3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

POM vs TPU 95A

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

POM (acetal) guideTPU 95A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore POM comparisonsMore TPU 95A comparisons
POM vs TPU 95A — documented properties and sources
PropertyPOM (acetal)ENGINEERINGTPU 95AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshotsNot documented$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyoxymethylene, normally the copolymer POM-C. Apium's filament grade is POM-C with antistatic additives; no unfilled POM filament was found on sale[1][2]Thermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.41 (extruded POM-C stock)[1]1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[3][4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kgNot documented1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[6][7][5][8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kgNot documented23–106 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[7][11][6][12][8][9][13][14][15][10]
Market availability1–5Special order, 1-2 makers worldwide — Apium sells a POM-C ESD filament through its own shop and states its printers are the only ones able to process POM-C; no POM filament appears in the 3DJAKE or igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid[2][16][17][7]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[6][12][7][11][8][9]
Spool sizes & diametersNot documented1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][12]
Typical applicationsGears, bushings, bearings, conveyor and food-machinery parts; Apium markets its POM-C ESD grade for semiconductor insulators, aerospace fasteners and sliding parts[1][2]Gaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[18]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[3][4][5]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[4][5][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Not documentedOpen frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on[3][5]
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[19][18]
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)[3][4][5]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to most surfaces[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Not documentedIntermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[3][4]
Extruder requirementApium states that the adaptive heating system on its industrial machines is what makes POM-C printable, and that no other 3D printer can process it[2]Direct 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[20][3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Not documentedBrass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Not documentedNon-abrasive[21]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedModerate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedHigh — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[18]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[19]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1-0.3 %) — extruded POM-C stock takes up 0.18 % in 24 h and 0.80 % at saturation (ASTM D570)[1]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[4][3][22]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[3][4]
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)[3][5]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[22]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot documentedPolymaker 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[22]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[22]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa66.9 at break and 64.1 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 9700 and 9300 psi)[1]41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[4][23]
Young's modulusMPa2275 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 330,000 psi)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%40 at break and 9 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638)[1]551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa89.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 13,000 psi)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2758 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 400,000 psi)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod 53 J/m on extruded POM-C stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; extruded stock elongates 40 % before failing. No printed figure is published[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellRockwell 86 (and R120) — the source names only the R scale on extruded POM-C stock (ASTM D785)[1]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)[4][3][24][23][25]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[25]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable[18]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedRubbery / highly elastic[3][4]
Wear resistance & frictionWear factor 65e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) and a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.21 at 40 psi and 50 fpm (ASTM D3702, extruded stock) — the properties that make acetal the default gear and bushing plastic; Apium lists good sliding properties as the reason for its grade[1][2]Abrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[20]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C158 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 316 °F)[1]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C110 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 230 °F)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C165 melting (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 329 °F)[1]144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[20][5]
Continuous service temperature°C91 long term and 141 intermittent (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 195 °F and 285 °F)[1]Bounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[20][5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K84.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.7e-5 in/in/°F)[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 HB on extruded POM-C stock[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[18]
Chemical resistanceGood chemical resistance, particularly to bases; Apium lists resistance to bases as a headline property[1][2]Good resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[20]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption; 0.80 % water at saturation (ASTM D570, extruded stock)[1]Not documented
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[18]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[18]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[18]
Electrical & ESD propertiesVolume resistance 1e14 ohm-cm, dielectric strength 500 V/mil and dielectric constant 3.7 at 60 Hz on extruded stock (ASTM D257, D149, D150); Apium's filament grade adds antistatic agents[1][2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Not documentedLow hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[26]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Not documentedOpen a window / occasional ventilation[26]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningEasy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of POM-C stock[1]Sanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[18]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[18]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[18]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[18]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedStringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inHexafluoroisopropanol dissolves it at room temperature; NMP and DMF only when hot. Laboratory reagents.[27]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[28]
Softened or crazed byAcids, oxidants, halogens and hot concentrated zinc chloride attack it; alcohols, ketones and esters do not.[27][29]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent softens POM below its melting point, which is why it is bolted or heat-welded rather than glued.[27]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[28]

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. TECAFORM AH natural (POM-C) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  2. POM-C ESD 3D printing — material page Apium 3D Technologies · 2026-08 · doc
  3. PolyFlex TPU95 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament TPU 95A Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2025-05 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. TPU for AMS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 95A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PrimaCreator EasyPrint FLEX TPU 95A product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. add:north TPU Pro Matte 95A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Ultrafuse TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet (Version 2.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  21. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  24. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  25. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  26. 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
  27. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  28. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds