3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PP-CF vs Breakaway

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

Carbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guideBreak-away support guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PP-CF comparisonsMore Breakaway comparisons
PP-CF vs Breakaway — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFINBreak-away supportSUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$42.49/kg median; $26.00–$79.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]Break-away support compounds matched to a specific model material — Polymaker sells separate grades for PLA and for PA12[3][4]
Densityg/cm³0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (PolySupport for PLA) and 1.29 (PolySupport for PA12), ISO 1183[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 span 26–80; the middle of the market is about 45[8][9][10]
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][11][6][7]26–80 across brands and grades; IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE 26, Polymaker PolySupport for PLA 40 at 750 g, YXPOLYER 45, PolySupport for PA12 80 at 500 g[8][9][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][11]Available from several mainstream brands[8][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[11][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[8]
Typical applicationsLightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[12]Support that peels off by hand, avoiding the moisture handling and dissolution time that soluble supports demand[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]220–230 (PolySupport for PLA)[3]
Bed temperature°C85 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]25–60 (PolySupport for PLA)[3]
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[13][14]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[1]Not documented
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][15]4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
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[3]
Extruder requirementPrusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[1]A second extruder or a tool changer[3]
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][16]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Polymaker specifies a 55 °C dry for the PLA grade and warns brass nozzle life falls to about 9 h on the PA12 grade[3][4]
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]Moderate — 0.64 % equilibrium water absorption (PolySupport for PLA)[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]0.64 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySupport for PLA)[3]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[1]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[17]
Storage requirementNo special storage needed[1]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Not documented
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]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good[19]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[1]43 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, PolySupport for PA12). Polymaker's sheet prints a higher figure at the higher load, which is physically inverted; treat both HDT numbers as approximate[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, PolySupport for PA12) — printed above the 0.45 MPa figure on Polymaker's own sheet, which cannot be right; treat both as approximate[4]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedVicat 171 (PolySupport for PA12, ISO 306)[4]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceExcellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[14]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected[1]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, THERMAX HTS2 and MTS1)[20][21]
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[22]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[22]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[22]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Support material pairingNot documentedThis is the support material. Polymaker publishes an adhesion matrix per model material, from very good to unusable, because break-away supports only work against the polymer they were matched to[3][4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNone at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[23][24]None — break-away support is removed mechanically; 3DXTech lists no water or solvent route for it.[25]
Softened or crazed byXylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[23]Not documented
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[23]None — there is no solvent to weld or smooth with.[25]

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. PolySupport Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolySupport for PA12 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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. YXPOLYER Breakaway Support Filament 1 kg Black — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI 3D E-REMOVE breakaway support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  20. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  21. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  22. 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
  23. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  24. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  25. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor