Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Plastic Nylon
Compare Brick vs. Plastic Nylon strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | not given (tensile used) | 63.1MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 63.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 82.9MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 2.33GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 1,140kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 55.4kN·m/kg22.6x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 2.04MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 0.833GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 3.89GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 1,430m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 0.33W/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 98–102µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K, 98) and PA6 (B3S, 102), 23-55 C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth13.9x less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s3.44x faster | 0.17mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 53.6W/m |
| Melting point | not sourced | 188°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 55.1°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 89.2°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | Solid extruded clay/shale brick units (BIA 1993 manufacturer survey, TN 3A 2024); face brick of 130 lb/ft3 for thermal properties (BIA TN 4, from ASHRAE 2013); CTE is the TMS Code value for clay/shale masonry | Ultimaker Nylon, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat), conditioned >=24 h at room temperature; 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 v2.00, April 20, 2022. |
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 Nylon is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Brick stronger than Plastic Nylon?
Plastic Nylon is stronger: its yield strength is 63.1 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (12.4x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Plastic Nylon?
Plastic Nylon is lighter: 1,140 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Plastic Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Plastic Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 22.6x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 9.77x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 6.42x 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 conducts heat better, Brick or Plastic Nylon?
Brick conducts heat better: 1.02 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon.