3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-CF vs TPU 95A

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

Carbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guideTPU 95A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-CF comparisonsMore TPU 95A comparisons
PLA-CF vs TPU 95A — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLATPU 95AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[1][2]Thermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[5][2][6]1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[3][4][7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[8][9][6][10][11]1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[12][13][7][14][15][16]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[9][8][6][17][10][18][11]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[13][19][12][20][14][15][21][22][23][16]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][6][17]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[12][20][13][19][14][15]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[17][6][12]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[12][20]
Typical applicationsStiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[5][2]Gaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[24]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[8]±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[5][2]210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[3][4][7]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[5][2]25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[4][7][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on[5][2]Fan on[3][7]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[25][24]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s16 at Bambu Lab's 200 mm/s cap and 24 at Polymaker's 300 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's own filament guide says 250 mm/s where its TDS says 200[5][26][2][27]2.4 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][7]
Warping tendency1–5None[5]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to most surfaces[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[2]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[26][2]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[3][4]
Extruder requirementNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[26]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[28][3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[26][2]Brass fine indefinitely[29]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[26][30]Non-abrasive[29]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[26]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[31]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedHigh — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[24]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[30][26]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[25]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[26][2]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][2]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][31]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[5][2]0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[3][4]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h[5][2]70 °C for 8 h (Polymaker); 70 °C for 8 h or an 80–90 °C heatbed for 12 h (Bambu Lab)[3][7]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[31]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[31]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[31]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[31]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[5][2][6]41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[4][32]
Young's modulusMPa2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]Not documented
Elongation at break%8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[5][2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[5][2][6]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[5][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[5]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[5][2]9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[4]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[2][5]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell71.5 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu CF PLA (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's unfilled PLA[33]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][34][32][35]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — 12 mm bars sagged to 15.1, 19.8 and 21.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg across three brands, against 16.2–21.8 mm for their unfilled PLA[36][37][33]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[35]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — no CF-grade S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and elongation in Z falls to 0.9 %[38][2]Excellent — living hinges viable[24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rubbery / highly elastic[3][4]
Z strength as % of XY%48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[5][2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[28]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[5][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[5][2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C62–63 (DSC)[5][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[5][2]144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[28][7]
Continuous service temperature°C50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[36][37][33]Bounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[28][7]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[39]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[24]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2]Good resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[28]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[24]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[24]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[24]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[40]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[40]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[40]Open a window / occasional ventilation[40]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[24]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[24]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[24]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[5][2]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[24]
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte finish hides layer lines; stiffness is the gain — tensile strength stays at or below Bambu Lab PLA Basic's 35 MPa and Polymaker PolyLite PLA's 52.3 MPa[5][2][41][42]Stringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[43]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[44]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[43][45]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[44]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[46][45]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[44]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A50 — Bambu PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  2. PolyLite PLA-CF Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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 V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  7. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  8. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. TPU for AMS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 95A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. PrimaCreator EasyPrint FLEX TPU 95A product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. add:north TPU Pro Matte 95A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Ultrafuse TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet (Version 2.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  29. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  30. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  35. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  36. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  39. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  40. 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
  41. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  42. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  43. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  44. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  45. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  46. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper