3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PVA vs TPU-CF

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

PVA (soluble support) guideCarbon-fibre TPU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PVA comparisonsMore TPU-CF comparisons
PVA vs TPU-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyPVA (soluble support)SUPPORTCarbon-fibre TPUFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[1][2]Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[3]
Densityg/cm³0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[1][2]1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[4][5][6][7]107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg42–96 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]One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[8]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[4][5][6][9][7]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Extrudr's FLEX HARD CF is the only carbon-filled flexible with a published datasheet found here[3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[4][5]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[8]
Typical applicationsDissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[2]Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2]230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Bed temperature°C25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2]50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[10]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet or painter's tape[10]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[11][12]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2]1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to most surfaces[10]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[10]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[13][2]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[3]
Extruder requirementA second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[2]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[2]Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[2]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[13]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; a flexible base plus chopped carbon fibre, which Prusa lists as a higher nozzle-clogging risk, and Extrudr requires a hardened nozzle[14][3][11]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[10]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[10]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[11]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[2]Moderate[13]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2]Not documented
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[13]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[13]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[13]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[13][2]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[13]
Mechanical Properties
Young's modulusMPaNot documented35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[3]
Elongation at break%Not documented380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedVery ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[1]Below average — no CF-grade creep test; the grade is 70 Shore D where a 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[3][15]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — fails after a few cycles[1]Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedSemi-flexible[3]
Wear resistance & friction3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[1]Abrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°C60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[1]-24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedVicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades 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[12]
Chemical resistanceDissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[2][10]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[12]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[2][1]Not documented
Food contactNot offered as a food-contact material[1]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[12]
Biodegradability / compostabilityPVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[10]Not biodegradable[12]
RecyclabilityDissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[10]Not accepted in household plastic collection[12]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[16]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[16]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[16]Open a window / occasional ventilation[16]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[10]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[12]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[10]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[12]
Vapour / chemical smoothingWater is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[2]No practical vapour smoothing[12]
Support material pairingThis 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[12]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedTear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inWater — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[17][18]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[19]
Softened or crazed byNothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[20]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 agentNone — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[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

  1. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  16. 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
  17. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  18. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds