PPS (polyphenylene sulfide): density, print temperature and when to choose it
PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) is a crystalline thermoplastic with exceptional chemical resistance: it doesn't dissolve in practically any common solvent at room temperature and retains its properties under prolonged contact with fuel, acids, and oils. Its heat resistance and stiffness are lower than PEEK's, but printing is noticeably more accessible in terms of equipment requirements.
Key properties
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Density | ≈1.35 g/cm³ |
| Nozzle temperature | 300–330°C |
| Bed temperature | 100–130°C |
| Part cooling | minimal or off |
| Shrinkage | high, crystallizes while cooling |
| Enclosure required | yes |
When to use it
- Parts in contact with fuel, oils, and aggressive chemicals — pumps, valves, sealing assemblies.
- Electrical components requiring stable dielectric properties under heat.
- Replacing metal parts in chemical equipment where corrosion resistance matters.
- Prototypes of parts that will be series-produced in PPS by injection molding — the printed version predicts material behavior fairly accurately.
When to pick something else
- You need higher temperature resistance and strength — PEEK or PEKK holds load at higher temperatures.
- You need transparency or impact toughness — PPS is brittle; PPSU is a better fit for those needs.
- Chemical resistance isn't critical and you just need high heat resistance more cheaply — consider PEI (Ultem) or reinforced PC-GF.
Pros and cons
Pros: exceptional chemical resistance to fuel, oils, and most solvents, stable dielectric properties under heat, good dimensional stability after crystallization.
Cons: brittle, handles impact loads poorly; high crystallization shrinkage requires a hot, stable chamber; printing needs specialized equipment with a nozzle above 300°C; a fairly high filament price.
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PPS's crystallization while cooling is a significant source of defects — without a stable hot chamber the part warps or delaminates, and the filament costs noticeably more than base plastics, so each failed print hits the cost harder. Elevated nozzle and bed temperatures mean higher energy use per cycle, and the material's brittleness demands careful post-processing — chipped corners on the print mean either a reprint or a lost part.