3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs TPU soft

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
ABS+ vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSSoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/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 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]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[4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[5]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–30 across brands; SUNLU E-ABS 16, Polymaker ABS Pro 25, YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced 28, Polymaker ABS Max 30[5][9][10]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 availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][11][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[5]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[4][6][12][7]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2]Not documented
Bed temperature°C120 (ABS Max)[2]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][13]Open frame is fine[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[13][14]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[15][16]
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][17]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[13]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[18]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[12][16]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[12][11]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[13]Non-abrasive[19]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[14][20]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[15][16][21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[14]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[16]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[14]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[15]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]Moderate[21]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.51 maximum water absorption (Polymaker ABS Pro)[1]Not documented
Drying temperature & time70 °C for 6 h (ABS Max)[2]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[21]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[21]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[21]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[21]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[21]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[21]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]Not documented
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[4]
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 documented81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[4]
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 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 resistance1–5Moderate — 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][23]Excellent — living hinges viable[16]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[4]
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[4]
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]170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[24]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[18]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[16]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[16]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[18]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[16]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[18]Not biodegradable[16]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[18]Not accepted in household plastic collection[16]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[25][13]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[25]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[25]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[25]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[25][13]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[25][13]Open a window / occasional ventilation[25]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[18]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[16]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[18]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[16]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]No practical vapour smoothing[16]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[26][13]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[16]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[27][3]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[28]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[27][29]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[30]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[28]

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. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 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. SUNLU E-ABS (Easy ABS) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  13. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  23. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  25. 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
  26. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  29. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc