3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PMMA vs TPU soft

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

PMMA (acrylic) guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PMMA comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
PMMA vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyPMMA (acrylic)ENGINEERINGSoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(methyl methacrylate) — acrylic, sold for 3D printing as a transparent glass substitute[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/cm³Not documented1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[3]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[4][5][6]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50 at Push Plastic's 1 kg listing; 3 kg spools run the same per kilogram[3]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[4][6][5]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[3]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][7][4]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[3]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[2][4][8][5]
Typical applicationsTransparent covers and light guides where PC's yellowing or cost rules it out[1]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[2]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Not documentedOpen frame is fine[2]
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[9][10]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedExpert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[8][10]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[8][7]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Not documentedBrass fine indefinitely[11]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedNon-abrasive[11]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedHigh — 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[9][10][12]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedVery high — softens in the cold zone readily[10]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[9]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate[12]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[12]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot documentedPolymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[12]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[12]
Mechanical Properties
Elongation at break%Not documented870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[2]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedVery 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 load1–5Not documentedPoor — 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[13]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable[10]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedRubbery / highly elastic[2]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[2]
Thermal Properties
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[10]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[10]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[10]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[10]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[10]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Not documentedLow hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[14]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Not documentedOpen a window / occasional ventilation[14]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[10]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[10]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[10]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[10]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone, MEK, ethyl and butyl acetate, THF, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride dissolve it; the last two are laboratory reagents.[15]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[16]
Softened or crazed byAlcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, oils and phthalate plasticisers craze it, and the threshold falls as stress rises.[15]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[16]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane acrylic cement (IPS Weld-On 3): 2–5 min soak, 17.2 MPa lap shear at one week. Controlled carcinogen.[17]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[16]

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. PMMA Filament 1.75mm 1kg — product page Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  9. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  10. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  12. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  14. 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
  15. Chemical resistance of PMMA products Mitsubishi Chemical (Acrypet) · 2026-08 · tds
  16. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  17. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds