3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

TPU 95A vs TPU-CF

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

TPU 95A guideCarbon-fibre TPU guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore TPU 95A comparisonsMore TPU-CF comparisons
TPU 95A vs TPU-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyTPU 95AFLEXCarbon-fibre TPUFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 dated product listings$107.05/kg median; $107.05–$107.05/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryThermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[1][2]Carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane at the hard end of the range[3]
Densityg/cm³1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[1][2][4]1.22 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 2781)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[5][6][4][7][8][9]107 for the only retail listing found (Extrudr 0.5 kg coil, incl. VAT)[10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg23–106 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[6][11][5][12][7][8][13][14][15][9]One listing only: EUR 49.56 incl. VAT per 0.5 kg coil, direct from Extrudr; no reseller or second brand found[10]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[5][12][6][11][7][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Extrudr's FLEX HARD CF is the only carbon-filled flexible with a published datasheet found here[3]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[5][12]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 2 kg coils[10]
Typical applicationsGaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[16]Stiffened flexible parts — damping mounts and semi-rigid brackets[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[2]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[1][2][4]230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Bed temperature°C25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[2][4][1]50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on[1][4]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[17][16]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/s2.4 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)[1][2][4]1.6–8 at the 20–100 mm/s Extrudr specifies on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Warping tendency1–5None[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to most surfaces[1]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[1][2]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle needed[3]
Extruder requirementDirect 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][1][2]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[3]Hardened steel required — Extrudr marks FLEX HARD CF as needing a hardened nozzle where its unfilled FLEX grades do not[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[3]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[19]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[20][3][17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[16]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[17]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (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[2][1][19]Moderate[19]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[1][2]Not documented
Drying temperature & time70 °C for 8 h (Polymaker); 70 °C for 8 h or an 80–90 °C heatbed for 12 h (Bambu Lab)[1][4]60 °C for 6 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[19]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[19]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[19]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[19]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[19]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[2][21]Not documented
Young's modulusMPaNot documented35 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500)[3]
Elongation at break%551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[1][2]380 ultimate elongation (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 527-2/5A/500), against 490 for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Very ductile — bends far before failing[1][2]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell92 ± 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)[2][1][22][21][23]70 Shore D (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 868), against 58 Shore D for the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[23]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[3][23]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Excellent — living hinges viable[16]Good — 380 % ultimate elongation and a damping application set (Extrudr cites longboard wheels), below the unfilled grades[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rubbery / highly elastic[1][2]Semi-flexible[3]
Wear resistance & frictionAbrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[18]Abrasion 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 4649-A) — the same as the unfilled FLEX HARD[3]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented-24 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[18][4]Vicat A 140 (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 306)[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[18][4]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[16]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[16]
Chemical resistanceGood resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[18]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[16]
Food contactNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[16]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[16]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[16]Not biodegradable[16]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[16]Not accepted in household plastic collection[16]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[24]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]Open a window / occasional ventilation[24]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[16]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[16]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[16]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[16]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[16]No practical vapour smoothing[16]
Support material pairingPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[16]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[16]
Dimensional accuracy & detailStringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[1]Tear strength 165 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, ISO 34-1B)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inDMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[25]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve the TPU matrix and leave the fibre; ketones are partial solvents. Laboratory reagents.[25]
Softened or crazed byToluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[25]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[25]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[25]

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. PolyFlex TPU95 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Prusament TPU 95A Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2025-05 · tds
  3. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Extrudr TPU FLEX Hard CF — product page (1.75 mm, 0.5 and 2 kg coils, price) Extrudr (FD3D GmbH) · 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. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  22. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  23. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  24. 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
  25. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds