3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PC-GF vs TPU-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PC | Carbon-fibre TPUFLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings | $107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[1] | Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[2] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[1] | 1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[2] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 71[3] | 107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[4] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[3][1] | One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[4] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, 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[3][1][5][6] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Extrudr's FLEX HARD CF is the only carbon-filled flexible with a published datasheet found here[2] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[1] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[4] |
| Typical applications | Functional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[1] | Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[2] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | +/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[1] | Not documented |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1] | 230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[1] | 50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[7][8] | Open frame is fine[2] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Perforated 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[9][10] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Not documented | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[2] |
| Extruder requirement | Owens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[1] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[1] | Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[1] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — 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[11][12] | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; a flexible base plus chopped carbon fibre, which Prusa lists as a higher nozzle-clogging risk, and Extrudr requires a hardened nozzle[11][2][9] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[9] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[1] | Moderate[13] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[1] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[14][13] | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[13] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[13] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1] | 35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | 2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[1] | 380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[2] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[1] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[1] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell 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[15] | 70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[2] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Excellent — 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[16][1] | Below average — no CF-grade creep test; the grade is 70 Shore D where a 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[2][17] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Semi-flexible[2] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Abrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[1] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[1] | -24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[1] | Vicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[2] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 26.2 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 94 | UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[1] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Good — 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[10] |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[10] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[1] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[10] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[10] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Not accepted in household plastic collection[10] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Electrically insulating (Owens Corning)[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[18] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[18] |
| 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[18] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[18][8] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[18] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Owens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[1] | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[10] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[10] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[10] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[10] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | High dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[1] | Tear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[2] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[19] | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[20] |
| Softened or crazed by | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[19] | Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[20] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[21] | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[20] |
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
- XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · tds
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
- BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
- 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
- Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds