3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs TPU 85A

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

HIPS guideTPU 85A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore TPU 85A comparisons
HIPS vs TPU 85A — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSTPU 85AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$89.89/kg median; $31.99–$106.05/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792[5][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90[6][8][3]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[7][6][9]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[10][6][8][11][3]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Available from several mainstream brands[6][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[7][6]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[6][10][3]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound[3][4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[12]200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)[5]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[12]40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[13]Open frame is fine[5]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[12]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[12]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[14][15]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented1.2–3.2 at the 15–40 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[5]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[13]None[5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Sticks to anything — Recreus states its 82A grade has excellent bed adhesion without a heated bed or additives[4]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[12][16]High — drying plus tuning needed[17][15]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[13]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden tube[3][4]
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[3][4][5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Brass fine indefinitely[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[13]Non-abrasive[18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[12][19][2]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[17][15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone[15][3]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[14]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[12]Moderate — NinjaTek measures 0.22 % in 24 h (ASTM D570) and BASF specifies a 70 °C dry for at least 5 h[3][5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.22 after 24 h water immersion (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D570) — an immersion figure, not an equilibrium moisture content at 50 % RH[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)[5]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[17]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[17]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[17]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; wet TPU prints with poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers[17]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[17]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[17]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]12 (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) — two orders of magnitude below any rigid filament; NinjaTek's 95A Cheetah reaches 26 by the same method[3][20]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX[4][3][5]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
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[3][5][4]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][12]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[21]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Excellent — living hinges viable[15]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[3][4]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented53 — BASF measures 320 % elongation at break in ZX against 600 % in XY[5]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 0.08 g mass loss over 10 000 cycles (NinjaFlex, ASTM D4060); 82 mm³ (BASF, ISO 4649)[3][5]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC)[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[22]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[15]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[15]
Food contactNot food safe[22]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[15]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[22]Not biodegradable[15]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[22]Not accepted in household plastic collection[15]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[23]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[23]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[23]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10⁹ median for the HIPS filament tested, an order of magnitude below ABS but forty times PLA[23]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[23]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[23]Open a window / occasional ventilation[23]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[22]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[15]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[12][2]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[15]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][12]No practical vapour smoothing[15]
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[15]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[24][25][26]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[27]
Softened or crazed byLimonene also disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades, so an ABS model can flake apart in the same bath.[28]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[27]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[24][28]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[27]

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. 3DXMAX HIPS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. 3DXMAX HIPS — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  21. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  22. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  25. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  27. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  28. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc