3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Glow vs TPU-CF

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

Glow-in-the-dark PLA guideCarbon-fibre TPU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Glow comparisonsMore TPU-CF comparisons
PLA Glow vs TPU-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLACarbon-fibre TPUFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings$107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[1]Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[2]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[3][4]1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25[5][6]107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[8][5][6][9]One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[7]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][6][8]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 & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[10][4]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[7]
Typical applicationsSignage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[3]Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[3][11][4]230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[3][4]50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[3]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fanFan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[3][4]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[12][13]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[11][6]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[2]
Extruder requirementBambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[11]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[11][6][4]Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — the phosphor is a hard ceramic; Bambu Lab groups glow with carbon fibre as the materials that wear nozzles and grind AMS PTFE, and both Bambu Lab and Polymaker require a hardened nozzle[11][4]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[11]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[14][2][12]
Hotend requirementHardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[15][11]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[12]
Other hardware wearBambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[11][4]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]Moderate[16]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]Not documented
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]
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[16]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[16]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[3][4]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[3][4]35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[2]
Elongation at break%8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[3][4]380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[2]
Flexural strengthMPa76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[3]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[3][4]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[3][4]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[3][4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[3]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]Very ductile — bends far before failing[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[2]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no glow-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[17][18][19]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][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the glow filler leaves a brittle, highly abrasive compound[21][3]Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[3]Semi-flexible[2]
Z strength as % of XY%81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C55 (DSC)[3]-24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°C155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[3][4]Vicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[22]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[13]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[13]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[13]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[13]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[13]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[23]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[23]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[23]Open a window / occasional ventilation[23]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[13]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[13]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[13]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[13]
Dimensional accuracy & detailGlow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[11]Tear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[2]
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.[24]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[25]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[24][26]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[27][26]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[25]

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 SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  2. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  19. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  21. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  22. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. 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
  24. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  25. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 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