Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Plastic ABS vs. SLS PA12 Nylon strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Flexural strength | 61.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 4.6%sourcetypical | 18%sourcetypical3.91x more ductile |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.96GPasourcetypical19% stiffer | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical | 930kg/m³sourcetypical18% lighter |
| Strength to weight | 34.6kN·m/kg | 51.6kN·m/kg49% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.78MN·m/kg | 1.77MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcebase material: ABS family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 0.706GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 2.97GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,336m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | not sourced | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.2W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | 101°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 86.6°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | Ultimaker ABS, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat); Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS v5.00, April 20, 2022. | EOS PA 2200 (PA12) Material Data Sheet, process parameter 'Balance' at 120 µm layer thickness, X orientation, dry (conditioned values not given). Live MDS status 04.10.2026, last changed 10.09.2026; PDF via ?topdf=... link on the same page. |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Plastic ABS and SLS PA12 Nylon are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic ABS stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is stronger: its tensile strength is 48 MPa against yield strength 38.1 MPa for Plastic ABS (26%).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,100 kg/m³ for Plastic ABS.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS or SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic ABS is stiffer: Young's modulus 1.96 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Plastic ABS deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | about equal | about equal |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 8% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 12% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 49% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 38% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 33% heavier | lighter |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which is more ductile, Plastic ABS or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon stretches further before it breaks: 18% elongation at break against 4.6% for Plastic ABS.