3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PSU vs TPU 98A
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PSUHIGHTEMP | TPU 98A / hard TPUFLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $168.00/kg median; $168.00–$168.00/kg across 1 dated product listings | $94.99/kg median; $34.99–$149.99/kg across 3 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polysulfone — the lowest-temperature and cheapest of the sulfone family[1] | Hard thermoplastic polyurethane at 98 Shore A to about 60 Shore D — the rigid end of the TPU range[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.24 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.23 (Fillamentum Flexfill 98A); 1.2 (Extrudr FLEX HARD, ISO 2781)[2][3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 250[4] | 1 kg spools cluster near 150[5] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 168-250 across formats; 250 g spool $42 (168/kg), 500 g $125 (250/kg) — 3DXTech is the only filament supplier found[4] | 95–150 across brands; Proto-pasta Clear Rigid TPU 95, Push Plastic TPU 100A 150[6][5] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4] | Available from several mainstream brands[5][6][3] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 250 g and 500 g spools[4] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][5] |
| Typical applications | Transparent high-temperature housings, medical trays and hot-water fittings[1] | Drive belts, wheels, snap-fits and bumpers that need to flex but hold shape under load[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD)[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 120–140 (3DXTech)[1] | 50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Actively heated chamber required[7][8] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | 0–30 % (Extrudr FLEX HARD)[3] |
| 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[9][10] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 4.6 (Extrudr FLEX HARD, stated max volumetric speed on a 0.4 mm nozzle)[3] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Not documented | None[3] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[7][8] | Easy — minor profile tuning; at this hardness the filament pushes like a rigid material[3] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | Bowden viable at this hardness — Extrudr rates FLEX HARD to 100 mm/s where its soft grades cap lower[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[7] | Brass fine indefinitely[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[1] | Non-abrasive[3] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[11] | Low[12] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[10] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[9] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Not documented | Moderate — the TPU family absorbs readily; Extrudr specifies a 12 h dry at 60 °C for FLEX HARD[3][12] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.30 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570)[13] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 60 °C for 12 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD)[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[12] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[11] | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[12] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[12] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 52 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 81 at break on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[1][13] | 53.7 at break (Fillamentum Flexfill 98A, DIN 53504)[2] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2100 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 8 (printed XY, ISO 527) against 50 on extruded stock — nearly three times PPSU's printed 3 %[1][14][13] | 318 at break (Fillamentum Flexfill 98A, DIN 53504); Extrudr FLEX HARD 490 (ISO 527-2)[2][3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 87 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2050 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Izod notched 69 J/m on extruded PSU stock, converted from 1.3 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[13] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell M120 on extruded PSU stock (ASTM D785)[13] | 98 Shore A and 60 Shore D (Fillamentum, ISO 7619-1); Extrudr FLEX HARD 58 Shore D (ISO 868)[2][3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PSU stock, which is rated to 173 °C heat deflection at 1.8 MPa[13] | Poor — no 98A creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[15] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — living hinges viable[10] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Semi-flexible[2][3] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Abrasion 23 mm³ (Fillamentum, ISO 4649 method A) and 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD, ISO 4649-A) — the best abrasion figures in the group[2][3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 172 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 181 on extruded stock, converted from 358 °F at 66 psi[1][13] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 174 on extruded PSU stock, converted from 345 °F at 264 psi (ASTM D648)[13] | Not documented |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 187 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 185 on extruded stock (ASTM D3418), against 230 for PPSU[1][14][13] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 190–210 melting (Extrudr FLEX HARD, ISO 3146-C); Vicat A 140 (ISO 306)[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 141 long-term service on extruded PSU stock, converted from 285 °F[13] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 55.8 (extruded PSU stock, ASTM D696; source states 3.1e-5 in/in/°F)[13] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | UL 94 V-0 on extruded PSU stock[13] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[10] |
| Chemical resistance | Not documented | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[10] |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[10] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[10] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Not accepted in household plastic collection[10] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an insulator (IEC 60093)[1] | 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[16] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[16] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[16] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[16] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[10] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[10] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[10] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[10] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Tear strength 170 kN/m (Fillamentum, ISO 34-1) and 175 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD, ISO 34-1B)[2][3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane, chloroform — dissolve polysulfone; ketones and esters attack it as well.[17][18] | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[19] |
| Softened or crazed by | Acetone, MEK, ethyl acetate, benzene and toluene craze or stress-crack it; methanol and isopropanol only marginally.[18][17] | Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[19] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Dichloromethane cement welds PSU and NMP softens residual resin. Both are laboratory reagents.[17] | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[19] |
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
- ThermaX PSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- Flexfill TPU 98A Technical Data Sheet Fillamentum · 2019-08 · tds
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
- Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- THERMAX PSU — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- TECASON S natural (PSU) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- ThermaX PPSU Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · 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
- Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds