{"id":15196,"date":"2023-03-23T14:22:05","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T14:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the3dsourced.wpengine.com\/?p=15196"},"modified":"2023-04-08T00:58:50","modified_gmt":"2023-04-08T00:58:50","slug":"tpe-vs-tpu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/rigid-ink\/tpe-vs-tpu\/","title":{"rendered":"TPE vs TPU Flexible Filament Differences for 3D Printing"},"content":{"rendered":"

You want to start using 3D printer flexible filaments<\/a>? But with all the choices out there, it can be a bit daunting to decide which one to go for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two serious players on the market are TPU and TPE. They’re both safe materials with excellent layer-to-layer adhesion, and are ideal for 3D printing flexible objects such as belts and phone cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main differences are that TPE is a softer, more elastic filament that has been around for longer, while TPU is a slightly newer, firmer variant.<\/strong> TPU is increasingly popular because it is a little easier to 3d print than TPE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people believe that TPE and TPU are totally different materials, when in reality it’s just the grade and shore hardness that distinguishes these flexible PolyUrethane filaments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article will clear up the confusion surrounding TPU vs TPE, how they’re best used for printing and take you through the steps to achieving best results<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does TPU and TPE Stand For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

TPE<\/strong> = ThermoPlastic Elastomer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TPU<\/a><\/strong> = Thermoplastic PolyUrethane, which is a type of ThermoPlastic Elastomer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why can\u2019t I use actual rubber 3D printer filament? Well, rubber itself in a thermoset form cannot actually be re-melted due to the cross-linking that occurs in the original setting process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, we could make the filament \u2013 but you wouldn\u2019t be able to re-melt it to print with it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you want all the end-use properties of rubber, like high elasticity, great compression strength and hard-wearing durable flexibility \u2013 but in a form that\u2019s easy to print? We hear you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s delve into the key differences between these two thermoplastic elastomers so you can decide what\u2019s right for your application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is TPE filament?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To avoid confusion, it’s worth noting that nearly all “TPE” filaments are in fact a grade of “TPU” as we’ve shown above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the purposes of this article we’re going to call TPE as the original, softer material first brought to the market a few years ago, and TPU as the newer variant, with slightly different properties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we mentioned above, TPE (ThermoPlastic Elastomer) is what these flexible filaments we commonly called when first entering the marketplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until recently, the softer TPE has been the more commonly available material of choice for flexible printing (think Ninjaflex, SemiFlex, Filaflex and similar). It\u2019s essentially a plastic that has rubber-like qualities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wait, but isn’t Ninjaflex a TPU? Yes – however when NinjaTek entered the market a few years ago, their core product NinjaFlex was at the time referred to as a TPE. In recent years they’ve switched to calling it the correct name, TPU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically prints made with TPE flexible filament are really elastic<\/strong> \u2013 you can stretch them up to twice their original length and return to their original state, without permanent deformation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s really soft, with a typical shore hardness of just 85A. Very soft flexible filaments have a history of causing difficulties in some printers when printing – depending on the type of extruder you\u2019re using.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While both materials we\u2019re covering here have slightly different properties, here are the main similarities they share:<\/p>\n\n\n\n