3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA12 vs TPU 85A

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

PA12 (Nylon 12) guideTPU 85A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA12 comparisonsMore TPU 85A comparisons
PA12 vs TPU 85A — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA12 (Nylon 12)PATPU 85AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$64.33/kg median; $36.00–$170.67/kg across 3 dated product listings$89.89/kg median; $31.99–$106.05/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 12 — the longest-chain common nylon, with the fewest amide groups per unit mass and so the least moisture uptake[1][2]Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.01 specific gravity (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D792)[6]1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792[5][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 36–171; the middle of the market is about 64[7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90[9][10][3]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg36–171 across brands; IEMAI 3D 36, Fiberlogy 64 at 3DJake, 3DXTech AmideX Nylon 12 171[7][9][8]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[11][9][10][12][3]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7][9]Available from several mainstream brands[9][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[9][7]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[9][11][3]
Typical applicationsDimensionally stable functional parts, ducting and living hinges where PA6 would move too much with humidity[1][13]Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound[3][4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[14]200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)[5]
Bed temperature°C110 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12)[14]40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1]Open frame is fine[5]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[15]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[15][1]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[16][17]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s12 at Extrudr's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[14][18]1.2–3.2 at the 15–40 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[5]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[15][1]Sticks to anything — Recreus states its 82A grade has excellent bed adhesion without a heated bed or additives[4]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]High — drying plus tuning needed[19][17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1]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 for unfilled grades[1]Brass fine indefinitely[14]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[14]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[13][19]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[19][17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[15]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone[17][3]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[15]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[16]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — Polymaker's PA12-CF10 reaches 1.5 % equilibrium against 3.33 % for its PA6-GF25, and Polymaker developed the PA12 grade specifically for lower moisture sensitivity[2][13]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 & time60–80 °C for 8–12 h (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); 100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA)[14][20]70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)[5]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then hard-to-diagnose defects[13]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker states its PA12 grade changes little between wet and dry, unlike its PA6-based materials; the CoPA dry-to-wet reference shows what the PA6-type response looks like[13][20]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; wet TPU prints with poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers[19]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant[19]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[19]
Hydrolysis at melt temperaturePolymaker requires a 100 °C dry for 8 h and storage below 20 % RH; no molecular-weight loss figure is published, and the published wet data is conditioning rather than melt hydrolysis[20][21]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa49.3 at yield and 33.4 at break printed XZ (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[6]26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1510 printed XZ and 1250 ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[6]12 (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) — two orders of magnitude below any rigid filament; NinjaTek's 95A Cheetah reaches 26 by the same method[3][22]
Elongation at break%30 at break printed XZ against 6.5 in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638)[6]650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX[4][3][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²11 at +23 °C and 6.0 at -30 °C (Extrudr DuraPro PA12, ISO 179/1eA); unnotched does not break[14]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod notched 138 J/m printed XZ against 71.0 J/m in ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D256)[6]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa41.8 at yield and 41.2 at break printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D638) — higher than the XZ break figure, because XZ specimens draw and neck first[6]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 — the long-chain polyamides hold load better than PLA but below PC[1]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[23]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable. Stratasys sells FDM Nylon 12 specifically for repetitive-flex parts such as snap-fit clips and press-fit inserts on the strength of its fatigue properties[1][6]Excellent — living hinges viable[17]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[13]Rubbery / highly elastic[3][4]
Z strength as % of XY%85 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638) — one of the least anisotropic unfilled filaments measured[6]53 — 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
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C94.7 printed XY and 91.9 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[6]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C84.3 printed XY and 75.3 in XZ/ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[6]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C34.0 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM D7426 inflection point)[6]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CVicat A 142 (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12, ISO 306)[14]216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC)[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a Vicat softening point of 142 °C (Extrudr DURAPRO PA12); no loaded-bar service figure is published[14]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K84-103 printed (Stratasys FDM Nylon 12, ASTM E831: 84.4 in XY and 85.6 in XZ/ZX over -50 to 10 °C, 89.1 over 10-45 °C, 98.2 over 45-70 °C); Extrudr quotes 100 for DURAPRO PA12 (ISO 11359-2)[14][6]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled grades surveyed[14]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[1]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[17]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[1]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[17]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; the least moisture-sensitive of the common nylons[13]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[1]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[17]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[17]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Not accepted in household plastic collection[17]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[24]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon; total VOC reached nearly 200 µg/min, the highest of the nine filaments tested[24]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[24]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[24]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24]Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[15]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[17]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[15]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[17]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[15]No practical vapour smoothing[17]
Support material pairingPolymaker sells a break-away PolySupport matched to PA12[15]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[17]
Dimensional accuracy & detailHolds dimensions better than PA6 after conditioning — Polymaker singles its PA12 grade out on exactly this point[13]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[25][26]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[27]
Softened or crazed byNot resistant to 10 % formic acid, phenol, chloroform or dichloromethane (Ensinger); zinc chloride stress-cracks nylon.[26][25]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 are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[25]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. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  2. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  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. FDM Nylon 12 — Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2021-09 · tds
  7. Nylon PA12 — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D PA12 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  15. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  22. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  23. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  24. 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
  25. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds