3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

e-TPU vs PVDF

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

Foaming / expanded TPU (TPU Aero / TPU Air) guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore e-TPU comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
e-TPU vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertyFoaming / expanded TPU (TPU Aero / TPU Air)FLEXPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.05/kg median; $41.99–$85.29/kg across 6 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 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]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[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]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–85; the middle of the market is about 52[6][7][8][9][10][11]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[12]
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[6][7][8][9][10][11][13]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands — colorFabb, Recreus, QIDI, Phaetus, Siraya Tech and FusRock all sell an active-foaming TPU[1][6][7][8][10][11]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[12][14]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, 1 and 3 kg spools[1][6][8][9][11]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[12]
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][9]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[2]
Diameter tolerance± mm0.03 (Siraya Tech and Roamr, 1.75 mm)[4][5]Not documented
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][10]Not documented
Bed temperature°C30–45 (QIDI and Siraya Tech), 35–50 (Roamr) — a hot bed makes the foamed part over-stick[4][5][10]70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine — Roamr states no enclosure is required[1][5]Enclosure required (passive)[2]
Part cooling fan100 % — cooling sets the foamed structure quickly (Siraya Tech and Roamr)[4][5]Not documented
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[15][16][4]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sUp to 12 (Siraya Tech, Flex TPU Air)[8]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[2]
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][10]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; both density and hardness follow nozzle temperature and flow[1]Expert / industrial hardware only[2][3]
Extruder requirementDirect drive; the base material is a 92A TPU[1][17]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely — Roamr states plainly that no hardened nozzle is needed[18][5]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[18]Non-abrasive when unfilled[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedLow — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[14]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[15]Not documented
Other hardware wearNot documentedHydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate[19]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[2]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%1.09 water absorption (QIDI TPU-Aero; the standard is not stated)[10]Not documented
Drying temperature & time70–80 °C for 4–6 h; keep below 15 % RH while printing (Siraya Tech, Roamr and QIDI)[4][5][10]Not documented
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[19][4]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[19]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[14]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[19]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][10]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Young's modulusMPa50 unfoamed and 40 foamed (colorFabb, ISO 527-1A)[1]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
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][10]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa50 unfoamed and 40 foamed flexural modulus (colorFabb, ISO 178)[1]1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[20]
Brittleness1–5Very ductile — bends far before failing[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
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][21]Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[20]
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[22]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[16]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rubbery / highly elastic[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[20]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[20]
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][10]170 melting (ISO 11357)[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[20]
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
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[20]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[20]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[16]Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[2][20]
Chemical resistanceWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[16]Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[2]
Food contactNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[16]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[16]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[16]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[23]Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[3]
Hazardous species emittedNot documentedAbove 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[23]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[3]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedMolten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[16]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[16]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[16]Not documented
Support material pairingPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[16]Not documented
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]The processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[2][3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[24]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[25]
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.[24]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[25][26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[24]None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[25]

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. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  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. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. varioShore TPU Natural — product page colorFabb US · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Siraya Tech Flex TPU Air Black Filament — lightweight foaming flexible, product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Roamr TPU Air HR 80A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. TPU-Aero Lightweight TPU Filament — product page with specification tables QIDI Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. aeFlex TPU-Aero — active foaming low weight TPU, product page Phaetus · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Phaetus aeWorthy TPU-Aero — reseller listing West3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Roamr TPU Air HR 85A Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  22. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  23. 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
  24. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds