3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

rPLA vs TPU soft

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

Recycled PLA (rPLA) guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore rPLA comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
rPLA vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLASoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[1][2][3]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[4]
Densityg/cm³1.24 (ISO 1183)[1]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools run 20–22[5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[11][12]110–122 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[8][10][9]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[2][3][7]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][13][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[14][11][2]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[4][8][15][9]
Typical applicationsGeneral-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[2][3]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[4]
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][16]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[1][3]Not documented
Bed temperature°C40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[1][3]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][17]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fan100 %[1]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[18][19]
Warping tendency1–5None — brim not generally needed[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[20]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[1][17]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[15][19]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[15][13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[17]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[22][17]Non-abrasive[21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[17]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[18][19][23]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[24]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[19]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[20]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[18]
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][16]Moderate[23]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[23]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]
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[23]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[23]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[25][20]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[23]
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][16]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[1][16]Not documented
Elongation at break%3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[1][16]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[4]
Flexural strengthMPa82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[1][16]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][16]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[1][16]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[1][16]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[24][22]Very ductile — bends far before failing[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[1][16]81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[4]
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[26][27]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[28]
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)[29][24]Excellent — living hinges viable[19]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[22]Rubbery / highly elastic[4]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[1][16]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[1][16]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[4]
Continuous service temperature°C55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[3]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[30]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[25][31]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[24][32]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[19]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[31][24]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[19]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[25]Not documented
Food contactFilamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[3][24]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[19]
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[3]Not biodegradable[19]
RecyclabilityThe feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[3][12]Not accepted in household plastic collection[19]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[33]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[33]
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[33]Open a window / occasional ventilation[33]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[32][24]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[19]
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[19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[24]No practical vapour smoothing[19]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[19]
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.[34]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[35]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[34][36]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[35]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[37][36]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[35]

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. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  5. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  16. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  17. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  29. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  30. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  31. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  32. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  33. 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
  34. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  35. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  37. 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