3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PA6 vs TPU 95A

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

PA6 (Nylon 6) guideTPU 95A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PA6 comparisonsMore TPU 95A comparisons
PA6 vs TPU 95A — documented properties and sources
PropertyPA6 (Nylon 6)PATPU 95AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$104.00/kg median; $38.99–$136.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyamide 6, ring-opened from caprolactam — the most hygroscopic of the common nylons[1][2]Thermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.06 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[3][4][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 39–136; the middle of the market is about 104, though budget unfilled PA6 has now arrived at 39[7][8]1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[9][10][6][11][12][13]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg39–136 across brands; YXPOLYER 39, 3DXTech iOn Nylon 6 Alloy 104, WearX Nylon 6 136. Unfilled PA6 filament stays rare — most PA6 reaches the market glass- or carbon-filled[7][8]23–106 across brands; IEMAI 3D 23, LANDU 24, Siraya Tech 25, PS Imports 25, PrimaCreator 32, Bambu Lab 35–42, Polymaker 40–50, add:north 72, Recreus 90, 3DXTech 96, NinjaTek Cheetah 106[10][14][9][7][11][12][15][16][17][13]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[9][7][10][14][11][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[9][7]
Typical applicationsWear parts, bushings and gears where PA6's toughness and abrasion resistance matter more than dimensional stability[1]Gaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[18]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C220–260 (Polymaker); 225–265 (Simplify3D)[1][19]210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[3][4][6]
Bed temperature°C70–100 (Polymaker); 70–90 (Simplify3D)[1][19]25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[4][6][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[20][1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required (Simplify3D)[19]Fan on[3][6]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[19][1]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[21][18]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented2.4 at Polymaker's 30–50 mm/s and 2.4 at Prusa's 30 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's high-flow grade lifts the cap to 200 mm/s (16 mm³/s)[3][4][6]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[19][1]Sticks to most surfaces[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; the filament must be kept dry throughout the print[1][22]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[3][4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive strongly preferred. BASF rates its 95A grade as running on both direct-drive and Bowden machines, but every maker caps speed at 15–50 mm/s unless the grade is specifically high-flow[23][3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1]Brass fine indefinitely[24]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive when unfilled[1]Non-abrasive[24]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet nylon pops and cracks in the melt[25][22]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[19]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[18]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[19]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[21]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker groups nylon with PVA as the most moisture-prone class, and its own PA6-based composites reach 2.35–3.33 % equilibrium[22][26]Low (0.1–0.3 %) by Prusa's measurement at 0.04 % in 7 days, but Polymaker measures 0.82 % equilibrium and groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials[4][3][22]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[3][4]
Drying temperature & time100 °C for 8 h (Polymaker CoPA); storage below 20 % RH[20][27]70 °C for 8 h (Polymaker); 70 °C for 8 h or an 80–90 °C heatbed for 12 h (Bambu Lab)[3][6]
Symptoms when wetPopping and cracking during extrusion, then defects that Polymaker describes as very hard to diagnose[25]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[22]
Effect of moisture on strengthMeasured dry against wet on printed specimens at 6.16 % moisture (Polymaker CoPA): tensile 78.0 → 34.3 MPa, Young's modulus 2703 → 724 MPa, flexural strength 109.8 → 22.6 MPa, while notched Charpy rises 6.9 → 27.7 kJ/m² and elongation 12.7 → 13.2 %[20][25]Polymaker groups TPU with nylon, PVA and PETG as highly hygroscopic and says these often need to stay in a dryer while printing; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[22]
Storage requirementSealed below 20 % RH with desiccant; Polymaker says nylon often needs to stay in a dryer while printing[27][22]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[22]
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][27]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa62 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned to 20 °C / 50 % RH gives 67.6 ultimate and 49.3 at yield printed XZ (ASTM D638)[5][28]41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[4][29]
Young's modulusMPa2110 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2232 printed XZ and 1817 ZX (ASTM D638)[5][28]Not documented
Elongation at break%9 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 38 printed XZ against 3.2 in ZX (ASTM D638)[5][28]551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa78 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 97.2 printed XZ and 82 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][28]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2200 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy); Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned gives 2196 printed XZ and 1879 ZX (ASTM D790)[5][28]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod notched 106 J/m printed XZ against 43 J/m in ZX; unnotched 2873 against 192 J/m (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D256 Method A) — a 15x anisotropy unnotched[28]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa36.5 ultimate and 28.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH, ASTM D638)[28]9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 86 and Rockwell 85 (108) — the source does not name the scales on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D2240, D785); no figure is published for a PA6 filament[30]92 ± 0.4 Shore A and 39 ± 0.7 Shore D (Prusament); 95A (Polymaker, ISO 7619-1); 91 Shore A / 40 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 40D, ISO 7619); 95A (NinjaTek Cheetah, ASTM D2240); 94.5 A measured on a printed Bambu Lab 95A part and 96.2 A on a Qidi one (My Tech Fun)[4][3][31][29][32]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate[1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[32]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[1]Excellent — living hinges viable[18]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Semi-flexible[25]Rubbery / highly elastic[3][4]
Z strength as % of XY%54 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6 conditioned, ZX against XZ ultimate tensile, ASTM D638); 59 on the yield figures[28]Not documented
Wear resistance & friction3DXTech sells a dedicated wear-resistant PA6 grade; abrasion resistance is the usual reason to choose PA6 over PA12[7]Abrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[23]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C93 (Stratasys FDM Nylon 6, conditioned, ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[28]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC, 3DXTech iOn PA6 alloy)[5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[23][6]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[23][6]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K81.0 on extruded unfilled PA66 stock (ASTM D696; source states 4.5e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a PA6 filament, and PA6 and PA66 expand almost identically[30]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the unfilled filament grades surveyed[5]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — unstabilised polyamide yellows and chalks under UV[1]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[18]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis — the usual reason to choose a polyamide[1]Good resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[23]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — a conditioned part is measurably softer and larger than the same part dry[25][20]Not documented
Food contactPolymaker notes medical-grade variants exist, but standard filament is not food-contact certified[1]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[18]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[18]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[1]Not accepted in household plastic collection[18]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[2]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[2]
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[2]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median — low for ultrafine particles despite the highest VOC mass of any filament tested[2]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament — the largest single-VOC emission rate measured in the study[2]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[2]Open a window / occasional ventilation[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the toughness makes it gum rather than powder[19]Sanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[18]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[19]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[18]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[19]No practical vapour smoothing[18]
Support material pairingPVA dissolves cleanly against nylon; Polymaker sells a break-away PolySupport for PA12[19]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[18]
Dimensional accuracy & detailParts grow as they absorb moisture after printing; Polymaker declines to publish a standard dimensional allowance because it depends on geometry and infill[25]Stringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDissolved at 23 °C by formic acid above ~50 %, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — laboratory reagents.[33]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[34]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack it — 10 % marginal, 37 % not resistant; alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it.[33]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[34]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[33]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[34]

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. 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
  3. PolyFlex TPU95 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament TPU 95A Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2025-05 · tds
  5. iOn PA6-based Nylon Alloy Technical Data Sheet v2.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER PA6 Black 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. TPU for AMS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 95A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. PrimaCreator EasyPrint FLEX TPU 95A product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. add:north TPU Pro Matte 95A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PolyMide CoPA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 (dry and wet status blocks) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Ultrafuse TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet (Version 2.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  24. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  25. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Fiberon PA612-CF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2024-12 · tds
  27. PolyMide CoPA — Technical Data Sheet page Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  28. FDM Nylon 6 — data sheet (conditioned 20 °C / 50 % RH) Stratasys · 2017-11 · tds
  29. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  30. TECAMID 66 natural (PA66) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  31. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  32. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  33. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds