3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS vs TPU soft

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

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
PropertyABSABSSoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $11.99–$45.00/kg across 16 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryAcrylonitrile butadiene styrene — a styrenic terpolymer with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]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[3]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (Polymaker PolyLite ABS and ABS Pro) to 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.05[4][1][5][6]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9][10][11]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[12][13][14]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg12–45 across brands; IEMAI 12, SUNLU 12 at a 3 kg minimum, ELEGOO 15 in a 5 kg pack, Polymaker 19, YXPOLYER 20, Bambu Lab 20, Push Plastic 25, 3DXTech 45[7][8][15][16][9][10][11][17]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[12][14][13]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[7][8][15][16]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][18][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1, 5 and 10 kg spools[15][16]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][12][19][13]
Typical applicationsEnclosures, automotive interior parts and tooling that must hold shape above PLA's 55 °C ceiling[1][20]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–270 (Bambu Lab); 245–265 (Polymaker PolyLite)[4][1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab); 90–100 (Polymaker)[4][1]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Polymaker calls a chamber needed at ambient temperature, Bambu Lab requires an enclosed printer and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[1][21]Open frame is fine[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab); off (Polymaker PolyLite)[4][1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue — Bambu Lab lists glue as the way to improve adhesion and prevent warping[21]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[22][23]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[24]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Bambu Lab attributes surface cracking to cooling stress exceeding interlayer adhesion[21]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[21]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[21][1]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[19][23]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[19][18]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[21]Brass fine indefinitely[25]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[21]Non-abrasive[25]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[26][27]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[22][23][28]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[26]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[23]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[26]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[22]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.65 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Polymaker measures 0.51 % maximum uptake for ABS Pro[4][5]Moderate[28]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.65 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 maximum (Polymaker ABS Pro)[4][5]Not documented
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[4][1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[28]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[28]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and surface defects rather than a stated strength delta[28]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[28]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and advises periodic drying in humid climates[28]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[28]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa33 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) to 35 (Polymaker ABS Pro and Max) printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 42 at break[4][5][6][29]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2200 ± 190 (Bambu Lab) to 2330 (Polymaker ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 1950[4][5][29]Not documented
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) to 10.5 (Bambu Lab) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[4][5][6]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3]
Flexural strengthMPa60 (ABS Pro) to 63 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178; Bambu Lab 62 ± 4; 3DXTech quotes 76[4][5][6][29]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1880 ± 110 (Bambu Lab) to 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[4][6]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; PolyLite ABS 18.0 ± 0.9 and Bambu Lab 21.5 ± 2.2[1][5][6][4]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 39.3 ± 3.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179); notched 21.5 ± 2.2[4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) to 29.7 (PolyLite) printed Z, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 28 ± 2[4][1][5]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4][1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-ABS creep test found; Tg of 101–126 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening, unlike PLA[1][5][6]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[30]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no printed-ABS S-N curve found; 10.5 % elongation and 21.5 kJ/m² notched Charpy give far more cyclic tolerance than PLA[4][31]Excellent — living hinges viable[23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Rubbery / highly elastic[3]
Z strength as % of XY%85 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 63 for Polymaker ABS Pro[4][5]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C87 (Bambu Lab) to 118 (Polymaker ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; PolyLite ABS 100[4][1][6]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C84 (Bambu Lab) to 113 (Polymaker ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite ABS 98[4][1][6]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C101 (PolyLite) to 126 (ABS Max), DSC; 105 quoted by 3DXTech[1][6][29]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 104 (PolyLite) to 127 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][6]170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C101 measured on a loaded glass-filled ABS bar (My Tech Fun); unfilled ABS is bounded by its 84–98 °C heat deflection[32][4][1]Not documented
Annealing responseDecomposition above 380 °C (PolyLite ABS, TGA)[1]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86 ± 3 at 0° and 89 ± 3 at 90° raster (printed, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); 82 for a neat large-format bead at 30 °C[33][34]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ABS, though V-0 grades exist[35][4]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[20]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[23]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; poor against strong acids; dissolved by acetone[1]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[23]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[4]Not documented
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[20]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[23]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[20]Not biodegradable[23]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable as resin code 9, but not accepted in household plastic collection[20]Not accepted in household plastic collection[23]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[29]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[36][21]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[36]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[36]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[36]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[36][21]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[36][21]Open a window / occasional ventilation[36]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler; the usual preparation before painting[20]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[23]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[1]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[23]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works — ABS dissolves in acetone[1]No practical vapour smoothing[23]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[37][21]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[23]
Dimensional accuracy & detailWarping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits, not shrinkage of the melt[21]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[38][1]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[39]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[38][40]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[39]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[41]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[39]

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. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Safety Data Sheet SDS20250724B00 — Bambu ABS Bambu Lab · 2025-07 · msds
  3. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  6. Polymaker ABS Max Technical Data Sheet V1.1 (2026-06-01) Polymaker · 2026-06 · tds
  7. ABS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. SUNLU ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. YXPOLYER ABS Squirrel Grey product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  20. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  26. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  30. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  31. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. ABS-GF vs PET-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  33. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  34. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  35. Firewire Flame Retardant ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  36. 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
  37. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  40. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc