Materials / Compare
Ceramic Alumina 96% vs. Plastic Nylon
Compare Ceramic Alumina 96% 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 | 221MPasourcetypical tensile strength, 25 °C (ACMA Test #4) | 63.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Compressive strength | 2,068MPasourcetypical, 20 °C (ASTM-C773) | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | 358MPasourceflexural strength (MOR), 20 °C (ASTM-F417) | 82.9MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 303GPasourcetypical, 20 °C (ASTM-C848) | 2.33GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 3,720kg/m³sourcetypical (ASTM-C20) | 1,140kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 59.4kN·m/kg7% higher | 55.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 81.5MN·m/kg39.8x higher | 2.04MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.21sourcetypical, 20 °C (ASTM-C848) | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 125GPa150x stiffer in shear | 0.833GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 174GPa | 3.89GPa |
| Speed of sound | 9,025m/s | 1,430m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 24.7W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C (ASTM-C408) | 0.33W/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) |
| Thermal expansion | 8.2µm/m·Ksourcemean, 25-1000 °C (ASTM-C372) | 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 | 41µm growth12.2x less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | 880J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 100 °C (ASTM-E1269) | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 7.55mm²/s44.3x faster | 0.17mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 1,736W/m32.4x more resistant | 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 | CoorsTek AD-96, nominal 96% Al2O3 sintered alumina, typical values; CoorsTek "Ceramic Seal Material Properties" (© 2018, 01899 F). AD-96 is the general 96% grade, not the ADS-96R substrate grade. | 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 Ceramic Alumina 96% stronger than Plastic Nylon?
Ceramic Alumina 96% is stronger: its tensile strength is 221 MPa against yield strength 63.1 MPa for Plastic Nylon (3.5x).
Which is lighter, Ceramic Alumina 96% or Plastic Nylon?
Plastic Nylon is lighter: 1,140 kg/m³ against 3,720 kg/m³ for Ceramic Alumina 96%.
Which is stiffer, Ceramic Alumina 96% or Plastic Nylon?
Ceramic Alumina 96% is stiffer: Young's modulus 303 GPa against 2.33 GPa for Plastic Nylon, so the same part in Ceramic Alumina 96% deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Ceramic Alumina 96% or Plastic Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Ceramic Alumina 96% is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie; Plastic Nylon is lighter for a strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Ceramic Alumina 96% | Plastic Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 39.8x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 3.49x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.55x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 7% heavier |
| Strong beam | 41% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.74x 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, Ceramic Alumina 96% or Plastic Nylon?
Ceramic Alumina 96% conducts heat better: 24.7 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
Which expands less with temperature?
Ceramic Alumina 96% expands less: 8.2 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon.