3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PPS-CF vs TPU soft

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

Fibre-reinforced PPS guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PPS-CF comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
PPS-CF vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyFibre-reinforced PPSHIGHTEMPSoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$139.98/kg median; $119.98–$174.17/kg across 5 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryCarbon-fibre reinforced PPS — Polymaker's Fiberon grade is nominally 10 wt%[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/cm³1.29 (Fiberon PPS-CF10) and 1.36 (Fiberon PPS-GF20), ISO 1183[1][3]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 93–174; the middle of the market is about 140[4][5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg93-174 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]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[4][5][6]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2][11][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 0.5 kg spools[4]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[2][8][12][9]
Typical applicationsChemical and automotive parts needing PPS chemistry with structural stiffness[1]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[2]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure 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 aidNot documentedPEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[13][14]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[1]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[12][14]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[12][11]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[1]Non-abrasive[15]
Nozzle clog risk1–5High — 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[16][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[13][14][18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedVery high — softens in the cold zone readily[14]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[13]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — 0.225 % equilibrium for Fiberon PPS-CF10 and 0.11 % for PPS-GF20[1][3]Moderate[18]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.225 equilibrium (Fiberon PPS-CF10); 0.11 (PPS-GF20)[1][3]Not documented
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; equilibrium uptake is 0.225 % and Polymaker specifies a 100 °C, 10 h dry[1]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[18]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[18]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa59.4 ± 1.3 (PPS-CF10) and 64.1 ± 2.1 (PPS-GF20) printed XY, ISO 527[1][3]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa5446.7 ± 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]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²5.3 ± 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 tensileMPa32.0 ± 5.1 (PPS-CF10) and 22.9 ± 0.8 (PPS-GF20) printed Z, ISO 527[1][3]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Very 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 / RockwellRockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded unfilled PPS stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a fibre-filled PPS filament[19]81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[2]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Excellent — 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[19][20][1]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[21]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable[14]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[2]
Z strength as % of XY%54 (PPS-CF10) and 36 (PPS-GF20), printed[1][3]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C252.5 (PPS-CF10) and 236.3 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][3]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C133 (PPS-CF10) and 125.8 (PPS-GF20), printed, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][3]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C97.7 (PPS-CF10) and 95.0 (PPS-GF20), DSC[1][3]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C279.7 (PPS-CF10) and 279.6 (PPS-GF20) melting, DSC; Vicat 267.5 and 272.5 (ISO 306)[1][3]170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[2]
Continuous service temperature°C170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F; no figure published for the carbon-filled grade[19]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[14]
Chemical resistanceOutstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[16]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[14]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[14]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[14]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[14]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (ANSI/ESD S11.11)[1][3]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — 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[22]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[22]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[22]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Dust & fibre handling hazardFibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[14]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[14]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[14]
Support material pairingNot documentedPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[14]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNone — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[23][24]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[25]
Softened or crazed byNothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[24]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[23]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[25]

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. Fiberon PPS-CF10 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
  2. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Fiberon PPS-GF20 Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2025-07 · tds
  4. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Bambu Lab PPS-CF Black, spool (750 g) 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D CF-PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 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. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  13. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  16. PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · tds
  21. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  22. 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
  23. PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds