Ceramic Aluminum Nitride vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel

Compare Ceramic Aluminum Nitride vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Change either side

Ceramic Aluminum NitrideSintered ceramic (pressed and fired)

DMLS 316L Stainless Steel3D printed metal (DMLS)

Mechanical
Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser	Open in LessCAD	Open in LessCAD
Yield strength	not sourced	530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal
Ultimate tensile strength	not sourced	640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal
Flexural strength	310MPasource3-point bending strength (JIS R 1601)	not sourced
Elongation at break	not sourced	40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal
Young's modulus (stiffness)	320GPasourcetypical (JIS R 1602)	185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet)
Density	3,400kg/m³sourcetypical (JIS R 1634)	7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine
Strength to weight	not sourced	67.1kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight	94.1MN·m/kg4.02x higher	23.4MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio	0.24sourcetypical (JIS R 1602)	0.3sourcebase material: austenitic stainless steels incl. 1.4404 (316L), design value
Shear modulus	129GPa1.81x stiffer in shear	71.2GPa
Bulk modulus	205GPa	154GPa
Speed of sound	9,701m/s	4,839m/s
Thermal
Thermal conductivity	150W/m·Ksourcetypical (JIS R 1611)	16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C
Thermal expansion	4.6µm/m·Ksourcemean, 40-400 °C (JIS R 1618)	15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	23µm growth3.42x less	78.6µm growth
Specific heat	710J/kg·Ksourcetypical (JIS R 1611)	500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	62.1mm²/s15.2x faster	4.1mm²/s
Thermal shock resistance	not sourced	2,067W/m
Values for	KYOCERA AN216A dense sintered aluminium nitride, typical values; KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe data sheet 2023.04.03	EOS StainlessSteel 316L (powder 9011-0032), EOS M 290, ParameterSet 316L 20µm Surface M290/400W, as manufactured, horizontal; ISO 6892-1

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 316L 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 316L Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is lighter: 3,400 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.

Which is stiffer, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is stiffer: Young's modulus 320 GPa against 185 GPa for DMLS 316L 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 316L 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 be	Ceramic Aluminum Nitride	DMLS 316L Stainless Steel
Stiff rod or tie (tension)	lighter	4.02x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)	lighter	3.06x heavier
Stiff panel or plate	lighter	2.79x 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 316L Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride conducts heat better: 150 W/m·K against 16.2 W/m·K for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.

Which expands less with temperature?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride expands less: 4.6 µm/m·K against 15.7 µm/m·K for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.

Among 72 materials

Stiffness against density

Strength against density