3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PE vs TPE SEBS
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Polyethylene (PE)POLYOLEFIN | TPE (SEBS)FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $87.72/kg median; $87.72–$87.72/kg across 1 dated product listings | $98.25/kg median; $76.50–$120.00/kg across 2 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyethylene — the simplest polyolefin, non-polar and highly crystalline. The one retailed filament grade, Spectrum HDPE, uses what Spectrum calls Low Warp technology and is denser and stiffer than plain HDPE[1][2] | Styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene thermoplastic elastomer — a styrenic rubber, not a polyurethane[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.10 (Spectrum HDPE filament, ISO 1183) against 0.95 for extruded HDPE stock — the filament is a modified formulation[1][2] | 1.044 printed part density (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 1183-1) — the lightest elastomer here[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 88[4] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 77[5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 87.72 — Spectrum's 500 g spools at 3DJAKE are the only PE filament listing found[4] | 77 for the Recreus 600 g spool; Proto-pasta only lists a 50 g coil, which prices at 120[5][6] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Spectrum HDPE in six colours is the only PE filament in the 3DJAKE and igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid, but it is a normal stocked item rather than a special order[7][8][9][4] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][6][5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 500 g spools in six colours[4][7] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05 and 0.6 kg spools[3][5] |
| Typical applications | Chemically resistant containers, packaging prototypes and consumer goods where HDPE is the production material[1] | Soft-touch overmoulds and skin-contact parts where a non-polyurethane elastomer is wanted[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 240-290 (Spectrum HDPE)[1] | 260–280 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A) — far hotter than any TPU here[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80-100 (Spectrum HDPE)[1] | 70–90 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Spectrum recommends a closed chamber for larger prints[1] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | 0-50 % part cooling (Spectrum HDPE)[1] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary for its low-warp HDPE, depending on geometry[1] | PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[10][11] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 0.8–2.4 at the 10–30 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — the slowest material in this group[3] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield. Spectrum's low-warp grade is sold as printable on desktop machines, which is not true of plain polyethylene[1] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive; Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary but recommends a closed chamber for large parts[1] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; Spectrum sells the grade as desktop-printable with no dry box and no hardened nozzle[1] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | Nozzle 0.4 mm or larger; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely — Spectrum states a ruby or hardened nozzle is not required[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[12] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[1] | Non-abrasive[12] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low — Spectrum lists no drybox and no ruby or hardened nozzle for HDPE, and very low moisture absorption[1] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s and Simplify3D warns that raised feed rates on flexibles most likely end in a jam[10][3] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[10] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no dry box[1] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — BASF states drying is not necessary, unique among the elastomers here[3] |
| Drying temperature & time | No drying step published; Spectrum lists a dry box as not required[1] | None — BASF states Ultrafuse TPS 90A arrives in a printable condition and drying is not necessary[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not applicable in practice — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no drybox requirement for HDPE[1] | Not applicable — the SEBS chemistry has no amide or ester linkages to take up water, and BASF specifies no drying at all[3] |
| Storage requirement | Store dry at 18-25 °C out of sunlight; Spectrum quotes a 24-month shelf life[1] | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[13] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 29 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527; specimen type not stated) against 25.5 at yield on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 3700 psi)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 3500 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against 965 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 140,000 psi) — the filament grade is nearly four times stiffer than plain polyethylene[1][2] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 18 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against above 100 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 27.6 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4000 psi)[2] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 3200 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 178) against 965 on extruded stock (ASTM D790, from 140,000 psi)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Charpy 10 kJ/m2 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 179-1; notch condition not stated); Izod 104 J/m on extruded stock, converted from 1.94 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; 18 % elongation at break on the filament and above 100 % on extruded stock[1][2] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Shore D 67 and Rockwell R54 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D2240, D785); Spectrum quotes Rockwell 80 HRM for its filament (ISO 2039-2)[2][1] | 89 Shore A and 29 Shore D (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 7619-1)[3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Poor — no SEBS creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[14] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Good — Spectrum lists outstanding abrasion and crack resistance for its HDPE, but no repeated-flex or fatigue test data was found for any PE filament[1] | Excellent — living hinges viable[11] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Slightly flexible in thin sections — Spectrum's low-warp grade has a 3.5 GPa tensile modulus; plain extruded HDPE at 965 MPa is genuinely semi-flexible[1][2] | Rubbery / highly elastic[3] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Abrasion 111 mm³ (ISO 4649) — the poorest abrasion resistance in this group, well behind TPU[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 75 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 167 °F)[2] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 242–249 melting (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 11357-3)[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 110 stated as heat resistance by Spectrum with no test standard given; extruded stock is rated 120 long-term maximum (converted from 248 °F) and brittle below -76[1][2] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 117 (extruded HDPE stock, ASTM D696; source states 6.5e-5 in/in/°F)[2] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Moderate — a season or two. Spectrum describes its HDPE as UV-stable and weather-resistant but publishes no exposure data[1] | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[11] |
| Chemical resistance | Excellent chemical resistance to acids, bases, oils and solvents (Spectrum); Ensinger lists broad chemical compatibility for HDPE stock[1][2] | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[11] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected; Ensinger lists low moisture absorption for HDPE stock and Spectrum very low absorption for the filament[1][2] | Excellent — essentially unaffected[3] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[11] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[11] |
| Recyclability | Spectrum states the filament is fully recyclable; HDPE is resin code 2[1] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[11] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Not documented | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[15] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Not documented | Open a window / occasional ventilation[15] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of HDPE stock[2] | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[11] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[11] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[11] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[11] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Spectrum lists a shiny surface finish and no adhesive requirement; shrinkage remains the limit on large flat parts[1] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | None at room temperature; xylene dissolves HDPE at about 105 °C and LDPE at 75 °C. Hot decalin does the same.[16][17] | Toluene dissolves SEBS at room temperature — Kraton quotes solution viscosity at 25 % mass in toluene, 25 °C.[18] |
| Softened or crazed by | Toluene, xylene, styrene, chloroform, dichloromethane, MEK and trichloroethylene are all unsatisfactory at 21 °C.[17] | Soaking in hydrocarbon solvents and oils deteriorates it; short exposures are tolerated. Resists water, acids and bases.[18] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — polyethylene has no room-temperature solvent, so joints are made by heat welding.[17][16] | Toluene will weld it, though the joint stays soft; no workshop-safe agent, and vapour smoothing is not practical.[18] |
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
- Spectrum HDPE Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2025-10 · tds
- TECAFINE HDPE natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Ultrafuse TPS 90A Technical Data Sheet (Version 1.1, SEBS) BASF Forward AM · 2020-12 · tds
- Spectrum HDPE Traffic Black, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
- HDPE Chemical Resistance Guide (21 °C and 60 °C) INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA · 2026-08 · tds
- KRATON polymers Grade Range — chemical resistance and toluene solution data Kraton Corporation · 2025-07 · tds