Polypropylene filament properties
Data taken from 5 datasheets from manufacturers in Spain, Europe, the United States and China, reviewed on October 26, 2026. The shaded bar marks the median of the declared values and each colored tick is a different datasheet. The scales are the same across the whole library, so you can compare materials at a glance.
Polypropylene temperature and print settings
| Setting | Typical value | Range in datasheets |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 222–248 °C | 210–295 °C |
| Bed | 90–105 °C | 50–120 °C |
| Print speed | 30–40 mm/s | 20–80 mm/s |
| Drying temperature | 50 °C | 50–50 °C |
Polypropylene vs HDPE, Nylon, and PETG: comparison
Medians from each material's datasheets. Click a material to see its full range.
Meters of Polypropylene per spool
Calculated with the median density from the datasheets (0.93 g/cm³). Real spools can vary by a few meters because of diameter tolerance.
What is polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely manufactured plastics: food packaging, hinged lids, car parts, crates and textile fibers. It is very light, resists acids, bases and most solvents, does not absorb water and withstands repeated flexing without breaking. The 5 datasheets analyzed print it with the nozzle at 222–248 °C and declare a median density of 0.93 g/cm³, one of the lowest in the library: a 1 kg spool of 1.75 mm gives about 445 meters.
Living hinges and fatigue resistance
A living hinge is a thin zone of plastic that bends thousands of times without breaking, like the one on spice jars. PP is the material of choice for that. Printed in PP, a hinge with the extrusion lines perpendicular to the fold lasts much longer than in any other common filament.
How to print polypropylene
- Adhesion: almost nothing sticks to it. It works on a polypropylene sheet or tape, or on surfaces made specifically for PP.
- Warping: it is semicrystalline and shrinks a lot; a wide brim and a chamber free of drafts help.
- Bed: datasheets that give it call for 90–105 °C.
For parts that only need to resist water or mild chemicals, PETG is much easier to print.
Frequently asked questions about polypropylene filament
Why doesn't polypropylene stick to the bed?
Because of its low surface energy, the same reason nothing sticks to a food container. You have to print it on PP or on surfaces designed for it.