3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PAHT-CF vs TPU 85A

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

High-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF) guideTPU 85A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PAHT-CF comparisonsMore TPU 85A comparisons
PAHT-CF vs TPU 85A — documented properties and sources
PropertyHigh-temperature CF nylon (PAHT-CF)PATPU 85AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$59.98/kg median; $49.99–$69.98/kg across 2 dated product listings$89.89/kg median; $31.99–$106.05/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-temperature carbon-fibre nylon. Bambu Lab's PAHT-CF and Polymaker's PA612-CF15 both use a long-chain polyamide matrix for lower moisture uptake than PA6[1][2]Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A[3][4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.03 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 1.06 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[1][2]1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792[5][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 60[1][6]1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90[7][8][3]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50–70 across brands; Bambu Lab 50, Polymaker Fiberon PA612-CF15 70[1][6]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][7][8][10][3]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[1][6]Available from several mainstream brands[7][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[6][1]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[7][9][3]
Typical applicationsUnder-bonnet and near-motor parts needing 170 °C-plus heat deflection with less humidity drift than PA6[1][2]Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound[3][4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C260–290 (Bambu Lab)[1]200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)[5]
Bed temperature°CNot documented40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)[5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1]Open frame is fine[5]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet with a glue stick, or a dedicated adhesive such as Magigoo[11][12]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[13][14]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s8 at Bambu Lab's 100 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][15]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[11]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[12]High — drying plus tuning needed[16][14]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[1][16]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden tube[3][4]
Extruder requirement0.6 mm nozzle recommended by Bambu Lab; 0.4 and 0.8 also supported[1]Direct 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 required1–4Hardened steel required — Polymaker measures brass nozzle life at about 9 h on PA612-CF15 and recommends hardened steel or ruby[2]Brass fine indefinitely[17]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite; Polymaker puts brass nozzle life at roughly 9 h on PA612-CF15[2]Non-abrasive[17]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[16]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[16][14]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[11]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone[14][3]
Hotend requirementMay require an all-metal hot end (Simplify3D)[11]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[13]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High (0.8–2 %) — 0.88 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH for Bambu Lab PAHT-CF, a third of its PA6-CF; Polymaker's PA612-CF15 reaches 2.2 % equilibrium[1][2][18]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%0.88 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab PAHT-CF); 2.2 equilibrium (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[1][2]0.22 after 24 h water immersion (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D570) — an immersion figure, not an equilibrium moisture content at 50 % RH[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8–12 h (Bambu Lab)[1]70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)[5]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker publishes dry and wet printed blocks for PA612-CF15 itself: at 2.57 % moisture tensile falls only 91.9 → 83.1 MPa and modulus 5137 → 3991 MPa — the PA612 backbone absorbs far less than PA6[2][19]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[20][21]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa92 ± 7 (Bambu Lab) and 91.9 ± 2.0 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry/annealed) printed XY, ISO 527; the Polymaker grade only falls to 83.1 ± 2.2 conditioned to 2.57 % moisture[1][2]26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638)[3]
Young's modulusMPa3860 ± 230 (Bambu Lab) and 5137 ± 192 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 3991 ± 137 conditioned[1][2]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%2.6 ± 0.2 dry (Polymaker PA612-CF15) to 8.4 ± 1.8 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Polymaker 4.1 ± 0.3 conditioned[1][2]650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX[4][3][5]
Flexural modulusMPa4230 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.1 ± 0.8 printed XY dry and 7.7 ± 0.5 conditioned, ISO 179 notched (Polymaker PA612-CF15)[2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 57.5 ± 3.4 and notched 22.8 ± 1.8 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa47 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 48.3 ± 3.9 (Polymaker PA612-CF15, dry) printed Z, ISO 527; Polymaker 35.6 ± 3.0 conditioned[1][2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell M88 / R117 on extruded PA66-GF30 stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre long-chain nylon 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[3][5][4]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good. Ensinger rates its PA66-CF30 compound for sustained static and dynamic load with 110 °C continuous service; the long-chain PA612 matrix takes up 0.88 % at saturation, a third of the same maker's PA6-CF, so it holds dimension better[24][2]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[25]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. Ensinger states carbon-filled PA66 compounds have improved fatigue strength in tension, flexure and compression[24]Excellent — living hinges viable[14]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[3][4]
Z strength as % of XY%51 (Bambu Lab) to 53 (Polymaker PA612-CF15), printed[1][2]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°C175 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 194 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C114 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 170 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C70 (Bambu Lab, DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C210 (Polymaker PA612-CF15) and 225 (Bambu Lab) melting, DSC; Vicat 206 (Polymaker)[1][2]216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC)[3]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[20]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[14]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, fuels and alkalis[12]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[14]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Absorbs water, properties shift — less than PA6 but more than PA12[19][1]Not documented
Food contactNot food-contact certified as filament[12]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[14]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]Not biodegradable[14]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[12]Not accepted in household plastic collection[14]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Polymaker PA612-CF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[26]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[26]
VOC emission rateµg/minUp to 180 caprolactam, the dominant VOC from nylon and the largest single-VOC rate in the study[26]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈2 × 10⁸ median for nylon — low for particles despite the highest VOC mass measured[26]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedCaprolactam, at up to 180 µg/min from nylon filament[26]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[26]Open a window / occasional ventilation[26]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[20]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — gums rather than powders[11]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[14]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds polyamide[11]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[14]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[11]No practical vapour smoothing[14]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[14]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inFormic acid, phenol, m-cresol and hexafluoroisopropanol dissolve the matrix at 23 °C, leaving the fibre; laboratory reagents.[27]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[28]
Softened or crazed byZinc chloride solutions stress-crack the nylon matrix, alcoholic calcium chloride dissolves it, mineral acids attack it.[27]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — nylon's only solvents (formic acid, phenol, HFIP) degrade the part, and the fibre blocks surface flow anyway.[27]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[28]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PAHT-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 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. Nylon — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. PA (Nylon) — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  18. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Moisture Conditioning — effect on printed nylon properties Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Fiberon PA6-CF20 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. TECACOMP PA66 CF30 black — injection-moulding compound Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  26. 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
  27. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds