3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-CF vs TPU soft

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

Carbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF) guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-CF comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
PLA-CF vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyCarbon-fibre PLA (PLA-CF)PLASoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $19.00–$79.98/kg across 9 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with chopped carbon fibre — 5–10 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS), 8 wt% (Polymaker)[1][2]Very soft thermoplastic elastomers below 85 Shore A. Fiberlogy's FiberFlex 30D measures 81 Shore A, the softest grade with a published datasheet found here[3]
Densityg/cm³1.22 (Bambu Lab) to 1.29 (Polymaker, 3DXTech), ISO 1183[4][2][5]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools span 19–80; the middle of the market is about 31[6][7][5][8][9]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg19–80 across brands; IEMAI 19, LANDU 24, SUNLU 27, Polymaker 30, Bambu Lab 32, 3DXTech 47, Proto-pasta 80[7][6][5][13][8][14][9]110–122 at 1 kg-equivalent; Recreus 70A 110 and 60A 116 at 500 g, NinjaTek Edge 83A 112, NinjaTek Chinchilla 75A 122; the Recreus 3 kg spools fall to 70–73[10][12][11]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][7][5][13]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][15][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[13][5][16]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][10][17][11]
Typical applicationsStiff jigs, drone and RC frames, tool holders — matte black finish, no gain in tensile strength[4][2]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[6]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240 (Bambu Lab); 190–230 (Polymaker)[4][2]Not documented
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 25–60 (Polymaker)[4][2]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on[4][2]Not documented
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[18][19]
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[4][20][2][21]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[4]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[2]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a hardened nozzle and 0.4 mm or larger[20][2]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[17][19]
Extruder requirementNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible (Bambu Lab)[20]Direct drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[17][15]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[20][2]Brass fine indefinitely[22]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[20][23]Non-abrasive[22]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[20]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; below 85 Shore A the filament buckles and compresses, and Simplify3D warns that raised feed rates most likely end in a jam[18][19][24]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedVery high — softens in the cold zone readily[19]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists PLA-CF among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[23][20]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[18]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports AMS wear; Polymaker advises against running PLA-CF through an AMS at all[20][2]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.42 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 % equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][2]Moderate[24]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.42 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.38 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][2]Not documented
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h[4][2]Not documented
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[24]
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[24]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; 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)MPa31.2 (Polymaker) to 38 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; 48 at break for 3DXTech[4][2][5]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2790 (Bambu Lab) to 3281 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 4950 for 3DXTech[4][2][5]Not documented
Elongation at break%8.4 (Bambu Lab) and 13.2 (Polymaker) printed XY, ISO 527; 2 for 3DXTech[4][2][5]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3]
Flexural strengthMPa51.7 (Polymaker) to 89 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178[4][2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3381 (Polymaker) to 3950 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; 6320 for 3DXTech[4][2][5]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.5 (Polymaker) and 7.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[4][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 23.2 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15.1 (Polymaker) to 26 (Bambu Lab) printed Z, ISO 527[4][2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation in Z falls to 0.9 % (Polymaker)[2][4]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
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[25]81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3]
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[26][27][25]Poor — no creep test at this hardness; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[28]
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 %[29][2]Excellent — living hinges viable[19]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rubbery / highly elastic[3]
Z strength as % of XY%48 (Polymaker) to 68 (Bambu Lab), printed[4][2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C54 (Polymaker) to 55 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C50 (Polymaker) to 54 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[4][2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C62–63 (DSC)[4][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C162–165 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 64 °C (Polymaker)[4][2]170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C50–61 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across three brands (Sunlu 50, Bambu Lab and Polymaker 61)[26][27][25]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[30]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[19]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[2]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[19]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[19]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[19]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[19]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[31]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[31]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[31]Open a window / occasional ventilation[31]
Dust & fibre handling hazardCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[19]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[19]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab); PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[4][2]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[19]
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[4][2][32][33]Not documented
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.[34]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[35]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[34][36]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[35]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[37][36]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[35]

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. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V4.0 — PLA-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. CarbonX PLA+CF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PLA-CF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PolyLite PLA-CF — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI CF-PLA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. SUNLU PLA-CF Carbon Fiber 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. LANDU Carbon Fiber PLA Filament 1.75 mm Black 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  23. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  29. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  30. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  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. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  35. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  37. 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