3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PPS-CF vs TPE SEBS
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Fibre-reinforced PPSHIGHTEMP | TPE (SEBS)FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $139.98/kg median; $119.98–$174.17/kg across 5 dated product listings | $98.25/kg median; $76.50–$120.00/kg across 2 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Carbon-fibre reinforced PPS — Polymaker's Fiberon grade is nominally 10 wt%[1] | Styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene thermoplastic elastomer — a styrenic rubber, not a polyurethane[2] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.29 (Fiberon PPS-CF10) and 1.36 (Fiberon PPS-GF20), ISO 1183[1][3] | 1.044 printed part density (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 1183-1) — the lightest elastomer here[2] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 93–174; the middle of the market is about 140[4][5][6][7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 77[8] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 93-174 across brands and formats; Polymaker Fiberon PPS-GF20 93 at 3 kg, IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 131 at 750 g, LEHVOSS Luvocom 3F PPS CF 9938 164 at 2.3 kg, Bambu Lab PPS-CF 174 at 750 g[4][5][6][7] | 77 for the Recreus 600 g spool; Proto-pasta only lists a 50 g coil, which prices at 120[8][9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[4][5][6] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][9][8] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[4] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05 and 0.6 kg spools[2][8] |
| Typical applications | Chemical and automotive parts needing PPS chemistry with structural stiffness[1] | Soft-touch overmoulds and skin-contact parts where a non-polyurethane elastomer is wanted[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 260–280 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A) — far hotter than any TPU here[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 70–90 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker states its Fiberon PPS-CF10 needs no heated chamber, unlike the unfilled sulfones and PAEKs[1] | Open frame is fine[2] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Not documented | PEI 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/s | Not documented | 0.8–2.4 at the 10–30 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — the slowest material in this group[2] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[1] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[2] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | Nozzle 0.4 mm or larger; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s[2] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[12] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1] | Non-abrasive[12] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; Polymaker specifies hardened steel or ruby nozzles for carbon-filled PPS and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[13][14] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s and Simplify3D warns that raised feed rates on flexibles most likely end in a jam[10][2] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[10] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.225 % equilibrium for Fiberon PPS-CF10 and 0.11 % for PPS-GF20[1][3] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — BASF states drying is not necessary, unique among the elastomers here[2] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.225 equilibrium (Fiberon PPS-CF10); 0.11 (PPS-GF20)[1][3] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | None — BASF states Ultrafuse TPS 90A arrives in a printable condition and drying is not necessary[2] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; equilibrium uptake is 0.225 % and Polymaker specifies a 100 °C, 10 h dry[1] | Not applicable — the SEBS chemistry has no amide or ester linkages to take up water, and BASF specifies no drying at all[2] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[15] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 59.4 ± 1.3 (PPS-CF10) and 64.1 ± 2.1 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[1][3] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 5446.7 ± 149.0 (PPS-CF10) and 4552.0 ± 54.6 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[1][3] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 1.4 ± 0.1 (PPS-CF10) and 2.0 ± 0.2 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527 — the lowest elongation in the dataset[1][3] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 5.3 ± 0.2 printed XY for PPS-CF10 and 7.3 ± 0.2 for PPS-GF20, ISO 179 notched[1][3] | Not documented |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 32.0 ± 5.1 (PPS-CF10) and 22.9 ± 0.8 (PPS-GF20) printed Z, ISO 527[1][3] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Very brittle — cracks or shatters easily; elongation at break 1.4 %[1] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded unfilled PPS stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a fibre-filled PPS filament[16] | 89 Shore A and 29 Shore D (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 7619-1)[2] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Excellent — holds load for years. Ensinger lists high creep resistance for unfilled PPS stock and Spectrum states creep resistance is unchanged under continuous load at high temperature; the fibre raises heat deflection to 252 °C at 0.45 MPa[16][17][1] | Poor — no SEBS creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[18] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — living hinges viable[11] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rubbery / highly elastic[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 54 (PPS-CF10) and 36 (PPS-GF20), printed[1][3] | Not documented |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Abrasion 111 mm³ (ISO 4649) — the poorest abrasion resistance in this group, well behind TPU[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 252.5 (PPS-CF10) and 236.3 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][3] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 133 (PPS-CF10) and 125.8 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][3] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 97.7 (PPS-CF10) and 95.0 (PPS-GF20), DSC[1][3] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 279.7 (PPS-CF10) and 279.6 (PPS-GF20) melting, DSC; Vicat 267.5 and 272.5 (ISO 306)[1][3] | 242–249 melting (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 11357-3)[2] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F; no figure published for the carbon-filled grade[16] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[11] |
| Chemical resistance | Outstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[13] | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[11] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — essentially unaffected[2] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[11] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[11] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Not accepted in household plastic collection[11] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1][3] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[19] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[19] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[19] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[19] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[11] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[11] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[11] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[11] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[20][21] | Toluene dissolves SEBS at room temperature — Kraton quotes solution viscosity at 25 % mass in toluene, 25 °C.[22] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[21] | Soaking in hydrocarbon solvents and oils deteriorates it; short exposures are tolerated. Resists water, acids and bases.[22] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[20] | Toluene will weld it, though the joint stays soft; no workshop-safe agent, and vapour smoothing is not practical.[22] |
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
- Fiberon PPS-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- Ultrafuse TPS 90A Technical Data Sheet (Version 1.1, SEBS) BASF Forward AM · 2020-12 · tds
- Fiberon PPS-GF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Bambu Lab PPS-CF Black, spool (750 g) 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
- BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
- 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
- PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- KRATON polymers Grade Range — chemical resistance and toluene solution data Kraton Corporation · 2025-07 · tds