3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-PHA vs TPU 85A

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

PLA/PHA blend guideTPU 85A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-PHA comparisonsMore TPU 85A comparisons
PLA-PHA vs TPU 85A — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA/PHA blendPLATPU 85AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings$89.89/kg median; $31.99–$106.05/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[1]Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A[2][3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.2 (ISO 1183)[1]1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792[4][2]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90[5][6][2]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented32–106 across brands; Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A 32 at 1 kg, add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A 72, Recreus Filaflex 82A 90 at 500 g, Proto-pasta Clear Flexible TPU 90, 3DXTech 3DXFLEX 85A 96, NinjaTek NinjaFlex 106[7][5][6][8][2]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1][9]Available from several mainstream brands[5][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[1]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[5][7][2]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[1]Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound[2][3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C195–220 (colorFabb)[1]200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)[4]
Bed temperature°C50–60 (colorFabb)[1]40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fan0–100 %; colorFabb states the blend runs on both heated and unheated beds[1][10]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[11][12]
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[10][13]1.2–3.2 at the 15–40 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything — Recreus states its 82A grade has excellent bed adhesion without a heated bed or additives[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — drying plus tuning needed[14][12]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden tube[2][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only. NinjaTek calls its 85A grade ideal for direct-drive extruders and Recreus specifies direct-drive printers for 82A; BASF caps print speed at 15–40 mm/s with a nozzle of 0.4 mm or larger[2][3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[15]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[16]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[14][12]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedVery high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone[12][2]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[11]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[17][18]Moderate — NinjaTek measures 0.22 % in 24 h (ASTM D570) and BASF specifies a 70 °C dry for at least 5 h[2][4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.22 after 24 h water immersion (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D570) — an immersion figure, not an equilibrium moisture content at 50 % RH[2]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)[4]
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]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; wet TPU prints with poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers[14]
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]26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638)[2]
Young's modulusMPa2960–3070 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb)[1]12 (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) — two orders of magnitude below any rigid filament; NinjaTek's 95A Cheetah reaches 26 by the same method[2][19]
Elongation at break%4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[1]650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX[3][2][4]
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 documented29 Shore D / 85 Shore A (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, ISO 7619-1); 85 Shore A (NinjaFlex, ASTM D2240); 82 A nominal for Filaflex[2][4][3]
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[20][21][22]Poor — no 85A creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, and softer grades creep more[23]
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[24][1]Excellent — living hinges viable[12]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[2][3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented53 — BASF measures 320 % elongation at break in ZX against 600 % in XY[4]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 0.08 g mass loss over 10 000 cycles (NinjaFlex, ASTM D4060); 82 mm³ (BASF, ISO 4649)[2][4]
Thermal Properties
Melting point / Vicat°CAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[1]216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC)[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[25]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[12]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[12]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[12]
Biodegradability / compostabilitycolorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[12]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[12]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[26]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[26]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[26]Open a window / occasional ventilation[26]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[12]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[12]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[12]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[12]
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.[27]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[28]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[27][29]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[30][29]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[28]

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. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  10. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  11. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  16. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  18. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  19. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  20. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  24. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  25. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. 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
  27. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  28. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  30. 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