3D Printing Info
Where it is used
Living hinges, chemical-resistant containers, automotive clips and packaging prototypes
Sources
- Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet · 2026-08 · tds
Polyolefins · Material guide
Polypropylene (PP)
The lightest common filament at 0.91 g/cm³ and effectively non-hygroscopic at 0.04 % uptake, with unbeatable living-hinge fatigue life — but it bonds to almost no bed surface and warps…
Open in interactive comparison
Understand the material
At a glance
Before you print
- Setup difficulty
- Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; bed adhesion is the whole problem
- Nozzle wear
- Non-abrasive when unfilled
Read the full material overview
The lightest common filament at 0.91 g/cm³ and effectively non-hygroscopic at 0.04 % uptake, with unbeatable living-hinge fatigue life — but it bonds to almost no bed surface and warps badly.
Applications
Unfilled polypropylene is used for flexible clips, living hinges, packaging prototypes and chemically resistant equipment. Its distinguishing combination is ductility, repeated bending capability and very low water uptake. A thin hinge can bend while thicker walls provide the body of a container; a mounting clip can yield during assembly without requiring the brittle response of a fibre-filled grade. The documented stereo brackets below explicitly used PP for flexibility.
That flexibility is a disadvantage when a part must hold a precise position or carry a sustained load: PP has limited stiffness and can creep. It also adheres poorly to many printing surfaces and can shrink or warp substantially, so fit and hinge quality depend on the process. The familiar molded-PP living hinge is useful application context, but its lifetime cannot simply be assigned to a layered print.
Sources
- Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament PP Glass Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 · 2024-11 · tds
Printed examples
Pioneer Stereo Adapter for Mitsubishi Pajero ↗
Adapter brackets installed around a Pioneer stereo in a Mitsubishi Pajero dashboard. The uploader reports printing the adapters in PP for flexibility.
Material evidence & image attribution
Listing note: “I printed them with PP for more flexibility.”
Printables listing uploaded by ArunasVell · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Original listing · Checked 2026-10-17. This is an uploader report, not an independent material test.Source image · Image bytes unchanged; displayed in full. Noncommercial reuse only. ShareAlike applies to adaptations.
ECC2 Toolhead Front Cover ↗
The pictured toolhead uses a PP front cover printed from Inslogic filament. The bumper is a separate ASA part; this example applies to the front cover only.
Material evidence & image attribution
Listing note: “The front cover was printed in PP from Inslogic.”
Printables listing uploaded by Darkwolf7887 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Original listing · Checked 2026-10-17. This is an uploader report, not an independent material test.Source image · Image bytes unchanged; displayed in full. Noncommercial reuse only. ShareAlike applies to adaptations.
Find more models
Plan your printer setup
All print settings ↓Printing quick reference
Representative catalog values. Check the exact grade and its linked conditions before using a setting.
Nozzle temperature (°C)
210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C
Full value & sources
210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C
- Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet · 2026-08 · tds
Bed temperature (°C)
—
Full value & sources
—
—Enclosure
Enclosure recommended
Full value & sources
Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking
- Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide · 2026-08 · doc
- PP — material basics · 2026-08 · doc
Drying
No drying step is published for PP; uptake is below the level that affects printing
Full value & sources
No drying step is published for PP; uptake is below the level that affects printing
- Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 · 2024-11 · tds
Go deeper when you need to
58 documented fieldsProperties & source data
Open a topic to explore the complete data. Each value keeps its original conditions, units and dated sources.
Material & market7 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polypropylene — a semi-crystalline polyolefin with no polar groups, so it neither absorbs water nor bonds to most bed surfaces | 2 sources
|
| Density (g/cm³) | 0.91 (Prusa PP composite, ISO 1183) — the lightest common filament | 1 source
|
| Typical price (USD/kg) | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 27–53; the middle of the market is about 44 | 4 sources
|
| Price range across brands (USD/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 sources
|
| Market availability (1–5) | Available from several mainstream brands | 3 sources
|
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 kg spools are common | 1 source
|
| Typical applications | Living hinges, chemical-resistant containers, automotive clips and packaging prototypes | 1 source
|
Print settings8 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 210–230 (Braskem-type PE/PP window); Formfutura's Centaur PP melts at 205 ± 15 °C | 1 source
|
| Enclosure / chamber requirement (1–5) | Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking | 2 sources
|
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D) | 1 source
|
| 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 | 2 sources
|
| Warping tendency (1–5) | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; PP's crystallinity drives shrinkage and Prusa recommends a brim on its PP grades | 2 sources
|
| Bed-adhesion difficulty (1–5) | Very difficult — special plates or slurry required. PP bonds to almost nothing; a polypropylene-specific tape or adhesive is the normal answer | 2 sources
|
| Stringing / oozing tendency (1–5) | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s | 1 source
|
| Overall printing difficulty (1–5) | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; bed adhesion is the whole problem | 2 sources
|
Nozzle wear & reliability5 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle hardness required (1–4) | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades — Simplify3D states no special hotend is required | 1 source
|
| Abrasiveness (1–5) | Non-abrasive when unfilled | 1 source
|
| Nozzle clog risk (1–5) | Low — Simplify3D lists no special hotend requirement for PP and clogging is not among its listed drawbacks | 2 sources
|
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity (1–5) | Slightly sensitive | 1 source
|
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required (Simplify3D) | 1 source
|
Moisture & drying6 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 source
|
| 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) | 1 source
|
| Drying temperature & time | No drying step is published for PP; uptake is below the level that affects printing | 1 source
|
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle; Polymaker still advises a 70 °C dry for 4–6 h despite the low uptake | 1 source
|
| 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 | 2 sources
|
| Storage requirement | No special storage needed | 1 source
|
Strength & mechanical properties11 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 12 at yield (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638) | 1 source
|
| Young's modulus (MPa) | 724 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D638; converted from 105,000 psi) | 1 source
|
| Elongation at break (%) | Above 600 at break (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D638) | 1 source
|
| Flexural strength (MPa) | 31.0 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4500 psi) | 1 source
|
| Flexural modulus (MPa) | 402 flexural modulus (Formfutura Centaur PP, ASTM D790) — an order of magnitude below any rigid filament | 1 source
|
| Other impact data | Izod notched 112 J/m on extruded PP stock, converted from 2.1 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256) | 1 source
|
| Brittleness (1–5) | Very ductile — bends far before failing | 1 source
|
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | Rockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded PP stock (ASTM D785) | 1 source
|
| Creep resistance / sustained load (1–5) | Below average | 1 source
|
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance (1–5) | Excellent — living hinges viable, the classic polypropylene application | 1 source
|
| Elasticity / flexibility (1–5) | Semi-flexible | 1 source
|
Heat & temperature4 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C) | 74 on extruded PP stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 165 °F) | 1 source
|
| Melting point / Vicat (°C) | 205 ± 15 melting (Formfutura Centaur PP) | 1 source
|
| 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 | 2 sources
|
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed | 1 source
|
Weather & chemical resistance6 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| UV resistance (1–5) | Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polypropylene chalks under UV | 1 source
|
| Chemical resistance | Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents — the usual reason to choose PP | 1 source
|
| Water / humidity resistance in service (1–5) | Excellent — essentially unaffected | 1 source
|
| Food contact | Polypropylene is a common food-packaging polymer, but no filament here carries a food-contact certification | 1 source
|
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable | 1 source
|
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable as resin code 5, but printed waste is not accepted in household collection | 1 source
|
Health & safety2 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fume toxicity (1–5) | 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 | |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement (1–5) | Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study |
Finishing & post-processing6 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Sanding & machining | Sands poorly — the waxy surface loads abrasive paper | 1 source
|
| Painting & finishing | Paint and adhesives do not key to untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is normally needed first | 1 source
|
| Gluing & solvent welding | Nothing common bonds untreated PP; flame or plasma treatment is needed before adhesives key | 1 source
|
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing | 1 source
|
| Support material pairing | Prints its own supports; no soluble support is rated for PP | 1 source
|
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Shrinkage and warping dominate; the low modulus means parts flex rather than hold tolerance | 1 source
|
Solvents & solubility3 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Soluble in | None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves it at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C — the xylene-solubles route. | 2 sources |
| Softened or crazed by | Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it. | 1 source |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically. | 1 source |
How to read these values
Values describe representative grades, not every spool. Manufacturer datasheets and independent tests retain their source labels and dates. Printed orientation, test method, conditioning and formulation can change results. Unknown values are —. A listed use is not a certification. Shore A, Shore D and Rockwell hardness are separate scales.
Find a specific filament
4 listingsProduct listings and datasheets
Historical USD/kg snapshots. Read each listing’s sale/from qualifiers, spool mass, source date, shipping and tax notes. Product figures are separate from the material summary.
Browse 4 products from 4 brands
Reli3DLow Warp PP31.99 USD/kg
$31.99 / 1 kg spool, amazon.com, Aug 2026
Reli3D publishes no data sheet. Its Amazon brand-store comparison table gives a nozzle temperature per grade and the listing title the diameter tolerance; there is no bed temperature, density or mechanical data anywhere on the listing.
Open product listing ↗- Reli3D Low Warp PP Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg Black — Amazon listing · 2026-08 · vendor
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm, 1 kg |
|
|---|---|---|
| Diameter tolerance (± mm) | 0.03 |
|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 230–250 |
|
SUNLUPP (Polypropylene)43.74 USD/kg
$34.99 / 0.8 kg spool = $43.74/kg, store.sunlu.com product catalogue, Aug 2026
Handle sunlu-pp-polypropylene-3d-printer-filament; listed as a flash-deal price.
Open product listing ↗- SUNLU PP (Polypropylene) product page · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU PP filament — Technical Data Sheet · 2026-08 · tds
| Density (g/cm³) | 0.9 (ISO 1183, 23 °C) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Diameter tolerance (± mm) | 0.03 |
|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 210–230 at 50–150 mm/s; 260–280 at 50–230 mm/s |
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | 50–60, over PP glue |
|
| Shrinkage (%) | 1.5 (ISO 294, 23 °C) |
|
| Drying temperature & time | 50–60 °C |
|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 22.7 printed X-Y at 50 mm/min (ISO 527/2) |
|
| Elongation at break (%) | 900 at break, printed X-Y (ISO 527/2) |
|
| Flexural strength (MPa) | 24 printed X-Y (ISO 178) |
|
| Other impact data | Izod notched 40 kJ/m² printed X-Y at 23 °C (ISO 180) |
|
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | 67 Shore D (ISO 868, 23 °C) |
|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C) | 61 printed X-Y (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) |
|
| Melting point / Vicat (°C) | 156 melting point (ISO 11357-3) |
|
| Flammability / UL 94 | HB at 1.5 mm (UL 94) |
|
| Electrical & ESD properties | Volume resistivity 6.75×10^14 Ω·cm (IEC 60093); dielectric constant 2.64 at 1 kHz |
|
FiberlogyPP Natural49.39 USD/kg
$37.04 / 750 g spool = $49.39/kg, 3djake.com, Aug 2026
3DJake's PP listing spans $27–49/kg across brands.
Open product listing ↗- Fiberlogy PP Natural — product page · 2026-08 · vendor
- PP filament listing · 2026-08 · vendor
- Technical Data Sheet — Fiberlogy PP · 2026-08 · tds
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.05 (ISO 1183) — Fiberlogy's published figure, well above an unfilled PP homopolymer |
|
|---|---|---|
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm, 0.75 kg |
|
| Diameter tolerance (± mm) | 0.02 |
|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 220–250 |
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | Not required when printing onto packing tape |
|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 14 (ISO 527) |
|
| Young's modulus (MPa) | 700 (ISO 527) |
|
| Elongation at break (%) | >100 at break (ISO 527) |
|
| Charpy impact, notched (kJ/m²) | 30 at 23 °C, reported as notched (ISO 179) |
|
| HDT at 1.8 MPa (°C) | 51 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa) |
|
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | −31 (ISO 11357) |
|
| Melting point / Vicat (°C) | Vicat 110 (ISO 306 A120); 49 (ISO 306 B120) |
|
IEMAI 3DPP53.00 USD/kg
$53.00 / 1 kg spool, store.iemai3d.com, Aug 2026
Described as a polyolefin block copolymer. The data sheet's mechanical figures are labelled injection-moulded and are not reproduced here because the stated tensile and flexural moduli are an order of magnitude below any other PP source.
Open product listing ↗- IEMAI 3D PP 3D Printing Filament — store page · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D PP Technical Data Sheet · 2022-11 · tds
| Elongation at break (%) | 10 at break (injection-moulded, ASTM D1708) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Flexural strength (MPa) | 7.8 (injection-moulded, ASTM D790) |
|
| Flexural modulus (MPa) | 244 (injection-moulded, ASTM D790) |
|
| Other impact data | Charpy 0.35 kJ/m² at 23 °C (injection-moulded; sheet cites ASTM D256) |
|
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | 53 Shore D (injection-moulded, ISO 868) |
|
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | -13 (DSC, injection-moulded) |
|
| Melting point / Vicat (°C) | 132 melting temperature (DSC) and 114 Vicat softening at 5 N (ISO 306), injection-moulded |
|
Material selection articles
Compare specific grades and connect test results to part design.