3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PP-CF vs TPU-CF

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

Carbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guideCarbon-fibre TPU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PP-CF comparisonsMore TPU-CF comparisons
PP-CF vs TPU-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFINCarbon-fibre TPUFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[3]
Densityg/cm³0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[4][5][6]107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[7]
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[4][8][5][6]One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[7]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Extrudr's FLEX HARD CF is the only carbon-filled flexible with a published datasheet found here[3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[8][5]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[7]
Typical applicationsLightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[9]Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Bed temperature°C85 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[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[10][11]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[12][13]
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][14]1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies 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]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[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]Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[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][15]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; a flexible base plus chopped carbon fibre, which Prusa lists as a higher nozzle-clogging risk, and Extrudr requires a hardened nozzle[15][3][12]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[12]
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[16]
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]Not documented
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[1]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[16]
Storage requirementNo special storage needed[1]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPaNot documented35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[3]
Elongation at break%Not documented380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
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]Very ductile — bends far before failing[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[17]70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedBelow average — no CF-grade creep test; the grade is 70 Shore D where a 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[3][18]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good[19]Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Semi-flexible[3]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[1]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented-24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedVicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[13]
Chemical resistanceExcellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[11]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[13]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected[1]Not documented
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[13]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[13]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[13]
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; TPU was not among the nine filaments 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]Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[13]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[13]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[13]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[13]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedTear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNone at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[21][22]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[23]
Softened or crazed byXylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[21]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[23]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[21]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[23]

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. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  4. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  18. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  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. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  22. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  23. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds