3D printing Polypropylene (PP) filament - FormFutura Centaur PP™ REVIEW

[@Primink]

guys, he said pp hehe

[@capti7555]

Love your content

[@TheRealKitWalker]

😂😂

[@Bryan-es2tl]

Centaur pp 😮

[@LeftJoystick]

hehehe Centaur pp

[@John223]

And he sucked on it, too

[@WaltonPete]

I have been wondering why polypropylene isn't much easier to source as a 3D printing material. Given its incredible flexibility it should be much more widely used than it is. The price would also likely fall with greater demand. Your dedication and attention to detail are admirable.

[@hyperhektor7733]

PP,PE and PET are mass products already and 10-40x cheaper than pla, but you need companies to form it into Filament and then you need buyers. Booth things which depend on each other , a chicken-egg problem :D

[@WaltonPete]

@@hyperhektor7733 Yes. I'm aware of the widespread adoption of PP, PE and PET. Although PET is fairly widely available in filament form, as you point out, with increased demand other polymers could, hopefully, become more available as such.

[@VestedUTuber]

It's a specialized material that's primarily useful for practical prints and isn't exactly cheap. The average person isn't going to be making anything that needs that kind of strength and thus can't justify the costs.

[@joncue0304]

PP is about the cheapest raw material is to buy. I was a materials manager in a plastic manufacturer for years. Part of my job was negotiating contracts with suppliers. I was buying high performance PP for around 68 cents per pound. That was after the price of oil went through the roof (PP price is directly tied to the price of oil). Before that I was paying well under 50 cents per pound. If you get into the cheaper PP material, for example T20P100, which is 20 percent talc filled, the price goes down significantly. Which basically means they throw dirt in the material to make it last longer, lol. In comparison, the ABS material we used was of a VERY low cost provider. That material was 1.40 per pound if I bought full truckloads. I can't speak for 3d printing yet, but in injection molding this was about the easiest material to process. You can crank out millions of parts with this stuff and not even show wear on the tooling. The bad part, in the automotive world at least, was that it couldn't be used for much. The vast majority of the material was nylon 6 or nylon 66, which varied between 2.25 and 2.75 per pound most of the time. And with the fillers needed became extremely abrasive, most commonly glass filled. I'm just starting to get into 3d printing. If I decide to start using PP, I'm going to pick up a filament extruder and make my own since I can get it from the last place I worked. Even if I pay twice what they're getting it for I'll still be way under 2.00 a pound and I know where the material is sources and the specific specifications it has to meet. The more I think about it, I might talk to my friend that bought the place I was working and see if it's viable to start producing filament.

[@joncue0304]

If you are really interested in the actual raw materials, matweb and ul prospector are great resources. Here's an example. www.matweb.com/search/datasheettext.aspx?matguid=a0f26e2f748a479a81cc98276e25e316

[@crusadertm]

I love a good Centaur PP

[@gamer2morrow]

oh no. i get that reference.

[@edwinng4610]

Why

[@journeyfan05]

God just thinking bout that centaur pp makes my pp so hard

[@chikukumar2442]

@@edwinng4610 pl p

[@chikukumar2442]

@@gamer2morrow ppppppp pm p lp p

[@JackieBright]

Why my polypropylene hard

[@bilIy]

Cok

[@connor1667]

Yo 100th like

[@MachineManGabb]

You have to low nozzle temperature

[@adamarmstrong6234]

Prob cause you like a good centaur pp

[@ritabhate6924]

0imp

[@LogicalWaste]

Thanks for the video. i haven't been able to find much info on PP. You always supply so much information, thank you.

[@nerys71]

those layer bonds are amazing. as for tape residue. thats easy. painters tape THEN PP tape. :-) what about high temp deformation? it gets wobbly when hot but does it return to printed shape or "retain" the new shape if you bend it when it cools? ie how well will parts survive in a hot car? might make for good nose cones!

[@CNCKitchen]

At 100-120C the parts get mostly back into shape again and this is the point I wanted to make. I think they should totally survive a hot car (at least "hot" in German standards).

[@maxamillionschnell]

Does it separate from the tape or does does the tape fuse to the print permanently?

[@CNCKitchen]

Most of the time you can release the part from the tape which leaves a really nice, shiny surface. Only in some rare cases did the tape stick to the part permanently.

[@anthonyrango4262]

Hehe u said pp

[@novembertheduck3575]

"PP tape"

[@joemulkerins5250]

Because of the mentioned properties ( hydrophilic, heat/chemical resistance etc) I think PP would easily surpass most flexible filaments with some development. Excellent engineering video as always! Thanks.

[@kzalesak4]

You mean hydrophobic?

[@0calvin]

I'm so happy that you tested this material. PP is something I have been wanting to print with but have always been intimidated by the potential for warping. It is quite interesting how well the interlayer adhesion performed. Cheers!

[@anthonyrango4262]

Every one: wow this is so interesting and educational Me: hehe pp

[@JohnWayne99999a]

loooool pee-pee

[@JoachimSeuling]

Pro Patria?

[@raphaelmorgan2307]

I just thought it was funny that he has his mouth on the pp in the thumbnail lmao

[@fntsmn]

I’m a big lover of PolyPropylene I think is such an amazing material and layers adhesion is great!

[@void1719]

Simone | FNTSMN big fan of peepee eh

[@UPJ777]

@@void1719 i can't help but giggle

[@snofox4897]

"Big lover of PP"

[@scrimbloofficial1443]

Thas gey bro

[@yourguessisasgoodasmine6650]

pp will and always will stand for pussŷ. Power.all e omen have one and really know t her power it holds Others that don't pity pity little kitty let's face it sex sells that hoepolyyi=sthsnecc'cccccccc' u sed the name?

[@skydance1151]

Einfach danke für deine wissenschaftliche Vorgehensweise!!!

[@uptimefab7412]

Great video! PP is an underrated material for 3D printing indeed... Thanks for mentioning my channel. Cheers, Robin

[@CNCKitchen]

Really great work you did in your video!

[@AlfredoAntonioMartinez]

You are the boss Stefan! so much rich information, perfectly sort, wow, you are doing a really professional work ! keep doing this amazing job and providing this invaluable information!

[@NilesBlackX]

I gotta say, Gearbest's sponsorships are totally up my alley.

[@mleitner0]

Man I love this channel for 3D printer is amazing.

[@GabbyMoore13]

All you videos are fantastic. Thank you for all your hard work. I have a project where PP might be good and your video was just the information I needed.

[@David-uk3nv]

Finally some info on PP. Thank you! As a suggestion for the next material to review: POM

[@BlueJeebs]

Soft robotics, pneumatic logic gates, compliant mechanisms will all greatly benefit from this material. Great job, thanks for the info!

[@ILoveNeeps]

I've used some Forefront F43 TOUGH PP (black) myself and was super impressed by it's layer adhesion and surface finish, when printed in 0.1mm layer height it's almost as if it's injection moulded. The nice thing about the F43 is that it can be printed at 200C so there's less warping. Also the layer adhesion is really annoying when it comes to supports on large objects/curved surfaces, the supports are borderline impossible to remove. I used it to create some velocity stacks for inside of a motorcycles airbox as it's properties were ideal for the application (They were designed to snap fit into the airbox + good chemical/temperature resistance).

[@nigelt6319]

What bed temp did you use? The manufacturer recommends 110C for the first layer and 30C for the second and subsequent layers. Don't know how I could achieve that.

[@ILoveNeeps]

I used the 110C initial layer and I think 40C subsequent layers. I managed it with an Ender 3, it took about 20 mins to heat up and I was using a polythene sheet as an enclosure. If your printer is struggling you could try covering the bed with a sheet of cardboard until it reaches temperature.

[@CNCKitchen]

If you use packing tape on your bed 50 or 60C is okay, even for the first layer.

[@nigelt6319]

Thanks - I'll give top insulation a go. I'll also add a significant brim as the corners were lifting. What I didn't understand was the logic behind lowering the temperature after the first layer as, because of the thermal mass of the bed, the temperature is still going to be well above 30C when the second layer prints.

[@sirkooshiar]

very comprehensive and honest. this video answered all of my questions about pp filament. thank you.

[@C3DPropShop]

That's an awesome material! Can't wait until it's more widely available!

[@cornbreadloverrr]

*OH MY GOD I THOUGH THE THUMBNAIL WAS SOMEONE DRINKING FROM A MENSTRUAL CUP*

[@3dgussner958]

Thanks...looks like a good alternative to flex

[@ivanmitiunov4848]

your channel the best!!

[@karlvella7627]

in my factory from Pp we do yarn. it is a very good material first of all... also the good thing that if you want to make the filament by your self, it is the very basic material to begin work with it.. thanks Karl

[@Harad_nur]

For prints repair or welding i use ts-100 soldering iron - small, usefull, good temperature control. You can try it, or some others soldering irons, that has screen and temp.control.

[@minitos1]

Amazing filament, I wish more brands were available..

[@AJWyman1]

Awesome video! thank for the info never thought about PP but looks like a great option for scale RC parts... bumpers, cages and such!

[@devluz]

I was surprised you got this thing waterproof. Would be great if you could make a video about making things waterproof in general. Great video btw!

[@thomasmroz]

Thanks for another great video, Stefan.

[@reachingout9285]

I print with a .3mm size nozzle on a creality ender 3 at 235C, with a bed at 90C, I have gotten long parts around 20mm tall 50mm long and 25mm wide to be "perfectly" flat with that heat level on the bed, also a brim helps alot, I have to increase flow for that though as the layers separate a little, I find that a flow of 108-110% was good for all layers however if applying a brim upping to 120% for the first layer was necessary and I've played around with extrusion width a little too but have found it to be overkill. Also keeping the silicon sock may help a little. All other settings like 30mm/s for print speed and whatever CNC Kitchen does is what I do as well.

[@dale22x]

Even 5 year old videos coming in handy, designing a naked GoPro hero case for FPV. This looks like the perfect material. Looks like itll save weight and give the toughness I want with you. Only thing I wish you'd include in your tests is printing with supports. Printing TPU supports can sometimes be a nightmare

[@user-noonetakethisname]

Warping is actually due to high temp since high temp will make the polymer chain move easier and get rearranged, but high temp also can give you good adhesions. there is always a balance between the good adhesion and more "freeze" polymer chain (lower than the Temp of crystallization).

[@horus3577]

I have a problem with big PETG parts warping. I tried different filament manufacturers, adhesive I'm using is good for petg (PVP on glass), and bed temperature is reduced to 60° which is significantly lower than recommended for PETG 75-80°. Actual bed temperature is also a bit lower. But big parts are still warping. What am i doing wrong?

[@user-noonetakethisname]

@@horus3577 how big is the part and how is the chamber temp control

[@danielkrah5129]

Yes Stefan glue is better remove able when hot. As an example: I change the pei sheet on my mk42 heatbeds when they are heated to 110°C. Then normally 99% of the M3 adhesive sticks to the pei sheet and not on the bed. A litte alcohol to clean it and then you are ready to go :D

[@flamepygmy]

Old video, but I came here because I recently discovered this material when searching for light weight filaments. In my hobby (FPV quadcopters) I keep my quads all under 250g, so weight is essential. The current build that I am doing right now will be super tight so trying to shave all the weight from the 3D printed parts (mainly antenna mounts, camera mounts and such). Ordered FormFutura's Pegasus PP Lightweight, which is supposed to have only 0.75g/cc. If I don't have to 'bulk up' the designs a lot, then the savings should be substantial vs. PLA and TPU that I'm using currently.

[@mundhiral-kiyumi8300]

Is this filament food safe for building a hydroponic towers?

[@skaltura]

Interesting! I would want to try to make parts for molding from these, as "investment" parts. ie print hollow, fill with lightweight PU foam and then fiberglass over.

[@EspenLodden]

If you wanted to remove the fiberglass from the inside mold it might come in very handy that it doesn't adhere well to other materials.

[@Djchrisman1]

Love the information presented here! Also, that finger poke definitely made me lol :)

[@asgkllngfxxhkkvxdhkkbhjllnvcg]

Now i want to try it... thanks for making me spend quite a lot of money😁

[@Chazahc18]

you wanna try the pp

[@dariussteele3843]

With the rise of new printers and technologies, I really wish you could revisit some of these more challenging filaments. Printing PP on an X1C for example. Great video as always.

[@luckybenni3914]

Germany based Renkforce has also PP filament in its portfolio at 21 EUR per 750 gramms.

[@НикитаВолков-з1н]

By the way you can remove packing tape glue with isopropyl alcohol - it won't damage your ultrabase coating.

[@treymurff]

This may have already been said. I would not apply the tape directly to the heated bed. I would apply it to a spring steel sheet like the standard PEI or Textured sheet that comes with the Prusa. This would make cleaning up the glue residue much easier.

[@avejst]

Nice test 😀👍 Thanks for sharing 👍😀

[@Celcius1]

We have developed our own Poly Polypropylene filament that has addressed all the issues raised in this review. Including the bed adhesion

[@JulianBG]

@CNC Kitchen Stephan I don't see another video for PP in the last three years. All of the water pipes in home are made from polypropylene as it is a popular material. So, using this material for pipe fittings could be an interesting use case. From 3D print testing point of view - It would be awesome to see pressure testing, i.e. if you print a pipe and do air/water pressure test. How much PSI will sustain? Is it possible to print a pipe fitting and put it a water pipe system and last?

[@JulianBG]

Sometimes you just need a custom, low pressure adapter, to connect two pipes or siphon with different diameters. I see the test equipment for pipe testing is called "Pressure Test Pump"

[@ThallesNinja]

Great video! I have a question though: I've been working with my boyfriend's white PP, but sadly it seems to go soft and malleable after just a little bit of use. I heard good things about black PP, and while it may be harder to work with and lasts longer, it tends to be too large for the nozzle to let it pass through. If I continue to use black PP, is there a chance it might permanently enlarge and ruin the nozzle opening?

[@markinipannini]

😂

[@Chazahc18]

PP

[@alohathaxted]

Do you work for the BBC?

[@ThallesNinja]

@@alohathaxted I don't, but BBC is by far my favorite! They just have that quality, thick amount of entertainment you can't find anywhere else!

[@Anonymouspock]

The issue I see with this is what to use it for. Hinges which are really robust can be made using filament as the pin, so living hinges, while fun, aren't super required. Any ideas for applications of this stuff?

[@ConnorEtch]

I'd say food grade stuff, PP is a great material for food. Can make boxes, bowls, cups etc and can be made really rigid to stop the flexing and bending. Never really seen it used in 3d printing, and I work with injection moulding which is an extremely fast way to make things and comes out almost perfect each time with the right amount of cooling and temperation of the material.

[@nerd1000ify]

@@ConnorEtch It also has great chemical resistance and can withstand being autoclaved, which makes it good for lab equipment.

[@jimvas2367]

1:20 LOVE YOUUUUU!!!!!!!!!

[@dargindarginec9561]

Привет. Как вам удалось напечатать такие тонкие детали из PP без камеры нагрева? Я хоть грел камеру 50-60 градусов цельсиях, но не удается печатать с этим пластиком. Спасибо.

[@masheen_]

What if you lay painters tape on the bed then put packing tape over that? No clean up?

[@ronalddhs3726]

Great video as usual. I wonder why there not more sellers of this; price wise raw pp is not more expensive than PLA (maybe, turning it into good filament is challenging?); I will try it. Vielen dank.

[@ThallesNinja]

You can get raw pp quite cheap if you know which bars to look for.

[@TheLandbo]

Tnx for the video. I may have to try that materiale next time I lack some semi-soft material. There is definitely a reason why PP is used for ropes. ;-)

[@KarelSchmiedberger]

I believe another "secret" advantage is resistance to cold temperatures, as all plastic boxes for low temperature (-40°C to -80°C) storage is made from PP. Only boxes for ultra low temp (-80°C and below) is made from PC. Next video about PC Max please :)

[@TheLaXandro]

I've seen people print PP on a thin PETG raft. They stick together just well enough for PP to hold onto.

[@gth042]

Any idea how that PP filament cold works compared to PETG or unmodified PP? It might make good insulators, terminal covers, antifriction inserts, or water nozzle parts. All need the material to not flow to readily. Thank you for your work!

[@9TDF]

You should do a test with Polypropylene as a shell and abs and or petg as the infill/core.

[@brewmanchu1]

I am looking at doing this in the near future. Create an outer shell of PP around the actual shape made with cheaper filament.

[@jamesdavis2027]

the isotropic properties are super interesting!!

[@KarrMcDebt]

I am working on printing a crossbow and I'm wondering what material you would reccomend for the bow limbs? I've been using PETG, which works well at first, but doesn't stand up to repeated flex.

[@projecttraca7430]

Very useful in our projcet work thank you.

[@Vydonis]

it can be used for bent muscle fiber for making say: A classic Terminator Toy Hand. Where you pull on finger loops attached to fake robot fingers to make them curl.

[@conductiveinkalternative918]

Awesome thank you for sharing. I want to try using this filament.

[@drdrace]

Awesome video! How about covering other ubiquitous plastics (thermoplastic codes 1-6), e.g., LDPE, HDPE, etc.?

[@dustanjackie]

What do you think about pp with a glass fiber? Toughness and layer adhesion with higher stiffness perhaps? My experience is with short fiber composites is not good. So may not benefit here either. But curious for your thoughts.

[@gerleimarci]

Can you test HDPE filament? It's the material of bottle caps.

[@Rapu-Santeri]

Most bottle caps are made of polypropylene though.

[@SUPERMAR10312]

You mean milk jugs and their caps

[@justbeingthatguy]

This is a fantastic guide. THANK YOU.

[@vietnguyen2354]

Great video, especially with content you cannot find in many other places if not at all.

[@juliensicot8215]

the form futura centaur pp is a realy good and easy filament. I love it

[@Kollingl]

Very nice, So is that a good filament for long lasting products? does the sun affects the material for day to day use? looks like the perfect filament i was searching for!

[@handy-capoutdoors4063]

Can PP be used as a laminate material 🤔 like printing it as a coating or outer layer with a much stiffer plastic inside? What other plastics does PP adhear to?

[@platin2148]

It’s also used for water pipes as such if a special knee is needed it can be printed i guess?

[@Matthew.Morycinski]

One unique application is custom insulators for radio transmitter antennas. Polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene are the only ones that have reasonably low electrical loss tangent in radio applications - except of course PTFE is even better but not for 3d printing.

[@GoingtoHecq]

Polypropoline can be autoclaved, so even though this cup is impractical for any kitchen to clean, similar devices can be sterilized in medical and scientific contexts. This has potential to be very useful for those purposes when you consider what 3d printing can do. I am also thinking about microfluidics could a 0.1 mm resolution be good enough for that fancy micro chemistry? Also it seems to hold up well against many fuels. Diesel, butane, propane, it's got you covered. Less so with gasoline. I'm thinking of a rocket fuel mixer and if I could 3d print that I'd be very happy. I bet it's layer adhesion and uniform tensile strength will help prevent leaks under pressure, provided that is under only pressure like a sods bottle or that it is held within a much stronger container.

[@davem3048]

Since PP will survive the microwave, you can use it to sterilize your food containers. 1.5 to 2 minutes to disinfect, depending on power of your unit. If you have interchangeable heads on your printer, you can dedicate one head to PP and avoid contamination. TAZ 5.

[@4funrc11]

Hey. Thx. :) Would be good for quick-release / side-release buckles, in a variety of forms. I definitely want some, and hopefully it's available in the USA. Also, getting a 3D pen has been on my list for awhile. ;)

[@magnussorensen2565]

I can think of so many use cases for this in science and chemistry but it would be cool to see if you could use a muli material printer with pp and PLA or carbon insert. This way the stiffnes and perhaps ome of the warping could be midigated.

[@bardenegri21]

Hmmm the bend resistance and layer adhesion looks great for 3d printed shoes like rclifeon made.

[@CNCKitchen]

The thing is that the PP is quite slippery so maybe not the best choice for shoes 😉

[@bardenegri21]

@@CNCKitchen could be a very funny pair of shoes then :))

[@rich1051414]

I think PP has been used for the uppers in 3d printed shoes successfully. You will need urethane for the bottoms though.

[@spiderman5139]

NS Gaming PoRNxNxxcom

[@washingtonrider211]

Does PP have a grippier surface than TPU? In our testing TPU is very hard and slippery so for wheels it’s not a great solution in robotics. At least the 98A prusa stuff isn’t

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Would you say that PP material is the best material to use for a liquid tight container?

[@CNCKitchen]

No, you can make liquid tight containers with most other filaments as well. Vapor smoothed ABS for example might do very well in this regard.

[@_droid]

I've been wanting to use PP since I got a 3D printer. I want to print motorcycle and car parts because that's what the manufacturers (eg. BMW) use. They do however use blends and I'm not sure what is in those blends. My guess is maybe something to add rigidity and/or prevent softening as much with heat. Maybe some UV protection as well.

[@saschathiede]

Great Video! Seems to be the right material for a kind of zip tie or in general to organise cables. I thought you might be able to help me with an issue with my Tevo Tarantula. When I slice objects in Cura with vertical holes I have a serious problem with layer separation. The nozzle prints on one side of the hole and moves to the other side of the hole and prints there without moving down before. So it prints in the air for a few layers which makes the print unusable. Do you have any idea what could cause this behaviour? Please, even in the Facebook group of the Tarantula nobody was able to help me.

[@CNCKitchen]

You Z-axis might me stuck a little. I'd try deactivating z-hop in CURA and loosen the rollers of the z axis a little. If loosening the rollers help, then reactivate z-hop again.

[@neilfpv]

I use TPU for my quadcopter parts. Is PP stronger than TPU? I also have a nylon filament and it's also a little elastic. Is PP stronger than nylon?

[@lajoyalobos2009]

I have some food containers that need new lids, this would probably be a good material to use.

[@manp1039]

from what i understand PP is a food safe plastic? would this plastic filament be safe for things coing in contact with food? what other filaments are food safe?

[@ELValenin]

I really want to try this filament out but as I have a Textured steel sheet on my prusa mk2.5s I am scared of it getting damaged when the tape is applied, do you know if that would be fine?

[@CNCKitchen]

Can't gurantee it but I wouldn't really be afraid. Been using a textured bed for a year and have not seen any damage on it. An alternative would be using Magigoo PP.

[@ELValenin]

@@CNCKitchen okay, it's not like a disaster if it gets damaged, but I just wanted to ask if it's okay to do. Thanks!!

[@ronaldchase4421]

Hey, would you be able to look at ppfg30? Apparently it is suppose to be a fiberglass infused version of pp.

[@jbalatutube]

Do you think it would make a good material for RC planes and quads or is it too flexible ? How do you glue it together ?

[@TheWeeklyVibecheck]

Did you print these in an open print environment or in an enclosed/heated environment? Is the latter necessary to prevent warping on medium sized prints?

[@wivio88]

Awesome video! I have a question tho. Does it warp? I've seen in some places that it needs an enclosure...

[@francisala444]

Do you recommend this machine to print the pp? I am looking for one to prototype with this material. With the printer I have, of five impressions that I make only one goes well.

[@CNCKitchen]

Didn't have any problems with the Prusa printing PP, so yes, I can recommend it.

[@francisala444]

@@CNCKitchen thanks!!

[@mariekesuppers5911]

I tried printing with PP today but everytime I try it forms a blob in the mechanism that pushes the filement down into the extruder. First parts goes well bu withing 10 seconds it ends up stuck. Any idea how I can prevent this?

[@CNCKitchen]

Print slower, get a more constraint extruder, though it also worked on my CR-10 wo a problem.

[@eelcohoogendoorn8044]

Trying out pp for the first time; the packing tape is working a little too well however. No matter how much z-offset I give, or how cold I print the first layer, the tape sticks even better to the print, than the print does to itself. I suppose I just got unlucky with the specific composition of the packing tape I have; but I dont see you having this problem; do you remember which brand that is?

[@cliffordinggs9789]

Thanks for this Video Stefan. Model Aircraft Hinges would be an application.

[@henrykzajac8001]

To remove glue from bed I would recommend first using oil + rough sponge, and after all glue is no longer sticking to bed, then use soap + water to clean oil :)

[@horus3577]

That's a good way to severely damage printing surface

[@technikstudio7504]

Great video as always. Pretty interessting filament. You do a grate job thanks for that. 👍

[@PurchenZuPoden]

Great Review!

[@corpgiroro333]

How well does PP bond to other materials? It would be interesting to see if it could be used for hinges in multimaterial prints.

[@CNCKitchen]

Not at all ;-) You would probably need to interlock the parts in some way.

[@dragnet53]

I got some PP from Formfutura from Ebay. Sad I don't understand the conversion rate of the Euro. Also you can use this material to build RC cars or Drones so that they don't break.

[@tonyhill8300]

Any good for gears ? Is it easier than nylon for them ?

[@jorgeneo560]

it can be a intresting material for rc airplane/drones due the lightweight