3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PP vs TPU-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Polypropylene (PP)POLYOLEFIN | Carbon-fibre TPUFLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $46.56/kg median; $31.99–$53.00/kg across 4 dated product listings | $107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 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] | Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 0.91 (Prusa PP composite, ISO 1183) — the lightest common filament[4] | 1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 27–53; the middle of the market is about 44[5][6][7][8] | 107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[9] |
| 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][10][6][7][8] | One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[10][6][5] | 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 & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 kg spools are common[6] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[9] |
| Typical applications | Living hinges, chemical-resistant containers, automotive clips and packaging prototypes[1] | Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C[1] | 230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[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[11][2] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[11] | Not documented |
| 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[11][2] | PEI 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/s | Not documented | 1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; PP's crystallinity drives shrinkage and Prusa recommends a brim on its PP grades[4][14] | Not documented |
| 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[4][2] | Not documented |
| 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][4] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades — Simplify3D states no special hotend is required[11] | Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[11] | 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[15][11] | 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[16][3][12] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[11] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required (Simplify3D)[11] | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[12] |
| 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[4] | Moderate[15] |
| 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)[4] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | No drying step is published for PP; uptake is below the level that affects printing[4] | 60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3] |
| 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] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15] |
| 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[4][15] | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[15] |
| Storage requirement | No special storage needed[4] | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[15] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 12 at yield (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[1] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 724 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D638; converted from 105,000 psi)[17] | 35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[3] |
| Elongation at break% | Above 600 at break (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638)[1] | 380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 31.0 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4500 psi)[17] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 402 flexural modulus (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D790) — an order of magnitude below any rigid filament[1] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Izod notched 112 J/m on extruded PP stock, converted from 2.1 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[17] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Very ductile — bends far before failing[1] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded PP stock (ASTM D785)[17] | 70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Below average[1] | Below 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 resistance1–5 | Excellent — living hinges viable, the classic polypropylene application[1] | Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[3] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Semi-flexible[1] | Semi-flexible[3] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Abrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 74 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 165 °F)[17] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | -24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 205 ± 15 melting (Formfutura Centaur PP)[1] | Vicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[3] |
| 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][4] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[4] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polypropylene chalks under UV[2] | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[13] |
| Chemical resistance | Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents — the usual reason to choose PP[2] | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[13] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected[4] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Polypropylene is a common food-packaging polymer, but no filament here carries a food-contact certification[2] | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[13] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[2] | Not biodegradable[13] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable as resin code 5, but printed waste is not accepted in household collection[2] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[13] |
| 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; TPU was not among the nine filaments 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 | 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[11] | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[13] |
| 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] | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[13] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[11] | No practical vapour smoothing[13] |
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; no soluble support is rated for PP[11] | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[13] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Shrinkage and warping dominate; the low modulus means parts flex rather than hold tolerance[4] | Tear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves it at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C — the xylene-solubles route.[20][21] | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[22] |
| Softened or crazed by | Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[20] | Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[22] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[20] | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[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
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
- 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
- Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 2026-08 · vendor
- PP filament listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 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
- BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
- 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
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds