3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PVB vs TPU 85A

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

PVB guideTPU 85A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PVB comparisonsMore TPU 85A comparisons
PVB vs TPU 85A — documented properties and sources
PropertyPVBSPECIALTYTPU 85AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings$89.89/kg median; $31.99–$106.05/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[1]Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A[2][3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[1][5]1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792[4][2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90[8][9][2]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[6][7]32–106 across brands; Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A 32 at 1 kg, add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A 72, Recreus Filaflex 82A 90 at 500 g, Proto-pasta Clear Flexible TPU 90, 3DXTech 3DXFLEX 85A 96, NinjaTek NinjaFlex 106[10][8][9][11][2]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Available from several mainstream brands[8][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[6][7]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[8][10][2]
Typical applicationsDisplay models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[1]Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound[2][3]
Diameter tolerance± mm+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[5]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[5]200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)[4]
Bed temperature°C75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[5]40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fan100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[5]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[5]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/sNot documented1.2–3.2 at the 15–40 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to anything — Recreus states its 82A grade has excellent bed adhesion without a heated bed or additives[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedHigh — drying plus tuning needed[14][13]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[1]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden tube[2][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only. NinjaTek calls its 85A grade ideal for direct-drive extruders and Recreus specifies direct-drive printers for 82A; BASF caps print speed at 15–40 mm/s with a nozzle of 0.4 mm or larger[2][3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[15]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[16][14]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[14][13]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedVery high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone[13][2]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[12]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[1]Moderate — NinjaTek measures 0.22 % in 24 h (ASTM D570) and BASF specifies a 70 °C dry for at least 5 h[2][4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[1][17][5]0.22 after 24 h water immersion (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D570) — an immersion figure, not an equilibrium moisture content at 50 % RH[2]
Drying temperature & timeMaximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[5]70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)[4]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[14]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[1][14]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; wet TPU prints with poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers[14]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant[14]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[14]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[1][17][5]26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638)[2]
Young's modulusMPa2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[1][5]12 (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) — two orders of magnitude below any rigid filament; NinjaTek's 95A Cheetah reaches 26 by the same method[2][18]
Elongation at break%5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[17]650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX[3][2][4]
Flexural strengthMPa72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[5]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[17][5]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[5]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[5]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[17][5]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[5]29 Shore D / 85 Shore A (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, ISO 7619-1); 85 Shore A (NinjaFlex, ASTM D2240); 82 A nominal for Filaflex[2][4][3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — no 85A creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, and softer grades creep more[19]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable[13]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[2][3]
Z strength as % of XY%98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[5]53 — BASF measures 320 % elongation at break in ZX against 600 % in XY[4]
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion 0.08 g mass loss over 10 000 cycles (NinjaFlex, ASTM D4060); 82 mm³ (BASF, ISO 4649)[2][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[1][17][5]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[1][17][5]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[1][17]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[1][17]216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC)[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[13]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[13]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[13]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[13]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[13]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[20]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[20]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[20]Open a window / occasional ventilation[20]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[13]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[13]
Vapour / chemical smoothingIsopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[1]No practical vapour smoothing[13]
Support material pairingPolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[21]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[13]
Dimensional accuracy & detailPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[17]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inIsopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[16]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[22]
Softened or crazed byNot documentedToluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentIsopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[23][16]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[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

  1. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  5. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  16. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  17. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  18. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  19. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  20. 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
  21. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc