3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-CF vs TPU soft

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

Carbon-fibre PC (PC-CF) guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-CF comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
PC-CF vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PC (PC-CF)PCSoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$62.58/kg median; $34.99–$117.33/kg across 6 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[1][2]Very soft thermoplastic elastomers below 85 Shore A. Fiberlogy's FiberFlex 30D measures 81 Shore A, the softest grade with a published datasheet found here[3]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Prusament) and 1.36 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[1][2]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 35–117; the middle of the market is about 63[4][5][6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg35–117 across brands; Ambrosia 35, IEMAI 39, YXPOLYER 55, Spectrum PC CF 70, Prusament 94, 3DXTech 117[4][5][6][7][8]110–122 at 1 kg-equivalent; Recreus 70A 110 and 60A 116 at 500 g, NinjaTek Edge 83A 112, NinjaTek Chinchilla 75A 122; the Recreus 3 kg spools fall to 70–73[9][11][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][6][12]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][13][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools[4][6]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][9][14][10]
Typical applicationsStiff high-temperature structural parts — jigs, drone frames and under-bonnet brackets[1][2]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C285 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C110 ± 10 (Prusament)[1]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][15]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanOff — Prusa allows 0–20 % and warns cooling significantly reduces interlayer adhesion[1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[16]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[17][18]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; the fibre reduces warping against unfilled PC[1][15]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16][19]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[19]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[15][1]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[14][18]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[14][13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[15]Brass fine indefinitely[20]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[15]Non-abrasive[20]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and 3DXTech adds a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle, 0.25 mm layers and a 120 °C pre-dry[21][16][22]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; below 85 Shore A the filament buckles and compresses, and Simplify3D warns that raised feed rates most likely end in a jam[17][18][23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[16]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[18]
Hotend requirementAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[16]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry[24][25][21]Moderate[23]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.11 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[19][23]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[23]
Storage requirementAirtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[19]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[23]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa64 ± 3 printed horizontal and 70 ± 3 printed vertical at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 73 at break[1][2]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2600 printed horizontal and 3200 printed vertical, ISO 527-1 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6980[1][2]Not documented
Elongation at break%4.6 at yield printed horizontal (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 2.1 at break[1][2]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3]
Flexural strengthMPa94 ± 3 printed horizontal and 130 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 85[1][2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3500 printed horizontal and 4200 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament); 3DXTech quotes 6540[1][2]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 17 ± 2 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32 ± 5 printed horizontal and 35 ± 4 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa23 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test) — above the 21 ± 2 of unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][25]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell83 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method), against 79 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][25]81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped; short carbon fibre raises the flexural modulus from about 2.1 to 3.5-6.5 GPa, which reduces creep strain further[26][1]Poor — no creep test at this hardness; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good. No fatigue test data was found for a carbon-fibre PC filament; the unfilled polymer is rated Good on the same scale[26]Excellent — living hinges viable[18]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[3]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C114 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Prusament)[1]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C106 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Prusament), against 93 for unfilled Prusament PC Blend[1][25]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C127 (3DXTech, DSC)[2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[25]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors unless stabilised[19]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[18]
Chemical resistanceWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[19]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[18]
Food contactBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[19]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[18]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Not biodegradable[18]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[19]Not accepted in household plastic collection[18]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10⁹ ohm/sq — not static-dissipative (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[28]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[28]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28][15]Open a window / occasional ventilation[28]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[16]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[18]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[16]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[18]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[16]No practical vapour smoothing[18]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[16]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[18]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[29]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[30]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[29]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[31]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[30]

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. Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v2.0 Prusa Polymers · 2023-04 · tds
  2. CarbonX Carbon Fiber ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Spectrum PC CF Carbon Black, 1.75 mm / 250 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI CF-PC 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER PC CF product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  15. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  21. CARBONX ezPC+CF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  26. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  27. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  28. 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
  29. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  30. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  31. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds