Materials / Compare
Glass vs. Plastic Nylon
Compare Glass 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 | 41MPasourcetypical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability | 63.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Flexural strength | 41MPasourcemean MOR (same value as tensile) | 82.9MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 72GPasourcetypical30.9x stiffer | 2.33GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,500kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,140kg/m³sourcetypical2.19x lighter |
| Strength to weight | 16.4kN·m/kg | 55.4kN·m/kg3.38x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 28.8MN·m/kg14.1x higher | 2.04MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.22sourcetypical | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 29.5GPa35.4x stiffer in shear | 0.833GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 42.9GPa | 3.89GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,367m/s | 1,430m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.937W/m·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 0.33W/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) |
| Thermal expansion | 8.3µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 75-575 F | 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 | 41.5µm growth12x less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | 880J/kg·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.426mm²/s2.5x faster | 0.17mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 50.1W/m | 53.6W/m7% more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 188°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 55.1°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 511°Csourcestrain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit | 89.2°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | Annealed soda-lime-silica float glass, Pilkington North America Technical Bulletin ATS-129 (04/2025) | 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 Glass stronger than Plastic Nylon?
Plastic Nylon is stronger: its yield strength is 63.1 MPa against tensile strength 41 MPa for Glass (1.54x).
Which is lighter, Glass or Plastic Nylon?
Plastic Nylon is lighter: 1,140 kg/m³ against 2,500 kg/m³ for Glass.
Which is stiffer, Glass or Plastic Nylon?
Glass is stiffer: Young's modulus 72 GPa against 2.33 GPa for Plastic Nylon, so the same part in Glass deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Glass or Plastic Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Glass is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate; Plastic Nylon is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Glass | Plastic Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 14.1x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 2.53x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 43% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.38x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.92x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 2.72x 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, Glass or Plastic Nylon?
Glass conducts heat better: 0.937 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
Which expands less with temperature?
Glass expands less: 8.3 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon.