3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs TPU 85A

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guideTPU 85A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore TPU 85A comparisons
ABS+ vs TPU 85A — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSTPU 85AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listings$89.89/kg median; $31.99–$106.05/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reformulated for lower warping and a higher glass transition; Polymaker's ABS Pro and ABS Max reach Tg 114.9 and 126.3 °C against 101 °C for PolyLite ABS[1][2][3]Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A[4][5][6]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792[6][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90[8][9][4]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–30 across brands; SUNLU E-ABS 16, Polymaker ABS Pro 25, YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced 28, Polymaker ABS Max 30[7][10][11]32–106 across brands; Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A 32 at 1 kg, add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A 72, Recreus Filaflex 82A 90 at 500 g, Proto-pasta Clear Flexible TPU 90, 3DXTech 3DXFLEX 85A 96, NinjaTek NinjaFlex 106[12][8][9][13][4]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7]Available from several mainstream brands[8][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[7]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[8][12][4]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound[4][5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2]200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)[6]
Bed temperature°C120 (ABS Max)[2]40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)[6]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][14]Open frame is fine[6]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[14][15]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[16][17]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sUp to 250 mm/s (ABS Pro) and 200 mm/s (ABS Max), equivalent to 20 and 16 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][2][18]1.2–3.2 at the 15–40 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[6]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[14]None[6]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14]Sticks to anything — Recreus states its 82A grade has excellent bed adhesion without a heated bed or additives[5]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[19]High — drying plus tuning needed[20][17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden tube[4][5]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only. NinjaTek calls its 85A grade ideal for direct-drive extruders and Recreus specifies direct-drive printers for 82A; BASF caps print speed at 15–40 mm/s with a nozzle of 0.4 mm or larger[4][5][6]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[14]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[14]Non-abrasive[21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[15][22]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[20][17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[15]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone[17][4]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[15]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[16]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]Moderate — NinjaTek measures 0.22 % in 24 h (ASTM D570) and BASF specifies a 70 °C dry for at least 5 h[4][6]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.51 maximum water absorption (Polymaker ABS Pro)[1]0.22 after 24 h water immersion (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D570) — an immersion figure, not an equilibrium moisture content at 50 % RH[4]
Drying temperature & time70 °C for 6 h (ABS Max)[2]70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)[6]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[20]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; wet TPU prints with poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers[20]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[20]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[20]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638)[4]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]12 (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) — two orders of magnitude below any rigid filament; NinjaTek's 95A Cheetah reaches 26 by the same method[4][23]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX[5][4][6]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Very ductile — bends far before failing[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented29 Shore D / 85 Shore A (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, ISO 7619-1); 85 Shore A (NinjaFlex, ASTM D2240); 82 A nominal for Filaflex[4][6][5]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 115 °C (ABS Pro) and 126 °C (ABS Max) keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][2]Poor — no 85A creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, and softer grades creep more[24]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no S-N curve found; 6.7–7.3 % elongation and 10.5–14.5 kJ/m² notched Charpy, below unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[1][2][25]Excellent — living hinges viable[17]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[4][5]
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]53 — BASF measures 320 % elongation at break in ZX against 600 % in XY[6]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 0.08 g mass loss over 10 000 cycles (NinjaFlex, ASTM D4060); 82 mm³ (BASF, ISO 4649)[4][6]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C106.4 (ABS Pro) and 118.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C114.9 (ABS Pro) and 126.3 (ABS Max), DSC[1][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 116.1 (ABS Pro) and 127.4 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][2]216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC)[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[26]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[19]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[17]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[17]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[19]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[17]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Not biodegradable[17]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[19]Not accepted in household plastic collection[17]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[27][14]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[27]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[27]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[27]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[27][14]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[27][14]Open a window / occasional ventilation[27]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[19]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[17]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[19]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[17]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]No practical vapour smoothing[17]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[28][14]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[17]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[29][3]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[30]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[29][31]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[32]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[30]

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. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  2. Polymaker ABS Max Technical Data Sheet V1.1 (2026-06-01) Polymaker · 2026-06 · tds
  3. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. SUNLU E-ABS (Easy ABS) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  24. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  27. 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
  28. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  31. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc