Materials / Compare

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride vs. DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel

Compare Ceramic Aluminum Nitride vs. DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

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Ceramic Aluminum NitrideSintered ceramic (pressed and fired)
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel3D printed metal (DMLS)
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Mechanical
Yield strengthnot sourced861MPasourcemean, as built, horizontal (N=72)
Ultimate tensile strengthnot sourced886MPasourcemean, as built, horizontal (N=72)
Flexural strength310MPasource3-point bending strength (JIS R 1601)not sourced
Elongation at breaknot sourced19.9%sourcemean at break, as built, horizontal
Young's modulus (stiffness)320GPasourcetypical (JIS R 1602)197GPasourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition H 900 (Cleveland-Cliffs)
Density3,400kg/m³sourcetypical (JIS R 1634)7,790kg/m³sourcemean part density (ISO 3369)
Strength to weightnot sourced110kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight94.1MN·m/kg3.72x higher25.3MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio0.24sourcetypical (JIS R 1602)0.272sourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, all conditions (Cleveland-Cliffs)
Shear modulus129GPa1.67x stiffer in shear77.4GPa
Bulk modulus205GPa144GPa
Speed of sound9,701m/s5,029m/s
Thermal
Thermal conductivity150W/m·Ksourcetypical (JIS R 1611)17.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition H 900, at 149 °C (Cleveland-Cliffs)
Thermal expansion4.6µm/m·Ksourcemean, 40-400 °C (JIS R 1618)10.4µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228, AFTER atmospheric heat treatment (as-built value not published)
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing23µm growth2.26x less52µm growth
Specific heat710J/kg·Ksourcetypical (JIS R 1611)460J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition A, 0-100 °C (Cleveland-Cliffs)
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)62.1mm²/s12.4x faster5mm²/s
Thermal shock resistancenot sourced5,474W/m
Values forKYOCERA AN216A dense sintered aluminium nitride, typical values; KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe data sheet 2023.04.03EOS StainlessSteel 17-4PH IndustryLine (powder 9011-0041), EOS M 290, 40 µm, default job 17-4PH_040_StainlessM291_100, as built, horizontal; ISO 6892 & ASTM E8M

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.

DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.

Questions

Which is lighter, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is lighter: 3,400 kg/m³ against 7,790 kg/m³ for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel.

Which is stiffer, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is stiffer: Young's modulus 320 GPa against 197 GPa for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel, so the same part in Ceramic Aluminum Nitride deflects less under the same load.

Which is lighter for the same job, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?

For the same stiffness or strength: Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate.

Part that must beCeramic Aluminum NitrideDMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Stiff rod or tie (tension)lighter3.72x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)lighter2.92x heavier
Stiff panel or platelighter2.69x heavier

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 Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride conducts heat better: 150 W/m·K against 17.9 W/m·K for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel.

Which expands less with temperature?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride expands less: 4.6 µm/m·K against 10.4 µm/m·K for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel.

Among 72 materials

1k10k0.1110100Density (kg/m³)Young's modulus (GPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless Steel 304Stainless Steel 316Aluminum 6061-T6Aluminum 7075-T6Brass C360Copper C110GlassSteel AISI 1045Steel AISI 4340Steel A992Stainless Steel 303Stainless Steel 17-4PHAluminum 2024-T351Aluminum 5052-H32Aluminum 7050-T7451Titanium Ti-6Al-4VBrass C260Nickel Inconel 718Magnesium AZ31B-H24Zinc Zamak 3Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)Plastic PolycarbonatePlastic POM/AcetalPlastic Nylon PA6Plastic Nylon PA66Plastic PEEKPlastic UHMWPEPlastic HDPEPlastic PolypropylenePlastic PMMAFDM ASAFDM PolycarbonateFDM PAHT-CFFDM HIPSSLA Resin Tough 2000SLS PA12 NylonDMLS AlSi10Mg AluminumDMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI TitaniumDMLS 316L Stainless SteelPCB Laminate FR-4SiliconCeramic Alumina 96%Aluminum A380Aluminum 6063-T6Aluminum 1100-OAluminum ADC12Magnesium AZ91DSolder SAC305Plastic PBT GF30Plastic PPS GF40Plastic LCP GF30Ceramic Aluminum NitrideDMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Stiffness against density
1k10k101001kDensity (kg/m³)Yield strength (MPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonRubberAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless Steel 304Stainless Steel 316Aluminum 6061-T6Aluminum 7075-T6Brass C360Copper C110GlassSteel AISI 1045Steel AISI 4340Steel A992Stainless Steel 303Stainless Steel 17-4PHAluminum 2024-T351Aluminum 5052-H32Aluminum 7050-T7451Titanium Ti-6Al-4VBrass C260Nickel Inconel 718Magnesium AZ31B-H24Zinc Zamak 3Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)Plastic PolycarbonatePlastic POM/AcetalPlastic Nylon PA6Plastic Nylon PA66Plastic PEEKPlastic PTFEPlastic UHMWPEPlastic HDPEPlastic PolypropylenePlastic PMMAFDM ASAFDM PolycarbonateFDM PAHT-CFFDM HIPSSLA Resin Tough 2000SLA Resin Elastic 50ASLS PA12 NylonDMLS AlSi10Mg AluminumDMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI TitaniumDMLS 316L Stainless SteelBrickPCB Laminate FR-4SiliconCeramic Alumina 96%Aluminum A380Aluminum 6063-T6Aluminum 1100-OAluminum ADC12Magnesium AZ91DSolder SAC305Plastic PBT GF30Plastic PPS GF40Plastic LCP GF30DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Strength against density

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