What is PPS filament?
PPS stands for polyphenylene sulfide.
It’s what’s known as a high-performance engineering plastic. That’s a catch-all term for plastics designed to really take a beating: heat, chemicals, and years of wear and tear. In the industry, PPS has been used for decades in pumps, valves, engine compartments, and electrical cabinets. Only in the last few years has it become available as filament for FDM printers.
If you view the world of printing materials as a pyramid, PPS is near the very top. Only PEEK and PEI (also known as ULTEM) go a step further. Below PPS are materials like PC, nylon and ASA. And at the very bottom is PLA, which is where most people start.
One more important thing: you won't really come across pure PPS in practice. What you buy is almost always PPS-CF (with carbon fiber) or PPS-GF (with glass fiber). Pure PPS shrinks so much while cooling that your print would be unusable. Those fibers keep that in check. When we talk about PPS below, we mean those fiber-reinforced versions.
What makes PPS so special?
It can handle extreme heat
This is the main reason people choose PPS. You can run fiber-reinforced PPS continuously at 200 to 220 °C without it getting soft or deforming.
To put that into perspective: PETG starts to deform around 85 °C. ASA around 100 °C. So, PPS easily doubles that. Want to know how all materials compare to each other in terms of heat? You can read that in what is the most heat-resistant filament.
Chemicals don't affect it
This is where it gets really impressive. Below 200 °C, there is no known solvent that affects PPS.
Acids, bases, gasoline, diesel, brake fluid, coolant, oils, industrial cleaners: none of these harm PPS. While ABS literally dissolves in acetone and PETG gets soft after a while in oil, nothing happens to PPS.
It is self-extinguishing if it catches fire
PPS achieves a UL94 V-0 rating. That is the strictest standard for flame retardancy in plastics: if you remove the flame, it stops burning and it doesn't drip either.
The beauty of it is that PPS does this naturally. With other plastics, you have to add flame retardants to achieve this, and those often make the material weaker or more brittle. For parts in electrical cabinets, trains, or airplanes, this is often a strict requirement.
It barely absorbs moisture
PPS absorbs less than 0.05% moisture. That is almost nothing.
Why is that useful? Nylon is the textbook example of the opposite. If you leave a nylon part in a damp room for a few weeks, it soaks up water, expands slightly, and becomes noticeably softer. That's annoying if your part has a tight fit. PPS stays exactly as you printed it.
It is stiff and stays stiff
Thanks to the carbon or glass fiber, PPS is very stiff. And it has good creep resistance. Creep is what happens when you put a plastic part under constant tension for years: it slowly deforms without anything breaking. Think of a plastic bracket that sags after two years. PPS is barely affected by this.
The downside: it is quite brittle. PPS doesn't flex, it snaps. It is not the best choice for parts that need to absorb impacts.
What are the disadvantages of PPS?
Your printer really needs to be up to the task. You need an all-metal hotend that can reach 350 °C (a hotend with a Teflon liner will burn at those temperatures), a bed that goes to 120 °C or higher, a hardened nozzle and a heated print chamber. Most consumer printers don't meet this checklist.
Getting it to stick to the build plate is tricky. PPS really wants to peel away from your print bed. A standard PEI sheet usually isn't enough; you'll often need a specialized plate or a layer of adhesive.
It wears down your nozzle incredibly fast. Carbon and glass fibers act like sandpaper. A brass nozzle will be sanded down to a nub within just a few hours of printing. Hardened steel or ruby isn't a luxury here—it's a necessity.
There’s no color choice. PPS-CF is black. PPS-GF is beige to light gray. That's it.
It’s an expensive filament. Expect to pay many times what you would for PLA or PETG per kilo. Plus, the printing process itself consumes more machine time, energy, and wear and tear.
It doesn't look particularly exciting. The surface is matte and a bit grainy due to the fibers. It’s perfectly functional, but it’s not the kind of material you’d use for a desk ornament.
The best print settings for PPS
A quick heads-up: settings vary by brand and fiber content. Use this as a guideline and always check the datasheet for your specific filament.
Nozzle temperature: 300–345 °C. Start around 320 °C and adjust based on what you see. If you're too low, your layers won't bond well and you'll get under-extrusion (not enough material coming out of the nozzle). If you're too high, the material will degrade and you risk clogs.
Bed temperature: 120–150 °C. With PPS, the rule is: the hotter, the better. Pair it with a good adhesive layer. A PPS plate or garolite works better than a bare PEI sheet. A layer of glue stick on glass also works wonders.
Chamber temperature: 60–90 °C. This isn't optional; it's a requirement. An actively heated print chamber keeps shrinkage under control. If you don't use one, you'll get warping (your print curls and pulls away from the plate) or delamination (your layers separate while the print is still in progress). A passive enclosure — just a box around the printer without heating — won't cut it for larger parts.
Nozzle: 0.4 mm or larger, made of hardened steel or ruby. Many people opt for 0.6 mm because the flow is more stable and you're less likely to get clogs from the fibers.
Cooling: off, or at most 10%. This feels counterintuitive, but with PPS, rapid cooling is actually bad. The material needs to crystallize slowly, otherwise the bond between your layers will be weak. So, just leave that fan off.
Print speed: 30–60 mm/s. Take it easy. Speed won't do you any favors with this material, but better layer adhesion will.
Drying: 4 to 8 hours at 100–120 °C. Yes, even though PPS itself barely absorbs moisture. The fibers and the outer layer of your spool do. So, always print from a dry box. See also: identifying and fixing damp filament.
Infill: 30–60%. You're printing with PPS because the part needs to be able to take a beating. It pays to use a bit more infill than you're used to.
PPS compared to other filaments
PPS vs. PEEK
PEEK is the only material that truly outperforms PPS. It handles continuous use above 250 °C, has better mechanical properties, and is used in medical implants.
However, PEEK prints at 400 °C+ with a chamber temperature around 120 °C. Very few printers can handle that. Plus, the price per kilo is significantly higher than PPS. For most applications where people consider PEEK, PPS is honestly the smarter choice.
PPS vs. PC (polycarbonate)
PC is tougher. It can handle impacts where PPS might break, and you can print it transparently.
But PC dissolves in various solvents, absorbs moisture, and gives up around 130–140 °C. In short: choose PC if your part needs to withstand impacts or needs to be transparent. Choose PPS as soon as chemicals, fuel, or long-term heat are involved.
PPS vs. nylon (PA-CF)
Carbon fiber nylon is strong and tough, and a lot cheaper. But nylon is hygroscopic: it pulls moisture from the air. As a result, a nylon part will change size over time and become less rigid.
Looking for impact resistance? Then nylon wins. Is it about heat, chemicals, or dimensional stability? Then PPS is the better choice. Also check out our comparison nylon vs. ASA.
PPS vs. ASA and PETG
This isn't really a fair comparison, but we understand why the question comes up.
ASA and PETG are great materials for functional parts up to about 85 to 100 °C. And they cost a fraction of what PPS does. As long as your part can handle that, there's no need to look at PPS.
Only when you notice your part isn't holding up due to temperature or chemical exposure does PPS come into the picture. Not before. Not sure which category your project falls into? Use our material selection tool or read how to choose the right filament.
What is PPS used for?
In the engine bay. Brackets, housings, valves, and guides located near the engine. It’s hot there, and the part comes into contact with coolant, oil, and fuel. Exactly what PPS is made for.
In the chemical industry. Pump parts, impellers, sealing rings, and holders that are in constant contact with aggressive liquids all day long. See also: which filament is waterproof.
In control cabinets and electronics. Connector housings and insulators, where flame retardancy and electrical insulation are the deciding factors. Interesting for installation companies.
As a spare part. A machine that’s been running for twenty years, a part that’s no longer available, and an environment that is hot or chemically demanding. Read more about having a spare part made.
As a production aid. Molds, jigs, and fixtures that need to go into the oven, or are used for gluing, painting, or soldering.
Frequently asked questions about PPS
How heat-resistant is PPS?
Fiber-reinforced PPS can be used continuously at 200 to 220 °C. Short spikes up to about 260 °C are usually no problem. It doesn't melt until around 280 °C.
Can I print PPS on my own printer?
Only if your printer has an all-metal hotend that reaches at least 350 °C, a bed that goes to 120 °C or higher, a hardened nozzle, and a heated print chamber. Do you have an open printer or a standard consumer printer? Then it’s very unlikely to work.
Is PPS food-safe?
In the industry, PPS is used in food processing machinery. But that doesn't say anything about your specific roll of filament. Food safety depends on the certification of that exact filament, the nozzle you use to print with, and how porous your print is. So, don't just assume it is.
Is PPS suitable for outdoor use?
It handles the elements just fine, but that’s not why you’d choose it. If your part just needs to be outdoors without any heat or chemical requirements, ASA is cheaper and more than enough. See also: the 3 best 3D printing materials for outdoor use.
How do you glue PPS?
It’s tricky, and that makes sense. With most plastics, you glue by slightly dissolving the surface with a solvent. That doesn't work with PPS because there simply isn't a solvent that can break through it.
What does work: roughening the surface significantly and then using a two-component epoxy. Or even better: opt for a mechanical connection using screws or inserts. More on this in gluing 3D prints together.
Why is PPS so expensive?
Two things. It’s a high-performance plastic with a complex production process, manufactured in much smaller volumes than PLA or PETG. And the printing itself costs more: longer print times, much more energy, and significant wear and tear on printer parts.
Need something printed in PPS?
Are you sure your part requires PPS? Upload your file to our 3D print price calculator and you'll see the cost within a minute. You can simply select PPS as your material.
Still debating between PPS and a cheaper alternative? Use our material selection guide, or request a free printability check . We’ll take a look at no obligation to see if PPS is truly necessary, or if another material would work just as well. That could save you a significant amount of money.
