3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
TPU 85A vs TPU-CF
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | TPU 85AFLEX | Carbon-fibre TPUFLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $89.89/kg median; $31.99–$106.05/kg across 6 dated product listings | $107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A[1][2][3] | Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[4] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792[3][1] | 1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90[5][6][1] | 107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[7] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 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[8][5][6][9][1] | One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[7] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[5][8] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Extrudr's FLEX HARD CF is the only carbon-filled flexible with a published datasheet found here[4] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[5][8][1] | 1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[7] |
| Typical applications | Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound[1][2] | Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)[3] | 230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[4] |
| Bed temperature°C | 40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)[3] | 50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[3] | Open frame is fine[4] |
| 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[10][11] | PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[10][11] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 1.2–3.2 at the 15–40 mm/s BASF specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3] | 1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | None[3] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Sticks to anything — Recreus states its 82A grade has excellent bed adhesion without a heated bed or additives[2] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | High — drying plus tuning needed[12][11] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden tube[1][2] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[4] |
| Extruder requirement | Direct 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[1][2][3] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[4] | Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[4] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[4] | Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[4] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles[12][11] | 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[13][4][10] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Very high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone[11][1] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[10] | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[10] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — NinjaTek measures 0.22 % in 24 h (ASTM D570) and BASF specifies a 70 °C dry for at least 5 h[1][3] | Moderate[12] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.22 after 24 h water immersion (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D570) — an immersion figure, not an equilibrium moisture content at 50 % RH[1] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | 70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)[3] | 60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[12] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[12] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; wet TPU prints with poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers[12] | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[12] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[12] | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[12] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638)[1] | Not documented |
| Young's modulusMPa | 12 (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) — two orders of magnitude below any rigid filament; NinjaTek's 95A Cheetah reaches 26 by the same method[1][14] | 35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[4] |
| Elongation at break% | 650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX[2][1][3] | 380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[4] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Very ductile — bends far before failing[1] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[4] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | 29 Shore D / 85 Shore A (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, ISO 7619-1); 85 Shore A (NinjaFlex, ASTM D2240); 82 A nominal for Filaflex[1][3][2] | 70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[4] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Poor — 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[15] | 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[4][15] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Excellent — living hinges viable[11] | Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[4] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rubbery / highly elastic[1][2] | Semi-flexible[4] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 53 — BASF measures 320 % elongation at break in ZX against 600 % in XY[3] | Not documented |
| Wear resistance & friction | Abrasion 0.08 g mass loss over 10 000 cycles (NinjaFlex, ASTM D4060); 82 mm³ (BASF, ISO 4649)[1][3] | Abrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[4] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | -24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[4] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC)[1] | Vicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[4] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[11] | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[11] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[11] | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[11] |
| Food contact | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[11] | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[11] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[11] | Not biodegradable[11] |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[11] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[11] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[16] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[16] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[16] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[16] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Carbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[4] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[11] | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[11] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[11] | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[11] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[11] | No practical vapour smoothing[11] |
| Support material pairing | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[11] | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[11] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Tear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[4] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[17] | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[17] |
| Softened or crazed by | Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[17] | Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[17] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[17] | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[17] |
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
- NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
- Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 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
- add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 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
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds