3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

e-TPU vs PLA-CF

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

Foaming / expanded TPU (TPU Aero / TPU Air) guideCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore e-TPU comparisonsMore PLA-CF comparisons
e-TPU vs PLA-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyFoaming / expanded TPU (TPU Aero / TPU Air)FLEXCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.05/kg median; $41.99–$85.29/kg across 6 dated product listings$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryFoaming thermoplastic polyurethane — a blowing agent expands the extrudate so the printed Shore hardness can be tuned by flow rate[1]PLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.15 filament (Siraya Tech Flex TPU Air) and 1.05 (Roamr TPU Air HR), ISO 1183; the printed part falls to 0.51–0.93 depending on nozzle temperature (ISO 845)[4][5]1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[6][3][7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–85; the middle of the market is about 52[8][9][10][11][12][13]1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[14][15][7][16][17]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg42–85 across brands; QIDI TPU-Aero 42, Siraya Tech Flex TPU Air 45, Phaetus aeFlex TPU-Aero 49 direct and 40 at West3D, Roamr TPU Air HR 80A 55 at 800 g, Recreus Filaflex Foamy 73 at 750 g, colorFabb varioShore 85 at 700 g[8][9][10][11][12][13][18]19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[15][14][7][19][16][20][17]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands — colorFabb, Recreus, QIDI, Phaetus, Siraya Tech and FusRock all sell an active-foaming TPU[1][8][9][10][12][13]Stocked by most mainstream brands[14][15][7][19]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, 1 and 3 kg spools[1][8][10][11][13]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[19][7][21]
Typical applicationsCushioning, midsoles, insoles and soft-touch parts where the softness needs to vary within one print; Siraya Tech's Roamr line is aimed specifically at printed footwear[1][11]Stiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[6][3]
Diameter tolerance± mm0.03 (Siraya Tech and Roamr, 1.75 mm)[4][5]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[14]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–270 (QIDI and Siraya Tech), 220–260 (Roamr); foaming activates near 230 °C and is strongest at the top of the range[1][4][5][12]210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[6][3]
Bed temperature°C30–45 (QIDI and Siraya Tech), 35–50 (Roamr) — a hot bed makes the foamed part over-stick[4][5][12]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[6][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine — Roamr states no enclosure is required[1][5]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fan100 % — cooling sets the foamed structure quickly (Siraya Tech and Roamr)[4][5]Fan on[6][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent, and Siraya Tech recommends PVP glue or Magigoo as a release agent on PEI[22][23][4]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sUp to 12 (Siraya Tech, Flex TPU Air)[10]16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[6][24][3][25]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[6]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Severe — the material expands inside the hot end, so it oozes on travel moves; QIDI states retraction tuning cannot fix it and Siraya Tech advises setting retraction distance and speed to zero[4][12]Slight[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; both density and hardness follow nozzle temperature and flow[1]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[24][3]
Extruder requirementDirect drive; the base material is a 92A TPU[1][26]Nozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[24]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely — Roamr states plainly that no hardened nozzle is needed[27][5]Hardened steel required[24][3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[27]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[24][28]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedModerate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[24]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[22]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[28][24]
Other hardware wearNot documentedBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[24][3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate[29]Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[6][3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%1.09 water absorption (QIDI TPU-Aero; the standard is not stated)[12]0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[6][3]
Drying temperature & time70–80 °C for 4–6 h; keep below 15 % RH while printing (Siraya Tech, Roamr and QIDI)[4][5][12]55 °C for 6–8 h[6][3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; Siraya Tech adds that moisture wrecks the foaming itself, not only the surface[29][4]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[29]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[29]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[29]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaFalls with foaming: colorFabb 24 unfoamed and 12 foamed (ISO 527-1A); Siraya Tech 10.3 at break printed at 240 °C down to 3.8 at 270 °C; QIDI 6.81 at break (ISO 527, XY)[1][4][12]31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[6][3][7]
Young's modulusMPa50 unfoamed and 40 foamed (colorFabb, ISO 527-1A)[1]2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[6][3][7]
Elongation at break%465 unfoamed and 450 foamed (colorFabb, ISO 527-1A); Siraya Tech 629 at 240 °C down to 475 at 270 °C; Roamr 760 down to 540; QIDI 576 (ISO 527, XY)[1][4][5][12]8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[6][3][7]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[6][3]
Flexural modulusMPa50 unfoamed and 40 foamed flexural modulus (colorFabb, ISO 178)[1]3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[6][3][7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[6][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[6]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[6][3]
Brittleness1–5Very ductile — bends far before failing[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[3][6]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellTunable by nozzle temperature: colorFabb 92 Shore A unfoamed; Siraya Tech 78 A printed at 240 °C falling to 63 A at 270 °C, Roamr TPU Air HR 80A 80 A down to 66 A and HR 85A 83 A down to 70 A (ISO 7619)[1][4][5][30]71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[31]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no foamed-grade creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[32]Poor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[33][34][31]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[23]Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[35][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rubbery / highly elastic[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[6][3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[6][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[6][3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented62–63 (DSC)[6][3]
Melting point / Vicat°CVicat softening drops as the foam expands: 83 printed at 240 °C to 53 at 270 °C (Siraya Tech, ISO 306); QIDI 70.4[4][12]162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[6][3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[33][34][31]
Annealing responseFoaming activates near 230 °C and expands the extrudate about 1.6×; colorFabb advises dropping flow to 60–70 % to realise the weight saving, and Siraya Tech publishes a flow schedule from 85–90 % at 230 °C down to 50–55 % at 270 °C[1][4]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[23]Degrades within weeks outdoors[36]
Chemical resistanceWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[23]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Food contactNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[23]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[23]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[23]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[37]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[37]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[37]None needed in a normal room[37]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[23]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[23]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[23]Not documented
Support material pairingPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[23]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[6][3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailFoamed surfaces are matte and textured; holding a consistent hardness means holding the nozzle temperature steady, and the printed density moves by nearly a factor of two across the 230–270 °C window[1][4]Matte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[6][3][38][39]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[40]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[41]
Softened or crazed byToluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; the foamed wall soaks up esters and alcohols faster still.[40]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[41][42]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[40]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[43][42]

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. varioShore TPU Technical Data Sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  3. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Siraya Tech Flex TPU Air Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Roamr TPU Air HR 80A Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  7. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  8. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. varioShore TPU Natural — product page colorFabb US · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Siraya Tech Flex TPU Air Black Filament — lightweight foaming flexible, product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Roamr TPU Air HR 80A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. TPU-Aero Lightweight TPU Filament — product page with specification tables QIDI Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. aeFlex TPU-Aero — active foaming low weight TPU, product page Phaetus · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Phaetus aeWorthy TPU-Aero — reseller listing West3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  28. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Roamr TPU Air HR 85A Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  33. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  36. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  37. 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
  38. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  39. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  41. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  42. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  43. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper