3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA-PHA vs TPU soft

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

PLA/PHA blend guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA-PHA comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
PLA-PHA vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA/PHA blendPLASoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$76.40/kg median; $76.40–$76.40/kg across 1 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA blended with polyhydroxyalkanoate, a bacterially fermented bio-polyester[1]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[2]
Densityg/cm³1.2 (ISO 1183)[1]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[3][4][5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented110–122 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[3][5][4]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1][6]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][7][3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 2200 g spools[1]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[2][3][8][4]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where PLA's brittleness is the limiting factor[1]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[2]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C195–220 (colorFabb)[1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C50–60 (colorFabb)[1]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[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][9]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[10][11]
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[9][12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[8][11]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[8][7]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[13]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low — unfilled PLA blend; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle for PLA[14]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[10][11][15]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedVery high — softens in the cold zone readily[11]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[10]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the PLA matrix takes up 0.40–0.51 % saturated; colorFabb publishes no figure for the blend[16][17]Moderate[15]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15]
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[15]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[15]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[15]
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]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[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 documented81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[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[18][19][20]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[21]
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[22][1]Excellent — living hinges viable[11]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[2]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[2]
Thermal Properties
Melting point / Vicat°CAbove 155 melting (ISO 3146-C)[1]170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[23]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[11]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[11]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[11]
Biodegradability / compostabilitycolorFabb states the PHA component is 100 % biodegradable[1]Not biodegradable[11]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[11]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[24]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[24]Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[11]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[11]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[11]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[11]
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.[25]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[26]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[25][27]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[28][27]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[26]

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