3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA vs PP-GF

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

PLA (standard) guideGlass-fibre PP (PP-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA comparisonsMore PP-GF comparisons
PLA vs PP-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA (standard)PLAGlass-fibre PP (PP-GF)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings$49.09/kg median; $46.27–$86.01/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[1][2]Polypropylene reinforced with chopped glass fibre[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[1][5][2]1.12 (Prusament PP Glass Fiber, ISO 1183) — the glass lifts it above water[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 49[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[12][13][14][15]46-86 across brands; BCN3D PP GF30 46 at 700 g, BASF Ultrafuse PP GF30 49 at 2.2 kg, Prusament PP Glass Fiber 86 at 850 g[9][10][11]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[16][17]Available from several mainstream brands[9][10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[6][18][19][14][20]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 700 g, 850 g and 2.2 kg spools[9][10][11]
Typical applicationsConcept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[21]Stiff, chemically resistant parts where PP-CF's cost or conductivity is unwanted[4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[1][6][22]±0.04 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[1][5][2]245 ± 10 (Prusament) — 25 °C below the carbon-fibre grade[3][23]
Bed temperature°C25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[1][5][2]95 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5][16]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[24][25]
Part cooling fan100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[1][17]Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][26][17]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[27]4 at Prusa's 50 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][27]
Warping tendency1–5None[28][16]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[5][2][17]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][17][29]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[16][17]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[3]
Extruder requirementAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[16]Prusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[16]Hardened steel required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[28][16]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[16][17]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[30]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[26][31]Not documented
Hotend requirementAny standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[16]Not documented
Other hardware wearNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[28][16]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[2][5][32]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.11 % at both 24 h and 7 days, higher than the carbon-fibre grade's 0.04 % but still very low[3][23]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[2][5]0.11 after 24 h and 0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3]
Drying temperature & time50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[5][2][31]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[33]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[33]Not applicable in practice at 0.11 % equilibrium uptake[3]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[2][17]No special storage needed[3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[1][5][2][34][35]46.6 ± 1.3 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527) — more than double the carbon-fibre grade's 21[3][23]
Young's modulusMPa2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][5][2]Not documented
Elongation at break%6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][2][1]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[1][5][2][36]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[1][5][2][36]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[5][2]7.9 ± 0.4 printed horizontal and 9.9 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[1][2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[1][2][35]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[26][28]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[1][37]Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a glass-fibre PP filament[38]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[39][40]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[41][26]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[28]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][2][35]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1][5][2]138.3 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1][5][2]112.6 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55–61 (DSC)[1][5][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[21][5][2]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[28][35]Not documented
Annealing responseBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[2][42]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[43]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[2][5]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[26][21]Not documented
Outdoor durabilityNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[21][26]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[5][26]Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[25]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[2][44]Excellent — essentially unaffected[3]
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[26][44]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[44][26][2]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[44]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[45]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[45]
VOC emission rateµg/min4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[45]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[45]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedLactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[45]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[45]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[45]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[21][26]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[26][22]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[26]Not documented
Support material pairingPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5][2]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[28][2][17]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.[46]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[47][48]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[46][49]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[47]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[50][49]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[47]

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 Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament PP Glass Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  5. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  6. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. BASF Ultrafuse PP GF30 Black 2.85 mm 2.200 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. BCN3D PP GF30 Black 2.85 mm 700 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Prusa Prusament PP Glass Fiber Natural (NFC), 1.75 mm / 850 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  22. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  24. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  35. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  37. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  39. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  40. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  42. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  43. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  44. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  45. 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
  46. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  47. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  48. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  49. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  50. 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