3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Stone vs PP

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

Stone-filled PLA guidePolypropylene (PP) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Stone comparisonsMore PP comparisons
PLA Stone vs PP — documented properties and sources
PropertyStone-filled PLAPLAPolypropylene (PP)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$22.99/kg median; $15.99–$49.16/kg across 6 dated product listings$46.56/kg median; $31.99–$53.00/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with stone or mineral powder — Formfutura StoneFil declares 40–50 wt% stone powder[1][2]Polypropylene — a semi-crystalline polyolefin with no polar groups, so it neither absorbs water nor bonds to most bed surfaces[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Bambu Lab PLA Marble) and 1.50–1.70 (Formfutura StoneFil), ISO 1183[2][1]0.91 (Prusa PP composite, ISO 1183) — the lightest common filament[5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 21[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 27–53; the middle of the market is about 44[8][9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–49 across brands; SUNLU 16, ELEGOO 19, Polymaker 21, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 38, Filament PM MarbleJet 49 on 0.5 kg spools[12][7][6][13][14][15]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[8][16][9][10][11]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][7][12]Available from several mainstream brands[16][9][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools plus refills[7][1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 kg spools are common[9]
Typical applicationsArchitectural models, sculpture and props with a matte mineral surface[2]Living hinges, chemical-resistant containers, automotive clips and packaging prototypes[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 (Bambu Lab)[2]210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C[3]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[17][4]
Part cooling fanFan on[2]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[17]
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[17][4]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; PP's crystallinity drives shrinkage and Prusa recommends a brim on its PP grades[5][18]
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[5][4]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedSlight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[4]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[19]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; bed adhesion is the whole problem[4][5]
Extruder requirementNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[19]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's compatibility table says no hardened nozzle is needed while the note under the same table groups PLA Marble with particle-filled materials that should always use one[19]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades — Simplify3D states no special hotend is required[17]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — stone fill[19][1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[17]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[19]Low — Simplify3D lists no special hotend requirement for PP and clogging is not among its listed drawbacks[20][17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[17]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required (Simplify3D)[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.44 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]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[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.44 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers, measured on its PP composite)[5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedNo drying step is published for PP; uptake is below the level that affects printing[5]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle; Polymaker still advises a 70 °C dry for 4–6 h despite the low uptake[4]
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[5][20]
Storage requirementNot documentedNo special storage needed[5]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa33 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]12 at yield (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2330 ± 240 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]724 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D638; converted from 105,000 psi)[21]
Elongation at break%6.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]Above 600 at break (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa75 ± 5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]31.0 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4500 psi)[21]
Flexural modulusMPa2920 ± 180 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[2]402 flexural modulus (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D790) — an order of magnitude below any rigid filament[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²9.5 ± 2.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 24.0 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2]Izod notched 112 J/m on extruded PP stock, converted from 2.1 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[21]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa30 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[2]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded PP stock (ASTM D785)[21]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no stone-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22][23][24]Below average[3]
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 mineral filler leaves a brittle compound[25][2]Excellent — living hinges viable, the classic polypropylene application[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Semi-flexible[3]
Z strength as % of XY%91 by tensile, 73 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C56 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[2]74 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 165 °F)[21]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C56 (DSC)[2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C156 peak melt (DSC); Formfutura gives a 120–170 melting range for StoneFil[2][1]205 ± 15 melting (Formfutura Centaur PP)[3]
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[3][5]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[26]Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polypropylene chalks under UV[4]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedExcellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents — the usual reason to choose PP[4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[5]
Food contactNot documentedPolypropylene is a common food-packaging polymer, but no filament here carries a food-contact certification[4]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[4]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable as resin code 5, but printed waste is not accepted in household collection[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[27]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[27]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[27]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[27]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFormfutura's SDS sets an occupational limit of 1 mg/m³ for the stone powder and lists it as both a fibre and a particulate — do not dry-sand without extraction[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands to a stone-like matte surface[1]Sands poorly — the waxy surface loads abrasive paper[17]
Painting & finishingNot documentedPaint and adhesives do not key to untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is normally needed first[4]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedNothing common bonds untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is needed before adhesives key[4]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[17]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2]Prints its own supports; no soluble support is rated for PP[17]
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte mineral surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[2]Shrinkage and warping dominate; the low modulus means parts flex rather than hold tolerance[5]
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.[28]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves it at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C — the xylene-solubles route.[29][30]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[28][31]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[29]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[32][31]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[29]

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. StoneFil safety data sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · msds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Marble Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  5. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  6. PLA Marble — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. SUNLU product catalogue SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Fiberlogy PP Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Reli3D Low Warp PP Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D PP 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. SUNLU High Speed PLA Marble 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Filament PM PLA MarbleJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  16. PP filament listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  19. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 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
  28. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  29. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  30. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. 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