3D Printing Info
Flexible materials · Material guide

TPE (SEBS)

A styrenic rubber rather than a polyurethane: it needs no drying at all, prints at 260–280 °C and 10–30 mm/s, and trades TPU's abrasion resistance for moisture indifference.

2 product listings2 brands
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Understand the material

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A styrenic rubber rather than a polyurethane: it needs no drying at all, prints at 260–280 °C and 10–30 mm/s, and trades TPU's abrasion resistance for moisture indifference.

Applications

SEBS-based TPE is a styrenic elastomer used for soft-touch surfaces, grips, flexible covers and seals. It provides rubber-like deformation through a different chemistry from TPU. In conventional manufacturing, KRAIBURG documents SEBS-based THERMOLAST W compounds for wet-grip applications that can be processed by multi-component injection molding or extrusion. That is the role of an elastomer surface over a rigid supporting part, not a rigid structural replacement.

Ultrafuse TPS 90A filament has very low moisture uptake and does not require the drying routine typical of TPU, which simplifies printing and storage. Its published abrasion loss is substantially worse than the TPU comparisons, so soft feel should not be confused with a durable wheel tread. Molded grip compounds are formulation-specific: their adhesion or wet-grip performance does not automatically transfer to this filament.

  • Wet-grip elastomer surfaces ↗

    Injection molding and extrusion · KRAIBURG THERMOLAST W, specific SEBS-based molding compounds; family context only · Manufacturer-listed applications

    KRAIBURG describes SEBS-based THERMOLAST W for grip applications, with wet-grip behavior incorporated in the compound. It supports multi-component injection molding and extrusion; these molded-compound properties do not establish the performance of Ultrafuse TPS 90A filament.

Sources
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Representative catalog values. Check the exact grade and its linked conditions before using a setting.

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Properties & source data

45 documented fields

Open a topic to explore the complete data. Each value keeps its original conditions, units and dated sources.

Material & market7 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Identity & Market
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Base polymer / chemistryStyrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene thermoplastic elastomer — a styrenic rubber, not a polyurethane
1 source
Density (g/cm³)1.044 printed part density (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 1183-1) — the lightest elastomer here
1 source
Typical price (USD/kg)1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 77
1 source
Price range across brands (USD/kg)77 for the Recreus 600 g spool; Proto-pasta only lists a 50 g coil, which prices at 120
2 sources
Market availability (1–5)Niche, a handful of specialist brands
3 sources
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05 and 0.6 kg spools
2 sources
Typical applicationsSoft-touch overmoulds and skin-contact parts where a non-polyurethane elastomer is wanted
1 source
Print settings7 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Printing Parameters
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Nozzle temperature (°C)260–280 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A) — far hotter than any TPU here
1 source
Bed temperature (°C)70–90 (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A)
1 source
Enclosure / chamber requirement (1–5)Open frame is fine
1 source
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent
2 sources
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 source
Overall printing difficulty (1–5)Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning
1 source
Extruder requirementNozzle 0.4 mm or larger; BASF caps print speed at 10–30 mm/s
1 source
Nozzle wear & reliability4 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Hardware Wear & Reliability
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Nozzle hardness required (1–4)Brass fine indefinitely
1 source
Abrasiveness (1–5)Non-abrasive
1 source
Nozzle clog risk (1–5)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
2 sources
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)
1 source
Moisture & drying5 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Moisture Behaviour
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity) (1–5)Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — BASF states drying is not necessary, unique among the elastomers here
1 source
Drying temperature & timeNone — BASF states Ultrafuse TPS 90A arrives in a printable condition and drying is not necessary
1 source
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface
1 source
Effect of moisture on strengthNot applicable — the SEBS chemistry has no amide or ester linkages to take up water, and BASF specifies no drying at all
1 source
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print
1 source
Strength & mechanical properties6 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Mechanical Properties
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Brittleness (1–5)Very ductile — bends far before failing
1 source
Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell)89 Shore A and 29 Shore D (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 7619-1)
1 source
Creep resistance / sustained load (1–5)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
1 source
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance (1–5)Excellent — living hinges viable
1 source
Elasticity / flexibility (1–5)Rubbery / highly elastic
1 source
Wear resistance & frictionAbrasion 111 mm³ (ISO 4649) — the poorest abrasion resistance in this group, well behind TPU
1 source
Heat & temperature1 field
TPE (SEBS) — Thermal Properties
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Melting point / Vicat (°C)242–249 melting (BASF Ultrafuse TPS 90A, ISO 11357-3)
1 source
Weather & chemical resistance6 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Environment & Chemical
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
UV resistance (1–5)Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands
1 source
Chemical resistanceWithstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)
1 source
Water / humidity resistance in service (1–5)Excellent — essentially unaffected
1 source
Food contactNot food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)
1 source
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable
1 source
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection
1 source
Health & safety2 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Health & Safety
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Fume toxicity (1–5)Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study
1 source
Ventilation / filtration requirement (1–5)Open a window / occasional ventilation
1 source
Finishing & post-processing4 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Post-Processing
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Sanding & machiningDifficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling
1 source
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it
1 source
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing
1 source
Support material pairingPolymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove
1 source
Solvents & solubility3 fields
TPE (SEBS) — Solvents & Solubility
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Soluble inToluene dissolves SEBS at room temperature — Kraton quotes solution viscosity at 25 % mass in toluene, 25 °C.
1 source
Softened or crazed bySoaking in hydrocarbon solvents and oils deteriorates it; short exposures are tolerated. Resists water, acids and bases.
1 source
Solvent welding & smoothing agentToluene will weld it, though the joint stays soft; no workshop-safe agent, and vapour smoothing is not practical.
1 source
How to read these values

Values describe representative grades, not every spool. Manufacturer datasheets and independent tests retain their source labels and dates. Printed orientation, test method, conditioning and formulation can change results. Unknown values are —. A listed use is not a certification. Shore A, Shore D and Rockwell hardness are separate scales.

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Product listings and datasheets

2 listings

Historical USD/kg snapshots. Read each listing’s sale/from qualifiers, spool mass, source date, shipping and tax notes. Product figures are separate from the material summary.

Browse 2 products from 2 brands
RecreusFilaflex SEBS76.50 USD/kg

$45.90 / 600 g spool = $76.50/kg, recreus.com/en-en (USD storefront), Aug 2026

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Recreus Filaflex SEBS — product-specific figures
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 600 g and 2.5 kg
Nozzle temperature (°C)245
Bed temperature (°C)70–80
Part cooling fan20 % general, 0 % on the first layer, 40 % over bridges and overhangs
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions) (mm³/s)5.0 on a 0.4 mm nozzle; 11.2 on 0.6 mm, 20.0 on 0.8 mm, 31.2 on 1.0 mm
Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell)90 Shore A (manufacturer designation)
Proto-pastaBlack Flexible TPE120.00 USD/kg

$6.00 / 50 g coil = $120.00/kg, proto-pasta.com product catalogue, Aug 2026

Polyester-based TPE. Protoplant says it holds shape to about 150 °C, but publishes no test standard for that figure.

Open product listing ↗
Proto-pasta Black Flexible TPE — product-specific figures
Nozzle temperature (°C)From 240 upward
Bed temperature (°C)None required
Drying temperature & timeNot required — Protoplant rates this grade as minimally moisture-sensitive
Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell)About 98 Shore A (manufacturer designation)
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