3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-ESD vs TPU soft

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

ESD-safe ABS guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-ESD comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
ABS-ESD vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe ABSABSSoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$102.50/kg median; $47.00–$166.67/kg across 4 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS compounded with a conductive carbon filler for static-dissipative parts[1]Very soft thermoplastic elastomers below 85 Shore A. Fiberlogy's FiberFlex 30D measures 81 Shore A, the softest grade with a published datasheet found here[2]
Densityg/cm³1.09 (ISO 1183)[1]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 47–167; the middle of the market is about 103[3][4][5]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg47–167 across brands; IEMAI 47, YXPOLYER 65, 3DXTech 140 at 750 g pricing; the EMI-shielding ABS grade runs 167[3][4][5]110–122 at 1 kg-equivalent; Recreus 70A 110 and 60A 116 at 500 g, NinjaTek Edge 83A 112, NinjaTek Chinchilla 75A 122; the Recreus 3 kg spools fall to 70–73[6][8][7]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][9][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[3]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[2][6][10][7]
Typical applicationsElectronics handling fixtures, trays and jigs used around static-sensitive parts[1]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[2]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[11]Open frame is fine[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[11][12]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[13][14]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[11]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[15]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[11]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[10][14]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[10][9]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[16]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Non-abrasive[16]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-ABS, only an 80 °C pre-dry[17]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; below 85 Shore A the filament buckles and compresses, and Simplify3D warns that raised feed rates most likely end in a jam[13][14][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[14]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[13]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the ABS matrix takes up 0.51–0.65 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 80 °C, 4 h pre-dry[19][20][17]Moderate[18]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[18]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[18]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa58 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — the conductive filler raises strength above the unfilled grade's 42[1][21]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[2]
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2275 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[2]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1]Poor — no creep test at this hardness; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break 4 %, well below unfilled ABS[1][21]Excellent — living hinges viable[14]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[2]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[2]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[14]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[23]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[14]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[15]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[14]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]Not biodegradable[14]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[15]Not accepted in household plastic collection[14]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ABS[1][21]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[24][11]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[24]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[24]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[24]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene dominates. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea[24][11]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[24][11]Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]
Dust & fibre handling hazardConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[15]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[14]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[15]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[14]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[14]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[25][11]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[14]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[26][23]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[27]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[26][28]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[29]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[27]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. 3DXSTAT ESD-ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  3. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. IEMAI ESD-ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. YXPOLYER ABS ESD product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  11. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  17. 3DXSTAT ESD-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  21. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  22. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  23. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  24. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  25. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  28. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc