3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-PHA vs TPU-CF

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

PLA/PHA blend guideCarbon-fibre TPU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-PHA comparisonsMore TPU-CF comparisons
PLA-PHA vs TPU-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA/PHA blendPLACarbon-fibre TPUFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings$107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[1]Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[2]
Densityg/cm³1.2 (ISO 1183)[1]1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[3]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documentedOne listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[3]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1][4]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; 750 g and 2200 g spools[1]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[3]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[1]Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C195–220 (colorFabb)[1]230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2]
Bed temperature°C50–60 (colorFabb)[1]50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[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][5]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[6][7]
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[5][8]1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[9]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[10][2][6]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[6]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[11][12]Moderate[13]
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[13]
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[13]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[13]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[13]
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]35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[2]
Elongation at break%4 and 11 (ISO 527-1A, colorFabb; two grades quoted)[1]380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[2]
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 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 PLA/PHA creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[14][15][16]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][17]
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[18][1]Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Semi-flexible[2]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[2]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented-24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°CAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[1]Vicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[19]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[7]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[7]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[7]
Biodegradability / compostabilitycolorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[7]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[7]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[20]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[20]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[20]Open a window / occasional ventilation[20]
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[7]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[7]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[7]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[7]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedTear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[2]
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.[21]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[22]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[21][23]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[24][23]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[22]

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. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  3. Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  5. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  7. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  8. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  12. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  15. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  16. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  17. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  18. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  19. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. 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
  21. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  22. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  24. 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