3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PE vs TPU 95A

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

Polyethylene (PE) guideTPU 95A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PE comparisonsMore TPU 95A comparisons
PE vs TPU 95A — documented properties and sources
PropertyPolyethylene (PE)POLYOLEFINTPU 95AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$87.72/kg median; $87.72–$87.72/kg across 1 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyethylene — 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]Thermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Spectrum HDPE filament, ISO 1183) against 0.95 for extruded HDPE stock — the filament is a modified formulation[1][2]1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[3][4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 88[6]1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[7][8][5][9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg87.72 — Spectrum's 500 g spools at 3DJAKE are the only PE filament listing found[6]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[8][12][7][13][9][10][14][15][16][11]
Market availability1–5Niche, 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[17][18][8][6]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[7][13][8][12][9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 500 g spools in six colours[6][17]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[7][13]
Typical applicationsChemically resistant containers, packaging prototypes and consumer goods where HDPE is the production material[1]Gaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[19]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240-290 (Spectrum HDPE)[1]210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[3][4][5]
Bed temperature°C80-100 (Spectrum HDPE)[1]25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[4][5][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Spectrum recommends a closed chamber for larger prints[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fan0-50 % part cooling (Spectrum HDPE)[1]Fan on[3][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSpectrum 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[20][19]
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)[3][4][5]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — 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]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive; Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary but recommends a closed chamber for large parts[1]Sticks to most surfaces[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; Spectrum sells the grade as desktop-printable with no dry box and no hardened nozzle[1]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[3][4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect 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[21][3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely — Spectrum states a ruby or hardened nozzle is not required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[22]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[22]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — 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[23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedHigh — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[19]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[20]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no dry box[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[4][3][23]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[3][4]
Drying temperature & timeNo drying step published; Spectrum lists a dry box as not required[1]70 °C for 8 h (Polymaker); 70 °C for 8 h or an 80–90 °C heatbed for 12 h (Bambu Lab)[3][5]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[23]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot applicable in practice — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no drybox requirement for HDPE[1]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[23]
Storage requirementStore 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[23]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa29 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]41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[4][24]
Young's modulusMPa3500 (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]551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa27.6 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4000 psi)[2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3200 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 178) against 965 on extruded stock (ASTM D790, from 140,000 psi)[1][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy 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
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — 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][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore 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]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)[4][3][25][24][26]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[26]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Good — 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[19]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly 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][4]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[21]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C75 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 167 °F)[2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[21][5]
Continuous service temperature°C110 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]Bounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[21][5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K117 (extruded HDPE stock, ASTM D696; source states 6.5e-5 in/in/°F)[2]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Moderate — 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[19]
Chemical resistanceExcellent chemical resistance to acids, bases, oils and solvents (Spectrum); Ensinger lists broad chemical compatibility for HDPE stock[1][2]Good resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[21]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Excellent — essentially unaffected; Ensinger lists low moisture absorption for HDPE stock and Spectrum very low absorption for the filament[1][2]Not documented
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[19]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[19]
RecyclabilitySpectrum states the filament is fully recyclable; HDPE is resin code 2[1]Not accepted in household plastic collection[19]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Not documentedLow hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[27]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Not documentedOpen a window / occasional ventilation[27]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningEasy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of HDPE stock[2]Sanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[19]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[19]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[19]
Dimensional accuracy & detailSpectrum lists a shiny surface finish and no adhesive requirement; shrinkage remains the limit on large flat parts[1]Stringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNone at room temperature; xylene dissolves HDPE at about 105 °C and LDPE at 75 °C. Hot decalin does the same.[28][29]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[30]
Softened or crazed byToluene, xylene, styrene, chloroform, dichloromethane, MEK and trichloroethylene are all unsatisfactory at 21 °C.[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 agentNone — polyethylene has no room-temperature solvent, so joints are made by heat welding.[29][28]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. Spectrum HDPE Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2025-10 · tds
  2. TECAFINE HDPE natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolyFlex TPU95 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament TPU 95A Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2025-05 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Spectrum HDPE Traffic Black, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. TPU for AMS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 95A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PrimaCreator EasyPrint FLEX TPU 95A product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. add:north TPU Pro Matte 95A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Ultrafuse TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet (Version 2.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  22. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  25. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  26. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  27. 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
  28. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  29. HDPE Chemical Resistance Guide (21 °C and 60 °C) INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds