Polypropylene 3D Printing
Get instant online quotes with polypropylene 3D printing. Certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485 and AS9100D.
About Polycarbonate 3D Printing
Polypropylene (PP) is an engineering plastic that has excellent chemical and moisture resistance and can be used for long-term exposure to corrosive environments. After it is printed by multi-nozzle jet polymerization technology, the isotropic mechanical properties are comparable to injection parts, and the product development cycle is greatly shortened. Due to its corrosion and moisture resistance characteristics, polypropylene is widely used in automotive, petrochemical, medical and other fields of pipelines, containers, industrial components, seals, etc., is the ideal corrosion and moisture resistance material choice
3D Printed Polypropylene at a Glance
| Application | Fluid systems, interior vehicle trim, consumer appliances |
| Advantages | Chemically resistant, hydrolysis resistant, biocompatible |
| Disadvantages | Poor UV resistance, resistant to painting |
| Lead Time | 4 days on an expedited timeline. Standard and economical lead times are available at lower costs. |
| Price | $$ |
| Minimum Feature Size | 0.020" (0.508 mm) or greater |
| Tolerances | 0.012” (0.305 mm) is possible for parts up to a size of 4” (101.6 mm). For every inch thereafter, an additional 0.003” (0.0762 mm) is added to the tolerance. |
| Max Part Size | Up to 15” x 11” x 15” (381 mm x 279.4 mm x 381 mm) |
MJF Polypropylene
Polypropylene has excellent chemical resistance and is resistant to most chemical agents, making it ideal for making industrial parts exposed to corrosive environments. However, under the conditions containing halogens, aromatic hydrocarbons and oxidants, certain degradation will occur. HP’s multi-nozzle melting printing technology can achieve rapid prototyping of polypropylene, and the mechanical properties of the printed parts are comparable to those of injection molded parts.
MJF Material Properties
| Tensile Strength (MPa) | Elongation at Break (%) | Elongation at Yield (%) | Heat Deflection Temperature (℃) | Impact Strength Notched (kJ/m2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 20 | 10 | 60 | 3.5 |
Finishes
When using MJF technology to print polypropylene, there are many options for surface post-treatment. Steam smoothing can be performed to smooth the surface with hot steam and improve appearance and mechanical properties. The standard post-treatment is sandblasting to remove the powder, resulting in a smooth grey matte finish. An even black matte finish can also be obtained by dyeing. If you need to personalize the surface, you can also do a custom treatment such as painting, electroplating, or additional sanding to further enhance the surface texture. MJF printed polypropylene surface quality is high, these post-treatment methods can be used alone or in combination, providing users with a high degree of customization.
Cost-saving Design Tips
When printing polypropylene using MJF technology, the design and material selection should be noted:
- High-fidelity functional parts can be printed, but holes need to be set inside the closed body to facilitate the removal of uncured powder.
- If it is used for injection molding prototypes, it is necessary to follow injection molding design guidelines, and it may not be possible to directly injection molding if it is too complicated.