39. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  40. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  41. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  42. 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
  43. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  45. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  46. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  47. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  48. 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