3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PP vs PP-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Polypropylene (PP)POLYOLEFIN | Carbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFIN |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $46.56/kg median; $31.99–$53.00/kg across 4 dated product listings | $107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polypropylene — a semi-crystalline polyolefin with no polar groups, so it neither absorbs water nor bonds to most bed surfaces[1][2] | Polypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[3][4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 0.91 (Prusa PP composite, ISO 1183) — the lightest common filament[3] | 0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 27–53; the middle of the market is about 44[5][6][7][8] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[9][10][11] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 27–53 across brands; Reli3D 32 on Amazon, SUNLU 44 at 0.8 kg, Fiberlogy 49 at 750 g, IEMAI 3D 53, and the 3DJake PP listing spans 27–49[5][12][6][7][8] | 57–138 across brands; Reli3D 57 at 700 g on Amazon, Prusament 108 direct from Prusa and 138 at Printed Solid, 3DXTech CarbonX PP+CF 120[9][13][10][11] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[12][6][5] | Available from several mainstream brands[10][13] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 kg spools are common[6] | 1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[13][10] |
| Typical applications | Living hinges, chemical-resistant containers, automotive clips and packaging prototypes[1] | Lightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[14] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | ±0.04 (Prusament)[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C[1] | 270 ± 10 (Prusament)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 85 ± 10 (Prusament)[3] |
| 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[15][2] | Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[15][2] |
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[15] | Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Packing tape, a polypropylene sheet, or a PP-specific adhesive such as Magigoo PP — ordinary PLA and ABS adhesives do not hold it[15][2] | Not documented |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 3.2 at Prusa's 40 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][16] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; PP's crystallinity drives shrinkage and Prusa recommends a brim on its PP grades[3][17] | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Very difficult — special plates or slurry required. PP bonds to almost nothing; a polypropylene-specific tape or adhesive is the normal answer[3][2] | Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[3] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[2] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; bed adhesion is the whole problem[2][3] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[3] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | Prusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades — Simplify3D states no special hotend is required[15] | Hardened steel required — Prusa states plainly that a hardened nozzle is necessary[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[15] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low — Simplify3D lists no special hotend requirement for PP and clogging is not among its listed drawbacks[18][15] | Moderate — 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[4][19] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[15] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required (Simplify3D)[15] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Negligible (<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[3] | Negligible (<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[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, measured on its PP composite)[3] | 0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3] |
| Drying temperature & time | No drying step is published for PP; uptake is below the level that affects printing[3] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle; Polymaker still advises a 70 °C dry for 4–6 h despite the low uptake[2] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not applicable in practice — with equilibrium uptake at 0.04 %, there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure. Polymaker's sensitivity tiers put polyolefins below even PLA[3][18] | Not applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[3] |
| Storage requirement | No special storage needed[3] | No special storage needed[3] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 12 at yield (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[1] | 21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 724 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D638; converted from 105,000 psi)[20] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | Above 600 at break (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[1] | Not documented |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 31.0 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4500 psi)[20] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 402 flexural modulus (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D790) — an order of magnitude below any rigid filament[1] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[3] |
| Other impact data | Izod notched 112 J/m on extruded PP stock, converted from 2.1 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[20] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Very ductile — bends far before failing[1] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded PP stock (ASTM D785)[20] | Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PP filament[20] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Below average[1] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Excellent — living hinges viable, the classic polypropylene application[1] | Good[1] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Semi-flexible[1] | Slightly flexible in thin sections[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 74 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 165 °F)[20] | 158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 205 ± 15 melting (Formfutura Centaur PP)[1] | Not documented |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Bounded by a melting point of 205 ± 15 °C and by the 158 °C heat deflection of the carbon-filled grade; no loaded-bar service figure is published for unfilled PP[1][3] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[3] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polypropylene chalks under UV[2] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents — the usual reason to choose PP[2] | Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[2] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected[3] | Excellent — essentially unaffected[3] |
| Food contact | Polypropylene is a common food-packaging polymer, but no filament here carries a food-contact certification[2] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[2] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable as resin code 5, but printed waste is not accepted in household collection[2] | Not documented |
| 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[21] | 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[21] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[21] | Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[21] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — the waxy surface loads abrasive paper[15] | Not documented |
| Painting & finishing | Paint and adhesives do not key to untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is normally needed first[2] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Nothing common bonds untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is needed before adhesives key[2] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[15] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; no soluble support is rated for PP[15] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Shrinkage and warping dominate; the low modulus means parts flex rather than hold tolerance[3] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves it at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C — the xylene-solubles route.[22][23] | None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[22][23] |
| Softened or crazed by | Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[22] | Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[22] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[22] | None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[22] |
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
- Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
- PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
- CarbonX PP+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU product catalogue SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- Fiberlogy PP Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- Reli3D Low Warp PP Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D PP 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- PP filament listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 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