3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PVA vs TPE SEBS
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PVA (soluble support)SUPPORT | TPE (SEBS)FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/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 | Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[1][2] | Styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene thermoplastic elastomer — a styrenic rubber, not a polyurethane[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[1][2] | 1.044 printed part density (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 1183-1) — the lightest elastomer here[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[4][5][6][7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 77[8] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[4][5][6][9][7] | 77 for the Recreus 600 g spool; Proto-pasta only lists a 50 g coil, which prices at 120[8][10] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][5][6][9][7] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][10][8] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[4][5] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05 and 0.6 kg spools[3][8] |
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[2] | Soft-touch overmoulds and skin-contact parts where a non-polyurethane elastomer is wanted[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 260–280 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A) — far hotter than any TPU here[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | 70–90 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[2] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[11] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet or painter's tape[11] | PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[12][13] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2] | 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[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Sticks to most surfaces[11] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[11] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[14][2] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3] |
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[2] | Nozzle 0.4 mm or larger; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[2] | Brass fine indefinitely[15] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[2] | Non-abrasive[15] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[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[12][3] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[11] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[11] | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[12] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[2] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — BASF states drying is not necessary, unique among the elastomers here[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | None — BASF states Ultrafuse TPS 90A arrives in a printable condition and drying is not necessary[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[14] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[14] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[14] | Not applicable — the SEBS chemistry has no amide or ester linkages to take up water, and BASF specifies no drying at all[3] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[14][2] | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[14] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Very ductile — bends far before failing[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | 89 Shore A and 29 Shore D (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 7619-1)[3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[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[16] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Poor — fails after a few cycles[1] | Excellent — living hinges viable[13] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Not documented | Rubbery / highly elastic[3] |
| Wear resistance & friction | 3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[1] | Abrasion 111 mm³ (ISO 4649) — the poorest abrasion resistance in this group, well behind TPU[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[1] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 242–249 melting (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 11357-3)[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[1] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[2] | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[13] |
| Chemical resistance | Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[2][11] | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[13] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[2][1] | Excellent — essentially unaffected[3] |
| Food contact | Not offered as a food-contact material[1] | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[13] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[11] | Not biodegradable[13] |
| Recyclability | Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[11] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[13] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[1] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[17] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[17] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[17] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[17] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[11] | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[13] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[11] | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[13] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[2] | No practical vapour smoothing[13] |
| Support material pairing | This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[2] | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[13] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[18][19] | Toluene dissolves SEBS at room temperature — Kraton quotes solution viscosity at 25 % mass in toluene, 25 °C.[20] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[21] | Soaking in hydrocarbon solvents and oils deteriorates it; short exposures are tolerated. Resists water, acids and bases.[20] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[18] | Toluene will weld it, though the joint stays soft; no workshop-safe agent, and vapour smoothing is not practical.[20] |
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
- AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Ultrafuse TPS 90A Technical Data Sheet (Version 1.1, SEBS) BASF Forward AM · 2020-12 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · 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
- PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- KRATON polymers Grade Range — chemical resistance and toluene solution data Kraton Corporation · 2025-07 · tds
- Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds