Filament comparison
PP-GF vs HT soluble
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre PP (PP-GF)POLYOLEFIN | High-temperature supportSUPPORT |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $49.09/kg median; $46.27–$86.01/kg across 3 dated product listings | $209.00/kg median; $100.00–$290.00/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polypropylene reinforced with chopped glass fibre[1][2] | Break-away support compounded to survive high-temperature print chambers; 3DXTech sells separate grades for PC/ABS and for the PAEK and PEI class[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.12 (Prusament PP Glass Fiber, ISO 1183) — the glass lifts it above water[1] | 1.37 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, ISO 1183)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 49[5][6][7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 168[8] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 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[5][6][7] | 100–290 across grades; 3DXTech THERMAX MTS1 100 at 2 kg, HTS2 168 at 250 g, HTS1 250 at 500 g, IEMAI 3D HT-SP 290 at 1 kg[8][9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6][7] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[8][9] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 700 g, 850 g and 2.2 kg spools[5][6][7] | 1.75 mm; 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg and 2 kg spools[8] |
| Typical applications | Stiff, chemically resistant parts where PP-CF's cost or conductivity is unwanted[2] | Support for PEEK, PEI and PC-class prints, where PVA and PLA-based supports would decompose[3][4] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | ±0.04 (Prusament)[1] | Not documented |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 245 ± 10 (Prusament) — 25 °C below the carbon-fibre grade[1][10] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 95 ± 10 (Prusament)[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[11][12] | Actively heated chamber required — it is used inside high-temperature builds[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[1] | Not documented |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 4 at Prusa's 50 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][13] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[1] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[1] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[1] | Expert / industrial hardware only[3] |
| Extruder requirement | Prusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[1] | A dual-extruder machine rated for high-temperature materials; 3DXTech states the grade is intended for dual-extruder printers designed to print high-temp materials[14] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1] | Non-abrasive[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[15] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1[14][16] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | 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[1][10] | Not documented |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.11 after 24 h and 0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not applicable in practice at 0.11 % equilibrium uptake[1] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1 because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[14][16] |
| Storage requirement | No special storage needed[1] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 46.6 ± 1.3 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527) — more than double the carbon-fibre grade's 21[1][10] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 7.9 ± 0.4 printed horizontal and 9.9 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[1] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Not documented |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a glass-fibre PP filament[17] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Not documented |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | 3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its support grades — they are not characterised as structural materials[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 138.3 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 112.6 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1] | 205 (THERMAX HTS1, printed XY, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 225 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, DSC) — high enough to stay solid inside a PEI or PEEK build[3] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[12] | Not documented |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected[1] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq on all three THERMAX support grades (ASTM D257) — insulating[3][18][4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | 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[19] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[19] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[19] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[19] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Support material pairing | Not documented | This is the support material. MTS1 is matched to PC/ABS and PC; HTS1 and HTS2 to the higher-temperature classes[4][3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[20][21] | Aqueous alkali, not water: IEMAI specifies an alkaline bath in an ultrasonic cleaner until the support dissolves.[9] |
| Softened or crazed by | Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[20] | Not documented |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[20] | None — the alkaline bath dissolves the support rather than welding anything.[9] |
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
- Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament PP Glass Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- THERMAX HTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- BASF Ultrafuse PP GF30 Black 2.85 mm 2.200 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- BCN3D PP GF30 Black 2.85 mm 700 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa Prusament PP Glass Fiber Natural (NFC), 1.75 mm / 850 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D HT-SP alkaline-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
- Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- THERMAX MTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
- US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper