3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HT soluble vs TPU soft

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

High-temperature support guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HT soluble comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
HT soluble vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyHigh-temperature supportSUPPORTSoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$209.00/kg median; $100.00–$290.00/kg across 4 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryBreak-away support compounded to survive high-temperature print chambers; 3DXTech sells separate grades for PC/ABS and for the PAEK and PEI class[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/cm³1.37 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, ISO 1183)[1]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 168[4]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[5][6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg100–290 across grades; 3DXTech THERMAX MTS1 100 at 2 kg, HTS2 168 at 250 g, HTS1 250 at 500 g, IEMAI 3D HT-SP 290 at 1 kg[4][8]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 availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][9][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg and 2 kg spools[4]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][5][10][6]
Typical applicationsSupport for PEEK, PEI and PC-class prints, where PVA and PLA-based supports would decompose[1][2]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[3]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Actively heated chamber required — it is used inside high-temperature builds[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[11][12]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Expert / industrial hardware only[1]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 requirementA dual-extruder machine rated for high-temperature materials; 3DXTech states the grade is intended for dual-extruder printers designed to print high-temp materials[13]Direct drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[10][9]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[1]Brass fine indefinitely[14]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[14]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1[13][15]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][16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedVery high — softens in the cold zone readily[12]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[11]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Not documentedModerate[16]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[16]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry for HTS1 and 80 °C for MTS1 because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[13][15]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[16]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[16]
Mechanical Properties
Elongation at break%Not documented870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedVery ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedPoor — 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[17]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — living hinges viable[12]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedRubbery / highly elastic[3]
Wear resistance & friction3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its support grades — they are not characterised as structural materials[1]Tear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C205 (THERMAX HTS1, printed XY, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[1]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C225 (3DXTech THERMAX HTS1, DSC) — high enough to stay solid inside a PEI or PEEK build[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedGood — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[12]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[12]
Food contactNot documentedNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[12]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[12]
RecyclabilityNot documentedNot accepted in household plastic collection[12]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq on all three THERMAX support grades (ASTM D257) — insulating[1][18][2]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[19]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[19]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[19]Open a window / occasional ventilation[19]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[12]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[12]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[12]
Support material pairingThis is the support material. MTS1 is matched to PC/ABS and PC; HTS1 and HTS2 to the higher-temperature classes[2][1]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[12]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAqueous alkali, not water: IEMAI specifies an alkaline bath in an ultrasonic cleaner until the support dissolves.[8]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[20]
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.[20]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — the alkaline bath dissolves the support rather than welding anything.[8]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[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

  1. THERMAX HTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. THERMAX MTS1 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D HT-SP alkaline-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  11. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. THERMAX HTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  15. THERMAX MTS1 — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  18. THERMAX HTS2 Break Away Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  19. 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
  20. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds