Materials / Compare
Aluminum vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Aluminum 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 | 276MPasourcetypical, 0.2% offset, .500 in dia specimen | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 310MPasourcetypical6.46x stronger | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 17%sourcetypical, in 4D, 0.500 in dia specimen | 18%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 68.3GPasourcetypical41.4x stiffer | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,700kg/m³sourcenominal | 930kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 102kN·m/kg1.98x higher | 51.6kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 25.3MN·m/kg14.3x higher | 1.77MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.33sourcetypical (handbook physical constant) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 25.7GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 67GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 5,030m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 167W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 23.6µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-100 °C | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 118µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 896J/kg·Ksourcetypical, at 100 °C | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 69mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 19,159W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 582–652°Csourcesolidus-liquidus | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | 6061-T6/T651, Kaiser Aluminum typical properties (sheet, coil & plate datasheet); Poisson from MIL-HDBK-5J | 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.
SLS PA12 Nylon is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Aluminum stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
Aluminum is stronger: its yield strength is 276 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (5.75x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 2,700 kg/m³ for Aluminum.
Which is stiffer, Aluminum or SLS PA12 Nylon?
Aluminum is stiffer: Young's modulus 68.3 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Aluminum deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam; SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Aluminum | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 14.3x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 2.22x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 19% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.98x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 11% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | 21% 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).