3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PVB vs TPU 95A

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

PVB guideTPU 95A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PVB comparisonsMore TPU 95A comparisons
PVB vs TPU 95A — documented properties and sources
PropertyPVBSPECIALTYTPU 95AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 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]Thermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[1][4]1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[2][3][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[6][7]1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[6][7][5][8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[6][7]23–106 across brands; IEMAI 3D 23, LANDU 24, Siraya Tech 25, PS Imports 25, PrimaCreator 32, Bambu Lab 35–42, Polymaker 40–50, add:north 72, Recreus 90, 3DXTech 96, NinjaTek Cheetah 106[7][11][6][12][8][9][13][14][15][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[6][12][7][11][8][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[6][12]
Typical applicationsDisplay models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[1]Gaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[16]
Diameter tolerance± mm+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[2][3][5]
Bed temperature°C75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[3][5][2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[2]
Part cooling fan100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]Fan on[2][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[17][16]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented2.4 at Polymaker's 30–50 mm/s and 2.4 at Prusa's 30 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's high-flow grade lifts the cap to 200 mm/s (16 mm³/s)[2][3][5]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to most surfaces[2]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[2]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; it prints close to PLA[1]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[2][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive strongly preferred. BASF rates its 95A grade as running on both direct-drive and Bowden machines, but every maker caps speed at 15–50 mm/s unless the grade is specifically high-flow[18][2][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[19]
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[20][21]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedHigh — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[16]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[1]Low (0.1–0.3 %) by Prusa's measurement at 0.04 % in 7 days, but Polymaker measures 0.82 % equilibrium and groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials[3][2][21]
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][22][4]0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[2][3]
Drying temperature & timeMaximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]70 °C for 8 h (Polymaker); 70 °C for 8 h or an 80–90 °C heatbed for 12 h (Bambu Lab)[2][5]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[21]
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][21]Polymaker groups TPU with nylon, PVA and PETG as highly hygroscopic and says these often need to stay in a dryer while printing; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[21]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant[21]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[21]
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][22][4]41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[3][23]
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][4]Not documented
Elongation at break%5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[22]551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[22][4]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4]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[22][4]9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[3]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Very ductile — bends far before failing[2][3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellShore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]92 ± 0.4 Shore A and 39 ± 0.7 Shore D (Prusament); 95A (Polymaker, ISO 7619-1); 91 Shore A / 40 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 40D, ISO 7619); 95A (NinjaTek Cheetah, ASTM D2240); 94.5 A measured on a printed Bambu Lab 95A part and 96.2 A on a Qidi one (My Tech Fun)[3][2][24][23][25]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[25]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable[16]
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[4]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[18]
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][22][4]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][22][4]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[1][22]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[1][22]144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[18][5]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[18][5]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[16]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedGood resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[18]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[16]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[16]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[16]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[26]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[26]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[26]Open a window / occasional ventilation[26]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[16]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[16]
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[16]
Support material pairingPolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[27]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[16]
Dimensional accuracy & detailPolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[22]Stringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inIsopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[20]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[28]
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.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentIsopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[29][20]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[28]

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. PolyFlex TPU95 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. Prusament TPU 95A Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2025-05 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. TPU for AMS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 95A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PrimaCreator EasyPrint FLEX TPU 95A product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. add:north TPU Pro Matte 95A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Ultrafuse TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet (Version 2.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  19. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  20. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  23. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  24. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  25. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  26. 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
  27. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  28. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc