3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
TPE SEBS vs TPU-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | TPE (SEBS)FLEX | Carbon-fibre TPUFLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $98.25/kg median; $76.50–$120.00/kg across 2 dated product listings | $107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene thermoplastic elastomer — a styrenic rubber, not a polyurethane[1] | Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[2] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.044 printed part density (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 1183-1) — the lightest elastomer here[1] | 1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[2] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 77[3] | 107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[4] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 77 for the Recreus 600 g spool; Proto-pasta only lists a 50 g coil, which prices at 120[3][5] | One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[4] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1][5][3] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Extrudr's FLEX HARD CF is the only carbon-filled flexible with a published datasheet found here[2] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05 and 0.6 kg spools[1][3] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[4] |
| Typical applications | Soft-touch overmoulds and skin-contact parts where a non-polyurethane elastomer is wanted[1] | Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 260–280 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A) — far hotter than any TPU here[1] | 230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | 70–90 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A)[1] | 50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[1] | Open frame is fine[2] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[6][7] | PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[6][7] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 0.8–2.4 at the 10–30 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — the slowest material in this group[1] | 1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[1] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[2] |
| Extruder requirement | Nozzle 0.4 mm or larger; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s[1] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[2] | Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[2] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s and Simplify3D warns that raised feed rates on flexibles most likely end in a jam[6][1] | 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[8][2][6] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[6] | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[6] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — BASF states drying is not necessary, unique among the elastomers here[1] | Moderate[9] |
| Drying temperature & time | None — BASF states Ultrafuse TPS 90A arrives in a printable condition and drying is not necessary[1] | 60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[9] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[9] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not applicable — the SEBS chemistry has no amide or ester linkages to take up water, and BASF specifies no drying at all[1] | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[9] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[9] | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[9] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Young's modulusMPa | Not documented | 35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | Not documented | 380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[2] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Very ductile — bends far before failing[1] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | 89 Shore A and 29 Shore D (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 7619-1)[1] | 70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[2] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Poor — no SEBS creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[10] | 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[2][10] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Excellent — living hinges viable[7] | Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rubbery / highly elastic[1] | Semi-flexible[2] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Abrasion 111 mm³ (ISO 4649) — the poorest abrasion resistance in this group, well behind TPU[1] | Abrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | -24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[2] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 242–249 melting (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 11357-3)[1] | Vicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[7] | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[7] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[7] | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[7] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Excellent — essentially unaffected[1] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[7] | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[7] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[7] | Not biodegradable[7] |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[7] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[7] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[11] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[11] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[11] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[11] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[2] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[7] | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[7] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[7] | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[7] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[7] | No practical vapour smoothing[7] |
| Support material pairing | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[7] | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[7] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Tear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[2] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Toluene dissolves SEBS at room temperature — Kraton quotes solution viscosity at 25 % mass in toluene, 25 °C.[12] | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[13] |
| Softened or crazed by | Soaking in hydrocarbon solvents and oils deteriorates it; short exposures are tolerated. Resists water, acids and bases.[12] | Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[13] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Toluene will weld it, though the joint stays soft; no workshop-safe agent, and vapour smoothing is not practical.[12] | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[13] |
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
- Ultrafuse TPS 90A Technical Data Sheet (Version 1.1, SEBS) BASF Forward AM · 2020-12 · tds
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 2026-08 · vendor
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- KRATON polymers Grade Range — chemical resistance and toluene solution data Kraton Corporation · 2025-07 · tds
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds