TPU-CF
Thermoplastic Polyurethane (Carbon fibre)
3 products from 3 makers. Bambu Lab does not list this material for the H2C; its published process temperatures are within the printer's limits.
- Tensile modulus (XY)
- 0.2GPa
- as published · test bar not described as printed
- Tensile strength (XY)
- 60MPa
- as published · test bar not described as printed
- Not published:
- tensile strength (Z).
- Notched Charpy impact
- 40kJ/m²
- as published · test bar not described as printed
- Not applicable:
- HDT at 0.45 MPa.
- Price
- 189CAD/kg
- 2 products · 150–227
TPU-CF is a carbon-fibre-filled thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. A maker sells it for shock absorbers, gaskets and protective components, and makers say the carbon makes the flexible base stiffer and more resistant and cite UV resistance. On the H2C it prints at 230–245 °C with no heated chamber, but makers call for a hardened or ruby nozzle against the abrasive fibre.
Thinly documented Three products, with values from three makers' documents: Spectrum's, Extrudr's and Fiberlogy's. No document describes its tensile and impact bars as printed, so tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (XY) and notched Charpy impact are shown as published and not ranked against other materials. Read each figure as a few sheets' word.
On the H2C
Printing in full- Nozzle
- 230–245 °C
- most products that give one
- Bed
- 50–70 °C
- most products that give one
- Heated chamber
- none needed
- all 3 products
- Drying
- 80–85 °C for 4 h
- 1 of 3 products calls for it; 1 more gives it as optional
- Nozzle type
- hardened
- 2 of 3 products' sheets ask for one; the rest are silent
No product's setting is beyond the H2C's limits: nozzle 350 °C, bed 120 °C, heated chamber 65 °C.
Among the materials
Against TPU 95A class, TPU-CF is 2.3 times as expensive. Against TPU 85A class and softer, TPU-CF is 3.3 times as expensive. Among the materials, TPU-CF has a high price: it is in the top quarter of the materials that publish it. Its density sits in the middle half.
Against its alternatives, TPU-CF has the highest price
How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?
- TPU-CF: its products' median and middle half
- an alternative
- lowest to highest
- each material's median (top row)
- set apart: test bar not described as printed, or no stated load
- beyond the scale
Each row is a material, each column a property: the bar is the middle half of a material's products, the tick their median, the hairline their lowest to highest; the ticks above the rows are every material's median.
The figure as a table
| Material | Modulus (XY) (GPa) | Strength (XY) (MPa) | Strength (Z) (MPa) | Notched Charpy (kJ/m²) | Price (CAD/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPU-CF (this material) | 0.2 as published (1) | 60 as published (1) | — | 40 as published (1) | 189 · 2 |
| TPU 95A class | 0.027 (0.0166–0.0396) · 11 | 29 (27–34) · 17 | 22 (18.5–22) · 5 | 78 · 1 | 83 · 2 |
| TPU 85A class and softer | 0.0127 (0.011–0.016) · 4 | 22 (17–24.8) · 7 | 8.25 · 2 | 15.3 · 1 | 58 · 3 |
TPU-CF publishes no tensile strength (Z). Its tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (XY) and notched Charpy impact state no orientation, so they are drawn as published.
Mechanical properties
As published, its products give a tensile strength of 60 MPa, a modulus of 200 MPa and an elongation at break of 15 %.
| As each sheet publishes it | Spectrum S-Flex Carbon | Extrudr FLEX HARD CF | Fiberlogy FiberFlex CF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) | not published | not published | 60 MPanot described as printed |
| Tensile modulus (XY) | not published | not published | 0.2 GPanot described as printed |
| Elongation at break (XY) | not published | not published | 15 %not described as printed |
| Notched Charpy impact | not published | not published | 40 kJ/m²not described as printed |
| Shore A hardness | 90 Shore A | not published | 90 Shore A |
| Shore D hardness | not published | not published | 60 Shore D |
Not published for TPU-CF: strength across the layers.
Thermal properties
As published, Vicat softening is typically 91 °C and melting 200–240 °C, from one product.
Not published for TPU-CF: HDT at 0.45 MPa, HDT at 1.8 MPa and the glass transition.
Printing on the H2C
TPU-CF's print settings and service temperatures against the H2C's limits
What does printing it on the H2C take, and how hot can a part get?
- share of the products that accept each temperature
- what most products accept
- the H2C's limit, and beyond it
- a product
- as published, under each sheet's own test
Printing it on the H2C
In service
°C
One temperature axis for the settings a print needs and the temperatures a part meets. A setting's shade is how many of the products whose sheets give a window accept each degree; the H2C's limit closes its row.
The figure as a table
| Setting or property | Most products, or the median | Products | H2C limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 230–245 °C | 3 | 350 °C |
| Bed | 50–70 °C | 3 | 120 °C |
| Heated chamber | — | 0 | 65 °C |
| Drying | 80–85 °C, 4 h | 2 | — |
| Vicat softening temperature | 91–140 °C | 3 | — |
| Melting temperature | 200–240 °C | 1 | — |
No TPU-CF product gives a heated chamber window. Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.
| Setting | Spectrum S-Flex Carbon | Extrudr FLEX HARD CF | Fiberlogy FiberFlex CF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 210–245 °C | 230–260 °C | 190–205 °C |
| Bed | 45–70 °C | 50–90 °C | 80 °C |
| Heated chamber | none needed | none needed | none needed |
| Drying | optional: 85 °C for ≥ 4 h | not published | 80 °C for 4 h |
| Nozzle type | hardened | hardened | not stated |
What makers say about printing it
Printing advice
Additionally, a nozzle diameter of at least 0.6 mm should be used to prevent clogging and ensure smooth extrusion.
Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, data sheet, p. 1The increased stiffness makes the filament easier to print than other flexible TPU materials.
Fiberlogy FiberFlex CF, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Nozzle wear
Note: Due to the abrasive nature of the carbon fibers, a hardened nozzle (e.g., hardened steel or ruby nozzle) is strongly recommended.
Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, data sheet, p. 1Ruby or hardened nozzle recommended
Spectrum S-Flex Carbon, data sheet, p. 1Hardened Nozzle yes
Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, data sheet, p. 1
Moisture sensitivity
Dry box recommended
Spectrum S-Flex Carbon, data sheet, p. 1
More from makers: warping and shrinkage and adhesion between layers
Warping and shrinkage
The material is also very easy to process and has very low warping.
Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, data sheet, p. 1
Adhesion between layers
Extreme layer adhesion
Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, data sheet, p. 1
Products
Three products from three makers: Extrudr, Fiberlogy and Spectrum.
Uses, limitations and chemicals
What it is sold for
FiberFlex CF is ideal for applications requiring a combination of flexibility and strength—such as shock absorbers, gaskets, protective components, industrial structures, or mechanical parts exposed to heavy loads and harsh conditions.
Fiberlogy FiberFlex CF, maker's product page or guideFilament S-Flex Carbon is an innovative 3D printing material that seamlessly combines the flexibility of traditional flex filament with the added strength and durability provided by a 20% carbon fiber reinforcement.
Spectrum S-Flex Carbon, data sheet, p. 1The carbon reinforces the TPU and makes it more resistant and stiffer.
Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, data sheet, p. 1
Finish and accuracy
In addition, an excellent carbon look is created.
Extrudr FLEX HARD CF, data sheet, p. 1Carbon surface finish
Spectrum S-Flex Carbon, data sheet, p. 1
Chemicals and environment
| Exposure | What makers say |
|---|---|
| UV and outdoor | Described in words, with no rating, in both statements |
Makers rarely give the concentration, temperature or duration: treat them as indications, not design data. Each product's statements are on its card.
Where no maker of these products speaks to an exposure, reference data for plain TPU resin is shown. Fillers, pigments and printing change it, so it does not stand for these products.
| TPU resin | Verdict | Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Acid resistance | not resistant | Concentrated acids (not resistant), Dilute acids (limited), 3 % Hydrochloric acid (strong mineral acids; 3 % sulphuric acid will be similar) (limited) and 3 % Nitric acid (oxidizing mineral acids) (not resistant) |
| Alkali resistance | not resistant | Concentrated alkaline solutions (not resistant), 3 % Soda lye (caustic soda) (limited) and 3 % Ammonium solution (limited) |
| Organic solvent resistance | not resistant | Ketones (acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, cyclohexanone) (not resistant), Ethanol (aliphatic alcohols) (limited), Toluene (aromatic hydrocarbons) (not resistant) and Tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, dimethyl acetamide, N-methyl pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulphoxide, pyridine (not resistant) |
| Oil and grease resistance | limited | Lubricating oils and greases (IRM 901, 902, 903 test oils) (resistant), Saturated hydrocarbons (diesel oil, isooctane, petroleum ether, kerosene) (limited), Gasoline (FAM test fluid B, DIN 51604: toluene / iso-octane / di-isobutylene / methanol / ethanol / water) (not resistant) and Brake fluid (not resistant) |
| Water solubility | resistant | Tap water (resistant) |
| Hydrolytic stability | limited | Hot water, moisture vapour, tropical climate (polyester-based TPU) (not resistant) and Hot water, moisture vapour, tropical climate (polyether-based TPU) (resistant) |
Density and price
All two products give a density of 1,230 kg/m³. TPU-CF typically costs 189 CAD/kg, across the 2 products with a regular price in the sample; the lowest is Spectrum S-Flex Carbon at 150 CAD/kg.
| As each sheet publishes it | Spectrum S-Flex Carbon | Extrudr FLEX HARD CF | Fiberlogy FiberFlex CF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1,230 kg/m³ | not published | 1,230 kg/m³ |
| Price | 150 CAD/kg | not published | 227 CAD/kg |
Regular prices, never sale prices, from 9 Canadian shops and 10 foreign shops, sampled 10 Sep–20 Oct 2026, not live; shipping and tax are not included.
Other properties, as published
7 more properties are published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.
The 7 properties, lowest to highest
| Property | Products | Lowest–highest |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre content | 2 | 20 % |
| Abrasion loss | 1 | 26 mm³ |
| Compression strength | 1 | 50 MPa |
| Poisson's ratio | 1 | 0.45 |
| Tear strength | 1 | 165 kN/m |
| Tensile stress at 100 % elongation | 1 | 14 MPa |
| Tensile stress at 300 % elongation | 1 | 27 MPa |
Estimated values
No product publishes values of tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (XY) and elongation at break (XY) that can be ranked, so the selector estimates them from the products' related values and similar materials. An estimate is a range, never a product's value, and nothing above rests on it.
| Property | Likely | Plausible | Precision | Beside what is published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile modulus (XY) | 0.01–1.00 GPa | 0.005–2.97 GPa | a factor of 100 between its ends | one product gives 0.2 GPa without a stated orientation, inside it |
| Tensile strength (XY) | 14–85 MPa | 8–147 MPa | a factor of 6.1 between its ends | one product gives 60 MPa without a stated orientation, inside it |
| Elongation at break (XY) | 26–76 % | 18–106 % | a factor of 2.9 between its ends | one product gives 15 % without a stated orientation, below the likely range |
What likely and plausible mean
Tested against known values, a likely range held the true value 8 times in 10, and a plausible range 19 times in 20. How the estimates are made.
Sources
10 documents from 4 publishers (6 data sheets, 3 makers' product pages and guides and 1 printer document), read 10 Sep–1 Oct 2026. Each value on TPU-CF's Products page names its document and page, and links to the original.
Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide (the H2C's printer guide): print settings for 3 products.
Every document (10), by publisher
| Publisher | Documents | Values | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extrudr | 3 | 17 | 1 |
| Fiberlogy | 3 | 13 | 1 |
| Spectrum | 3 | 11 | 1 |
- Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide | Bambu Lab Wiki
- Extrudr, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET FLEX HARD CF
- Extrudr, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET FLEX HARD CF
- Extrudr, TECHNISCHES DATENBLATT FLEX HARD CF
- Fiberlogy, FiberFlex+CF Filament – S2
- Fiberlogy, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Fiberlogy FiberFlex CF
- Fiberlogy, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET Fiberlogy FiberFlex CF
- Spectrum, 3D Printing Filament Manufacturer PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
- Spectrum, Spectrum Filaments Product Portfolio 2025 — Prografen pp28–29
- Spectrum, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET S-Flex Carbon