Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic that has a number of properties that sets it apart from other thermoplastics which see common use with 3D printing, including PLA, ABS and nylon (PA). Much like ABS (and the similar ASA), it is a pretty touchy material to print, especially on FDM printers. Over at the [All3DP] site [Nick Loth] provides a quick start guide for those who are interested in using PP with 3D printing, whether FDM, SLS or others.
A nice aspect of printing with PP is that it requires similar temperatures for the extruder (205 – 275 °C) and print bed (80 – 100 °C) as other common FDM filaments. As long as airflow can be controlled in the (enclosed) printer, issues with warping and cracking as the extruded filament cools should not occur. Unlike ABS and ASA which also require an enclosed, temperature-controlled printing space, PP has an advantage that printing with it does not produce carcinogenic fumes (styrene, acrylonitrile, etc.), but it does have the issue of absolutely not wanting to adhere to anything that is not PP. This is where the article provides some tips, such as the use of PP-based adhesive tape on the print bed, or the use of PP-based print plates.
As far as PP longevity and recyclability goes, it compares favorably with ABS and PA, meaning it’s quite resilient and stable, though susceptible to degradation from UV exposure without stabilizers. Recycling PP is fairly easy, though much like with polymers like PLA, the economics and logistics of recycling remain a challenge.
PET-G wins, in my book. I switched a number of years ago and never looked back.
Definitely agree, with the additional mention of TPU. PETG and TPU cover 99% of all applications for printed parts, plus they stick together so you can make composites if needed. I only use PLA for iterative prototyping and/or truly disposable prints, and any situation that would melt or break PETG usually calls for metal parts anyways.
Modified PLA’s are actually pretty great all-around filaments. When eSun PLA+ came out, it was such a game changer that I literally gave away every other brand of filament I’d accumulated, because it just wasn’t worth the trouble to mess with anything else.
I graduated to a Bambu X1C a couple years back though, and have found it’s way less fussy about filament types compared to my old Ender 5. Still, very hard to beat eSun’s PLA+, especially not at that price.
That said, just got a novel hard TPU/nylon composite that I am very excited to play with. I’m amazed that hard TPU’s haven’t caught on with 3D printing yet.
A 120C print bed (Bambu lab engineering plate) has worked for me without special adhesives.
I have had good luck with the bambu lab engineering plates too, although I did use glue stick.
Normal PP tape works well too as long as the tape sticks to the bed well enough.
ABS remains the best all rounder once one moves past the ‘Ender’ phase. The fumes topic is highly debatable and it may be worth it for proponents of this theory to go take a walk in a ABS parts factory, a common material for manufacturing tough parts for many decades now. Lego is a good case in point.
ASA is better in every way.
I dont think I will ever get past the ‘Ender’ phase. with the stuff I do, which is project boxes, jigs and fixtures for low stress applications. If i need anything more robust its looking at a 7grand printer or farm it out to a service … which that happens only a few times a year at most
No need to spend $7k, a Carbon X1 is only $1600 with mmu and capable of printing CF and glass reinforced filaments.
Mind you, I totally understand the urge to get a big boy $7k printer if you have the cash to splash on it.
Manufacturing plants have always been and always will be beacons of workplace health and safety. Nobody has ever lost their life or become partially or permanently disabled from chronic exposure to chemicals in a factory!
I’m going to go play in a pile of asbestos right now!
I tried to print a Pikachu in Polypropylene, but my printer errored and said I don’t have enough PP to do that…
My biggest grievance against polypropylene is that its a high density plastic that can not be glued, solvent welded or otherwise tampered with
quote wikipedia:
Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefins and is partially crystalline and non-polar. Its properties are similar to polyethylene, but it is slightly harder and more heat-resistant. It is a white, mechanically rugged material and has a high chemical resistance.[1]
Polypropylene at room temperature is resistant to fats and almost all organic solvents, apart from strong oxidants. Non-oxidizing acids and bases can be stored in containers made of PP. At elevated temperature, PP can be dissolved in nonpolar solvents such as xylene, tetralin and decalin
Can you get anything like the last sentence to weld this stuff? its used for holding nasty ass chemicals that can rot most substances on earth
I have only used PLA for this purpose but filament friction welding works quite well for welding parts, and should work with PP. How strong of a bond does solvent welding leave? I would imagine it wouldn’t be that strong because of uneven drying as the edges dry and the middle traps the solvent, and an overall thin layer of bonded plastic…
Clear packing tape? On a heated bed?
That stuff is messy enough without the heat!
I can just imagine the mess this must leave behind.
How about this? A layer of blue painters tape with a layer of clear packing tape over that?
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