3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPLA vs TPU 95A

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

Recycled PLA (rPLA) guideTPU 95A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPLA comparisonsMore TPU 95A comparisons
rPLA vs TPU 95A — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLATPU 95AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[1][2][3]Thermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183)[1]1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[4][5][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools run 20–22[7][8][9]1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[10][11][6][12][13][14]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[15][16]23–106 across brands; IEMAI 3D 23, LANDU 24, Siraya Tech 25, PS Imports 25, PrimaCreator 32, Bambu Lab 35–42, Polymaker 40–50, add:north 72, Recreus 90, 3DXTech 96, NinjaTek Cheetah 106[11][17][10][18][12][13][19][20][21][14]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][3][9]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[10][18][11][17][12][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[22][15][2]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[10][18]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[2][3]Gaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[23]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[2][1][24]±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[1][3]210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[4][5][6]
Bed temperature°C40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[1][3]25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[5][6][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][25]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fan100 %[1]Fan on[4][6]
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[26][23]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented2.4 at Polymaker's 30–50 mm/s and 2.4 at Prusa's 30 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's high-flow grade lifts the cap to 200 mm/s (16 mm³/s)[4][5][6]
Warping tendency1–5None — brim not generally needed[1]None[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[27]Sticks to most surfaces[4]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[4]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1][25]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[4][5]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive strongly preferred. BASF rates its 95A grade as running on both direct-drive and Bowden machines, but every maker caps speed at 15–50 mm/s unless the grade is specifically high-flow[28][4][5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[25]Brass fine indefinitely[29]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[30][25]Non-abrasive[29]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[25]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[31]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[32]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[23]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[27]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[26]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[1][24]Low (0.1–0.3 %) by Prusa's measurement at 0.04 % in 7 days, but Polymaker measures 0.82 % equilibrium and groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials[5][4][31]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[1]0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[4][5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented70 °C for 8 h (Polymaker); 70 °C for 8 h or an 80–90 °C heatbed for 12 h (Bambu Lab)[4][6]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[31]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[31]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[31]Polymaker groups TPU with nylon, PVA and PETG as highly hygroscopic and says these often need to stay in a dryer while printing; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[31]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[33][27]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[31]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[1][24]41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[5][34]
Young's modulusMPa2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[1][24]Not documented
Elongation at break%3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[1][24]551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[4][5]
Flexural strengthMPa82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[1][24]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][24]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[1][24]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[1][24]9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[5]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[32][30]Very ductile — bends far before failing[4][5]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[1][24]92 ± 0.4 Shore A and 39 ± 0.7 Shore D (Prusament); 95A (Polymaker, ISO 7619-1); 91 Shore A / 40 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 40D, ISO 7619); 95A (NinjaTek Cheetah, ASTM D2240); 94.5 A measured on a printed Bambu Lab 95A part and 96.2 A on a Qidi one (My Tech Fun)[5][4][35][34][36]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[37][38]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[36]
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 (R = 0.2)[39][32]Excellent — living hinges viable[23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[30]Rubbery / highly elastic[4][5]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[28]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][24]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[1][24]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[28][6]
Continuous service temperature°C55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[3]Bounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[28][6]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[40]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[33][41]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[32][42]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[23]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[41][32]Good resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[28]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[33]Not documented
Food contactFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[3][32]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[23]
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[3]Not biodegradable[23]
RecyclabilityThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[3][16]Not accepted in household plastic collection[23]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[43]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[43]
Hazardous species emittedPrusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[2]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[43]Open a window / occasional ventilation[43]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[42][32]Sanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[23]
Gluing & solvent weldingSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[2]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[23]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[32]No practical vapour smoothing[23]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[23]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedStringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[44]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[45]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[44][46]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[45]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[47][46]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[45]

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. Prusament PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  2. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. PolyFlex TPU95 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Prusament TPU 95A Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2025-05 · tds
  6. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  7. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. TPU for AMS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 95A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. PrimaCreator EasyPrint FLEX TPU 95A product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. add:north TPU Pro Matte 95A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  25. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Ultrafuse TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet (Version 2.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  29. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  30. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  34. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  35. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  36. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  37. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  40. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  41. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  42. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  43. 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
  44. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  45. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  46. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  47. 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