3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-PHA vs TPE SEBS

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

PLA/PHA blend guideTPE (SEBS) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-PHA comparisonsMore TPE SEBS comparisons
PLA-PHA vs TPE SEBS — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA/PHA blendPLATPE (SEBS)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings$98.25/kg median; $76.50–$120.00/kg across 2 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[1]Styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene thermoplastic elastomer — a styrenic rubber, not a polyurethane[2]
Densityg/cm³1.2 (ISO 1183)[1]1.044 printed part density (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 1183-1) — the lightest elastomer here[2]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 77[3]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented77 for the Recreus 600 g spool; Proto-pasta only lists a 50 g coil, which prices at 120[3][4]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1][5]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][4][3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05 and 0.6 kg spools[2][3]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[1]Soft-touch overmoulds and skin-contact parts where a non-polyurethane elastomer is wanted[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C195–220 (colorFabb)[1]260–280 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A) — far hotter than any TPU here[2]
Bed temperature°C50–60 (colorFabb)[1]70–90 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fan0–100 %; colorFabb states the blend runs on both heated and unheated beds[1][6]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[7][8]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s3.2–8 at colorFabb's 40–100 mm/s, on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[6][9]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[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzle 0.4 mm or larger; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[10]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[10]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[11]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[7][2]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[7]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[12][13]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — BASF states drying is not necessary, unique among the elastomers here[2]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedNone — BASF states Ultrafuse TPS 90A arrives in a printable condition and drying is not necessary[2]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[14]
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[14]Not applicable — the SEBS chemistry has no amide or ester linkages to take up water, and BASF specifies no drying at all[2]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[14]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa62–64 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2500–3300 flexural modulus (ISO 178, colorFabb)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.8–3.7 (ISO 179, notched, colorFabb)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate — colorFabb positions the blend as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA grades[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented89 Shore A and 29 Shore D (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 7619-1)[2]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no PLA/PHA creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[15][16][17]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[18]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve for the blend; colorFabb positions it as tougher and less brittle than its generic PLA, which ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[19][1]Excellent — living hinges viable[8]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[2]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 111 mm³ (ISO 4649) — the poorest abrasion resistance in this group, well behind TPU[2]
Thermal Properties
Melting point / Vicat°CAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[1]242–249 melting (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 11357-3)[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[20]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[8]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[8]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[2]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[8]
Biodegradability / compostabilitycolorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[8]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[8]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[21]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[21]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[21]Open a window / occasional ventilation[21]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[8]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[8]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[8]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[8]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA phase (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C); THF and DMF need 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[22]Toluene dissolves SEBS at room temperature — Kraton quotes solution viscosity at 25 % mass in toluene, 25 °C.[23]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[22][24]Soaking in hydrocarbon solvents and oils deteriorates it; short exposures are tolerated. Resists water, acids and bases.[23]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[25][24]Toluene will weld it, though the joint stays soft; no workshop-safe agent, and vapour smoothing is not practical.[23]

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. PLA/PHA technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Ultrafuse TPS 90A Technical Data Sheet (Version 1.1, SEBS) BASF Forward AM · 2020-12 · tds
  3. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  6. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  7. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  8. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  11. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  13. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  16. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  18. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  19. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  20. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. 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
  22. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  23. KRATON polymers Grade Range — chemical resistance and toluene solution data Kraton Corporation · 2025-07 · tds
  24. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  25. 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