3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
PVDF vs TPU soft
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | PVDFENGINEERING | Soft TPU (below 85A)FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/kg across 1 dated product listings | $114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[1][2] | Very soft thermoplastic elastomers below 85 Shore A. Fiberlogy's FiberFlex 30D measures 81 Shore A, the softest grade with a published datasheet found here[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[1] | 1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 251[4] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[5][6][7] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[4] | 110–122 at 1 kg-equivalent; Recreus 70A 110 and 60A 116 at 500 g, NinjaTek Edge 83A 112, NinjaTek Chinchilla 75A 122; the Recreus 3 kg spools fall to 70–73[5][7][6] |
| Market availability1–5 | Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[4][8] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][9][5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[4] | 1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][5][10][6] |
| Typical applications | Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[1] | Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Bed temperature°C | 70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[1] | 50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure required (passive)[1] | Open frame is fine[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[11][12] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[1] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Expert / industrial hardware only[1][2] | Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[10][12] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | Direct drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[10][9] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[13] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive when unfilled[1] | Non-abrasive[13] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[8] | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; below 85 Shore A the filament buckles and compresses, and Simplify3D warns that raised feed rates most likely end in a jam[11][12][14] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Not documented | Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[12] |
| Hotend requirement | Not documented | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[11] |
| Other hardware wear | Hydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[2] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[1] | Moderate[14] |
| Symptoms when wet | Not documented | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[14] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[8] | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[14] |
| Storage requirement | Not documented | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[14] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Izod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[15] | Not documented |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Rockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[15] | 81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Not documented | Poor — no creep test at this hardness; 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 | Not documented | Excellent — living hinges viable[12] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Slightly flexible in thin sections[1] | Rubbery / highly elastic[3] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Not documented | Tear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[15] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[15] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 170 melting (ISO 11357)[1] | 170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[15] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[15] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[15] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[1][15] | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[12] |
| Chemical resistance | Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[1] | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[12] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected[1] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not documented | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[12] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not documented | Not biodegradable[12] |
| Recyclability | Not documented | Not accepted in household plastic collection[12] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[2] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[17] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Above 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[2] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[2] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[17] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Molten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[2] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Not documented | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[12] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[12] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[12] |
| Support material pairing | Not documented | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[12] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | The processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[1][2] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[18] | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[19] |
| Softened or crazed by | Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[18][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 agent | None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[18] | 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
- FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
- FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
- NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
- FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 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
- Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds