3D Printing Info
Where it is used
Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound
Sources
- NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications · 2026-08 · tds
- Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) · 2026-08 · vendor
Flexible materials · Material guide
TPU 85A
Genuinely rubbery TPU at 82–85 Shore A with 650 % elongation and a tensile modulus of 12–22 MPa. Direct drive only, 15–40 mm/s, and the most heat-creep-prone material in the dataset.
Open in interactive comparison
Understand the material
At a glance
Before you print
- Setup difficulty
- Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden…
- Nozzle wear
- Non-abrasive
Read the full material overview
Genuinely rubbery TPU at 82–85 Shore A with 650 % elongation and a tensile modulus of 12–22 MPa. Direct drive only, 15–40 mm/s, and the most heat-creep-prone material in the dataset.
Applications
TPU around 85 Shore A is selected for compliant contact: grips, flexible boots, soft sleeves and parts that must compress around another object. Compared with harder TPU, its main advantage is that a similar wall shape deforms more readily. The flexible device stand below illustrates a part that uses this compliance to fit around equipment rather than hold a rigid dimensional reference.
The useful question is how the whole part behaves, not just the hardness printed on the spool. Wall thickness and infill can make an 85A print surprisingly firm, while long-term compression can change its shape. Abrasion, tear behavior and layer bonding remain grade-specific. A soft grip needs a different balance from a seal or impact cushion: compression set, recovery and repeated-flex performance matter alongside softness, and softer filament also places greater demands on the feed path.
Sources
- NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications · 2026-08 · tds
- Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) · 2026-08 · vendor
- Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) · 2022-08 · tds
- BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet · 2024-02 · test
Printed examples
FLEXTAIL STAND MaxRepelS ↗
A flexible stand holding a Flextail mosquito repellent device. The uploader explicitly identifies the pictured stand as TPU 85A.
Material evidence & image attribution
Listing note: “I made from 85a TPU (results as pictured)”
Printables listing uploaded by Rosti · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0Original listing · Checked 2026-10-17. This is an uploader report, not an independent material test.Source image · Image bytes unchanged; displayed in full. Noncommercial reuse only. No derivatives may be shared.
Find more models
Plan your printer setup
All print settings ↓Printing quick reference
Representative catalog values. Check the exact grade and its linked conditions before using a setting.
Nozzle temperature (°C)
200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)
Full value & sources
200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical)
- Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) · 2022-08 · tds
Bed temperature (°C)
40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)
Full value & sources
40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A)
- Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) · 2022-08 · tds
Enclosure
Open frame is fine
Full value & sources
Open frame is fine
- Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) · 2022-08 · tds
Drying
70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)
Full value & sources
70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF)
- Ultrafuse TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet (Version 3.0) · 2022-08 · tds
Go deeper when you need to
53 documented fieldsProperties & source data
Open a topic to explore the complete data. Each value keeps its original conditions, units and dated sources.
Material & market7 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Base polymer / chemistry | Soft thermoplastic polyurethane at 82–85 Shore A | 3 sources
|
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.11 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) to 1.19 (NinjaFlex 85A), ISO 1183 / ASTM D792 | 2 sources
|
| Typical price (USD/kg) | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 32–106; the middle of the market is about 90 | 3 sources
|
| Price range across brands (USD/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 | 5 sources
|
| Market availability (1–5) | Available from several mainstream brands | 2 sources
|
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools | 3 sources
|
| Typical applications | Soft-touch grips, seals, wearables and anything that must compress and rebound | 2 sources
|
Print settings10 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 200–220 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A, 210 typical) | 1 source
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | 40 (BASF Ultrafuse 85A) | 1 source
|
| Enclosure / chamber requirement (1–5) | Open frame is fine | 1 source
|
| 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 | 2 sources
|
| 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 | 1 source
|
| Warping tendency (1–5) | None | 1 source
|
| Bed-adhesion difficulty (1–5) | Sticks to anything — Recreus states its 82A grade has excellent bed adhesion without a heated bed or additives | 1 source
|
| Stringing / oozing tendency (1–5) | High — drying plus tuning needed | 2 sources
|
| Overall printing difficulty (1–5) | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; at this hardness the filament will not push through a Bowden tube | 2 sources
|
| 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 | 3 sources
|
Nozzle wear & reliability5 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle hardness required (1–4) | Brass fine indefinitely | 1 source
|
| Abrasiveness (1–5) | Non-abrasive | 1 source
|
| Nozzle clog risk (1–5) | High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles | 2 sources
|
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity (1–5) | Very high — softens in the cold zone readily; soft filament buckles between the drive gear and the melt zone | 2 sources
|
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D) | 1 source
|
Moisture & drying6 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 sources
|
| 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 source
|
| Drying temperature & time | 70 °C for at least 5 h in a hot-air dryer or vacuum oven (BASF) | 1 source
|
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface | 1 source
|
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; wet TPU prints with poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers | 1 source
|
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print | 1 source
|
Strength & mechanical properties10 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 26 ultimate (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) | 1 source
|
| Young's modulus (MPa) | 12 (NinjaFlex 85A, ASTM D638) — two orders of magnitude below any rigid filament; NinjaTek's 95A Cheetah reaches 26 by the same method | 2 sources |
| Elongation at break (%) | 650 at break (Filaflex 82A) and 660 (NinjaFlex 85A); BASF measures 600 in XY and 320 in ZX | 3 sources
|
| Brittleness (1–5) | Very ductile — bends far before failing | 1 source
|
| 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 | 3 sources
|
| Creep resistance / sustained load (1–5) | 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 | 1 source
|
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance (1–5) | Excellent — living hinges viable | 1 source
|
| Elasticity / flexibility (1–5) | Rubbery / highly elastic | 2 sources
|
| Z strength as % of XY (%) | 53 — BASF measures 320 % elongation at break in ZX against 600 % in XY | 1 source
|
| Wear resistance & friction | Abrasion 0.08 g mass loss over 10 000 cycles (NinjaFlex, ASTM D4060); 82 mm³ (BASF, ISO 4649) | 2 sources
|
Heat & temperature1 field
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Melting point / Vicat (°C) | 216 melting (NinjaFlex 85A, DSC) | 1 source
|
Weather & chemical resistance5 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| UV resistance (1–5) | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands | 1 source
|
| Chemical resistance | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker) | 1 source
|
| Food contact | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker) | 1 source
|
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable | 1 source
|
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection | 1 source
|
Health & safety2 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fume toxicity (1–5) | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study | |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement (1–5) | Open a window / occasional ventilation |
Finishing & post-processing4 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Sanding & machining | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling | 1 source
|
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it | 1 source
|
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing | 1 source
|
| Support material pairing | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove | 1 source
|
Solvents & solubility3 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Soluble in | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents. | 1 source |
| 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. | 1 source |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak. | 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.
Find a specific filament
6 listingsProduct listings and datasheets
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 6 products from 6 brands
Siraya TechFlex TPU 85A31.99 USD/kg
$31.99 / 1 kg spool (black; white and clear $31.19), siraya.tech, Aug 2026
Passes ISO 10993-5/10/23. Notched Izod falls to 4.4 kJ/m against 19.5 for the same maker's 95A.
Open product listing ↗- Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Technical Data Sheet · 2026-08 · tds
- Siraya Tech Flex TPU 85A Filament — product page · 2026-08 · vendor
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.16 (ISO 1183) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 24 ± 3.0 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) |
|
| Young's modulus (MPa) | 13 (ASTM D638); tensile stress 6.7 MPa at 100 %, 8.4 at 200 %, 10.8 at 300 % strain |
|
| Elongation at break (%) | 580 at break (printed XY, ASTM D638) |
|
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | 85 Shore A (ISO 7619) |
|
| Melting point / Vicat (°C) | 200 melting point; 76 Vicat softening (ISO 306) |
|
add:northTPU Pro Matte 85A72.00 USD/kg
$72.00 / 1 kg spool (1.75 mm, Black), add:north USD list price, addnorth.com, Aug 2026
Matte-finish grade, six colours. No data sheet published for the TPU line.
Open product listing ↗- add:north TPU Pro Matte 85A product page · 2026-08 · vendor
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.1 (add:north product data) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 230–250 |
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | unheated or up to 60 |
|
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | 85 Shore A (manufacturer designation) |
|
RecreusFilaflex 82A89.80 USD/kg
$44.90 / 500 g spool = $89.80/kg on Recreus's own USD storefront, recreus.com/en-en, Aug 2026; the 3 kg spool is $175.00 ($58.33/kg)
Handle filaflex-82a; 3 kg spool EUR 156.09 (EUR 52.03/kg). Recreus also publishes wet-ageing figures: 32 MPa tensile and 600 % elongation after 42 days in 80 °C water.
Open product listing ↗- Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) · 2026-08 · vendor
- Technical Data Sheet — Filaflex 82A, 2025 · 2026-08 · tds
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.12 (1120 kg/m³, ISO 1183) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 240 |
|
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions) (mm³/s) | 3.2 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer |
|
| Drying temperature & time | 55 °C, minimum 1 h |
|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 45 (DIN 53504-S2) |
|
| Young's modulus (MPa) | 22 (ISO 527) |
|
| Elongation at break (%) | 650 at break (Recreus product page) |
|
| Other impact data | Charpy notched no break at +23 and −30 °C (ISO 179); tensile notched impact 580 kJ/m² (ISO 8256/1) |
|
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | 85 Shore A measured with a 3 s dwell (TDS, ISO 7619-1); 82A is the nominal grade name |
|
| Wear resistance & friction | Tear strength 70 N/mm (ISO 34-1); abrasion loss 25 mm³ (ISO 4649) |
|
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | −42 (ISO 11357-1/-2, 10 °C/min) |
|
| Melting point / Vicat (°C) | Vicat 113 (ISO 306, method A, 10 N) |
|
| Electrical & ESD properties | Volume resistivity 1×10^10 Ω·m (IEC 62631-3-1) |
|
Proto-pastaClear Flexible TPU89.99 USD/kg
$89.99 / 1 kg spool; 500 g $49.99, proto-pasta.com product catalogue, Aug 2026
Polycaprolactone-based TPU; Protoplant compares its feel to 90A–95A materials rather than to a typical 98A.
Open product listing ↗- Proto-pasta Clear Flexible TPU product page · 2026-08 · vendor
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 50 g, 500 g and 1 kg |
|
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | From 240 upward |
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | None required; prep the bed with Magigoo to avoid a permanent bond |
|
| Drying temperature & time | Overnight drying recommended before printing |
|
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | About 98 Shore A (manufacturer designation) |
|
3DXTech3DXFLEX TPU 85A96.00 USD/kg
$48.00 / 500 g spool = $96.00/kg, 3dxtech.com product catalogue, Aug 2026
TDS specimens printed XY flat through a 0.75 mm nozzle at 100 % infill, ±45°.
Open product listing ↗- 3DXTech 3DXFLEX TPU 85A product page · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXFLEX TPU (85A) 3D Printing Filament — Technical Data Sheet Rev 1.0 · 2026-08 · tds
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.19 (ASTM D792) | |
|---|---|---|
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm, 500 g |
|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 225–250 |
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | 50 |
|
| Drying temperature & time | 65 °C for 4 h |
|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 4 at break (printed XY flat, ASTM D638) | |
| Young's modulus (MPa) | 12 (printed XY flat, ASTM D638) | |
| Elongation at break (%) | 660 at break (printed XY flat, ASTM D638) | |
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | 85 Shore A (ASTM D2240) |
|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C) | 44 (ASTM D648, 0.45 MPa) |
NinjaTekNinjaFlex 85A106.05 USD/kg
$106.05 / 1 kg spool (1.75 mm, Snow White), ninjatek.com, Aug 2026
Also in 0.5 and 2 kg spools and 3 mm. All TDS mechanical values are printed specimens — ASTM D638 Type IV dogbone, 100 % infill, 0.75 mm nozzle.
Open product listing ↗- NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications · 2026-08 · tds
- NinjaFlex 3D Printing Filament Technical Specifications · 2016-04 · tds
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.19 (ASTM D792) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 225–250 |
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | room temperature to 50; glue stick suggested |
|
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions) (mm³/s) | 1.2–2.8 at the 15–35 mm/s infill speed NinjaTek specifies, 0.4 mm nozzle, 0.2 mm layer |
|
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%) | 0.22 after 24 h (ASTM D570 immersion) — not an equilibrium value at 50 % RH |
|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 26 ultimate and 4 at yield (printed, ASTM D638 Type IV, 100 % infill) |
|
| Young's modulus (MPa) | 12 (printed, ASTM D638) |
|
| Elongation at break (%) | 660 at break and 65 at yield (printed, ASTM D638) |
|
| Other impact data | Izod 4.2 kJ/m² at 23 °C on a printed bar notched after printing (ASTM D256) |
|
| Hardness (scale-specific) (Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell) | 85 Shore A (ASTM D2240, solid moulded block) |
|
| Wear resistance & friction | 0.08 g mass loss over 10 000 Taber cycles (ASTM D4060) |
|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa (°C) | 44 at 0.45 MPa; 60 at 0.07 MPa (ASTM D648) |
|
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | -35 (DSC) |
|
| Melting point / Vicat (°C) | 216 melting (DSC) |
|
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4 product listingsHP P2015DN paper tray roller replacement ↗Printables listing uploaded by jon · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Source image · Image bytes unchanged; displayed in full. Noncommercial reuse only. ShareAlike applies to adaptations.
