3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PC-GF vs TPU 95A

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

Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guideTPU 95A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PC-GF comparisonsMore TPU 95A comparisons
PC-GF vs TPU 95A — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PCTPU 95AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[1]Thermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[1]1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[2][3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 71[5]1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[6][7][4][8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[5][1]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[7][11][6][12][8][9][13][14][15][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands — neither Polymaker's nor 3DXTech's polycarbonate range contains a glass-fibre grade, but BASF Forward AM and Owens Corning both sell one through European retail[5][1][6][12]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[6][12][7][11][8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][12]
Typical applicationsFunctional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[1]Gaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[16]
Diameter tolerance± mm+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[1]±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[2][3][4]
Bed temperature°C80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1]25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[3][4][2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[17][18]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[2][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPerforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[1]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[19][16]
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)[2][3][4]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to most surfaces[2]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedIntermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[2][3]
Extruder requirementOwens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[1]Direct 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[20][2][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[1]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[1]Non-abrasive[21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and Prusa lists glass-filled composites as a higher clogging risk[22][23]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[24]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedHigh — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[16]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[19]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[1]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[3][2][24]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[1]0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[2][3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented70 °C for 8 h (Polymaker); 70 °C for 8 h or an 80–90 °C heatbed for 12 h (Bambu Lab)[2][4]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[24]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[25][24]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[24]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[24]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[3][26]
Young's modulusMPa5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1]551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[3]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[2][3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a glass-fibre grade[27]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)[3][2][28][26][29]
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, and 30 wt% glass raises the tensile modulus from about 2.3 to 5.4 GPa[30][1]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[29]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable[16]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[2][3]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[20]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[1]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[1]144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[20][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[20][4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K26.2 in XY and 77.4 in Z (printed, ISO 11359-2) — a threefold anisotropy, and the lowest in-plane expansion of any polycarbonate here[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Good — years with some colour shift. Owens Corning lists UV resistance as a product benefit but publishes no exposure data[1]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[16]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[20]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[1]Not documented
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[16]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[16]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[16]
Electrical & ESD propertiesElectrically insulating (Owens Corning)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[31]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[31]
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[31]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[31][18]Open a window / occasional ventilation[31]
Dust & fibre handling hazardOwens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[16]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[16]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[16]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[16]
Dimensional accuracy & detailHigh dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[1]Stringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[32]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[33]
Softened or crazed byMethanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[32]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[33]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[34]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[33]

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. XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · tds
  2. PolyFlex TPU95 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Prusament TPU 95A Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2025-05 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. TPU for AMS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 95A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PrimaCreator EasyPrint FLEX TPU 95A product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. add:north TPU Pro Matte 95A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Ultrafuse TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet (Version 2.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  21. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  22. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  27. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  28. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  29. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  30. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  31. 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
  32. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  33. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds