3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PP-CF vs PVB

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

Carbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PP-CF comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
PP-CF vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFINPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3]
Densityg/cm³0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[1]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg57–138 across brands; Reli3D 57 at 700 g on Amazon, Prusament 108 direct from Prusa and 138 at Printed Solid, 3DXTech CarbonX PP+CF 120[5][9][6][7]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[8][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][9]Available from several mainstream brands[8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[9][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8][9]
Typical applicationsLightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[10]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament)[1]+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed temperature°C85 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[11][12]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[1]100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedSmooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s3.2 at Prusa's 40 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][13]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[3]
Extruder requirementPrusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Prusa states plainly that a hardened nozzle is necessary[1]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — 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[2][14]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[15][16]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Negligible (<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[1]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[3][17][4]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedMaximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[1]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][16]
Storage requirementNo special storage needed[1]Sealed with desiccant[16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[1]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[3][17][4]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][4]
Elongation at break%Not documented5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[17]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[17][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[1]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[17][4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PP filament[18]Shore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good[19]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[1]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][17][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][17][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][17]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][17]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceExcellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[12]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low 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[20]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[20]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[20]Open a window / occasional ventilation[20]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedIsopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[21]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[17]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNone at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[22][23]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[15]
Softened or crazed byXylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[22]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[22]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[24][15]

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 PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  2. CarbonX PP+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  20. 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
  21. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  23. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  24. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc