3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12-GF vs TPU 85A

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

Glass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF) guideTPU 85A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12-GF comparisonsMore TPU 85A comparisons
PA12-GF vs TPU 85A — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PA12 (PA12-GF)PATPU 85AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$130.67/kg median; $46.00–$140.18/kg across 3 dated product listings$89.89/kg median; $31.99–$106.05/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPA12 reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 30 wt%[1]Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A[2][3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.23 (ISO 1183)[1]1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792[4][2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 46–140; the middle of the market is about 88[5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90[5][8][2]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg46–140 across brands; IEMAI 3D 46, 3DXTech 131 at 750 g and 130 at 2 kg, PrimaCreator NylonPower Glass Fiber 140 at 500 g[5][6][7]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[9][5][8][10][2]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[5][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 2 kg spools[5][7]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[5][9][2]
Typical applicationsStiff, humidity-stable structural parts — the glass gives the modulus, the PA12 matrix limits the moisture drift[1][11]Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound[2][3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)[4]
Bed temperature°CNot documented40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[12]Open frame is fine[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[13][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[4]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Sticks to anything — Recreus states its 82A grade has excellent bed adhesion without a heated bed or additives[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[12]High — drying plus tuning needed[16][15]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[12]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden tube[2][3]
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[2][3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — no nozzle-life figure is published for a PA12-GF30 grade; Polymaker measures about 9 h of brass nozzle life on its comparable fibre-filled nylons[17]Brass fine indefinitely[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[17]Non-abrasive[18]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[16]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[16][15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[13]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone[15][2]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[13]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[14]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — the PA12 matrix takes up far less than PA6, on the evidence of Polymaker's 1.5 % for PA12-CF10 against 3.33 % for PA6-GF25[19][20]Moderate — NinjaTek measures 0.22 % in 24 h (ASTM D570) and BASF specifies a 70 °C dry for at least 5 h[2][4]
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[2]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)[4]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker's PA12 grades change little between wet and dry, unlike PA6; the CoPA dry-to-wet blocks show the PA6-type response[11][21]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; wet TPU prints with poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers[16]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[16]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[16]
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker specifies an 80–100 °C dry and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the wet data it does publish is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[17][21]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa82 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638)[2]
Young's modulusMPa7800 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]12 (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) — two orders of magnitude below any rigid filament; NinjaTek's 95A Cheetah reaches 26 by the same method[2][22]
Elongation at break%4.5 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — nearly double the 2.4 % of Polymaker's PA6-GF25[1][20]650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX[3][2][4]
Flexural strengthMPa94 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa7550 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a glass-fibre PA12 filament[23]29 Shore D / 85 Shore A (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, ISO 7619-1); 85 Shore A (NinjaFlex, ASTM D2240); 82 A nominal for Filaflex[2][4][3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance for extruded PA66-GF30 stock, and the PA12 matrix absorbs far less water than PA6, so a PA12-GF part holds load better in a humid environment[23][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[24]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger lists high fatigue strength as a headline property of extruded PA66-GF30 stock[23]Excellent — living hinges viable[15]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[2][3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented53 — BASF measures 320 % elongation at break in ZX against 600 % in XY[4]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 0.08 g mass loss over 10 000 cycles (NinjaFlex, ASTM D4060); 82 mm³ (BASF, ISO 4649)[2][4]
Thermal Properties
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC)[2]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K48.6 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D696; source states 2.7e-5 in/in/°F) — no figure is published for a glass-fibre PA12 filament[23]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[17]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows under UV[12]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[15]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[15]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption relative to PA6-based composites[11]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[12]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[15]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]Not biodegradable[15]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[12]Not accepted in household plastic collection[15]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[25]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[25]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[25]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[25]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[25]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[25]Open a window / occasional ventilation[25]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[13]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[15]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[13]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[15]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[13]No practical vapour smoothing[15]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[15]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[26]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[27]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[26]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 agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[26]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. FibreX PA12-GF30 Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. IEMAI 3D GF-PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PrimaCreator SELECT NylonPower Glass Fiber product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 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. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Fiberon PA6-CF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  18. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  19. Fiberon PA12-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-02 · tds
  20. Fiberon PA6-GF25 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  21. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECAMID 66 GF30 black (PA66-GF30) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  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. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds