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Glass vs. SLS PA12 Nylon Compare Glass vs. SLS PA12 Nylon strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
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Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA Plastic PBT GF30 Plastic PPS GF40 Plastic LCP GF30 Rubber Wood Aluminum Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Aluminum A380 Aluminum 6063-T6 Aluminum 1100-O Aluminum ADC12 Steel Steel AISI 1018 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Iron Titanium Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Stainless Steel 303 Stainless Steel 17-4PH Brass C360 Brass C260 Copper C110 Glass Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Magnesium AZ91D Zinc Zamak 3 FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Standard SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Concrete Brick Plywood Drywall PCB Laminate FR-4 Silicon Ceramic Alumina 96% Ceramic Aluminum Nitride Solder SAC305 Glass Natural Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA Plastic PBT GF30 Plastic PPS GF40 Plastic LCP GF30 Rubber Wood Aluminum Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Aluminum A380 Aluminum 6063-T6 Aluminum 1100-O Aluminum ADC12 Steel Steel AISI 1018 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Iron Titanium Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Stainless Steel 303 Stainless Steel 17-4PH Brass C360 Brass C260 Copper C110 Glass Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Magnesium AZ91D Zinc Zamak 3 FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Standard SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Concrete Brick Plywood Drywall PCB Laminate FR-4 Silicon Ceramic Alumina 96% Ceramic Aluminum Nitride Solder SAC305 SLS PA12 Nylon 3D printed (SLS) 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) not given (tensile used) Ultimate tensile strength 41 MPa source typical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability 48 MPa source typical Flexural strength 41 MPa source mean MOR (same value as tensile) not sourced Elongation at break not sourced 18 % source typical Young's modulus (stiffness) 72 GPa source typical 43.6x stiffer 1.65 GPa source typical Density 2,500 kg/m³ source typical 930 kg/m³ source typical 2.69x lighter Strength to weight 16.4 kN·m/kg 51.6 kN·m/kg 3.15x higher Stiffness to weight 28.8 MN·m/kg 16.2x higher 1.77 MN·m/kg Poisson's ratio 0.22 source typical not sourced Shear modulus 29.5 GPa not sourced Bulk modulus 42.9 GPa not sourced Speed of sound 5,367 m/s 1,332 m/s Thermal Thermal conductivity 0.937 W/m·K source typical at 75 F not sourced Thermal expansion 8.3 µm/m·K source typical, 75-575 F not sourced 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing 41.5 µm growth not sourced Specific heat 880 J/kg·K source typical at 75 F not sourced Heats up and cools (diffusivity) 0.426 mm²/s not sourced Thermal shock resistance 50.1 W/m not sourced Melting point not sourced 176 °C source typical Max service temperature 511 °C source strain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit 64 °C source HDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation Values for Annealed soda-lime-silica float glass, Pilkington North America Technical Bulletin ATS-129 (04/2025) EOS PA 2200 (PA12) Material Data Sheet, process parameter 'Balance' at 120 µm layer thickness, X orientation, dry (conditioned values not given). Live MDS status 04.10.2026, last changed 10.09.2026; PDF via ?topdf=... link on the same page.
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.
SLS PA12 Nylon is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions Is Glass stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon? SLS PA12 Nylon is stronger: its tensile strength is 48 MPa against 41 MPa for Glass (17%).
Which is lighter, Glass or SLS PA12 Nylon? SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 2,500 kg/m³ for Glass.
Which is stiffer, Glass or SLS PA12 Nylon? Glass is stiffer: Young's modulus 72 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Glass deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Glass or SLS PA12 Nylon? For the same stiffness or strength: Glass is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate; SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
Part that must be Glass SLS PA12 Nylon Stiff rod or tie (tension) lighter 16.2x heavier Stiff beam (bending) lighter 2.46x heavier Stiff panel or plate lighter 31% heavier Strong rod or tie 3.15x heavier lighter Strong beam 2.99x heavier lighter Strong panel or plate 2.91x 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).
Among 72 materials 1k 10k 0.1 1 10 100 Density (kg/m³) Young's modulus (GPa) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Aluminum Steel Iron Titanium Steel AISI 1018 Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Brass C360 Copper C110 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Stainless Steel 303 Stainless Steel 17-4PH Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Brass C260 Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Tough 2000 DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel PCB Laminate FR-4 Silicon Ceramic Alumina 96% Ceramic Aluminum Nitride Aluminum A380 Aluminum 6063-T6 Aluminum 1100-O Aluminum ADC12 Magnesium AZ91D Solder SAC305 Plastic PBT GF30 Plastic PPS GF40 Plastic LCP GF30 Glass SLS PA12 Nylon Stiffness against density 1k 10k 10 100 1k Density (kg/m³) Yield strength (MPa) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Rubber Aluminum Steel Iron Titanium Steel AISI 1018 Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Brass C360 Copper C110 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Stainless Steel 303 Stainless Steel 17-4PH Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Brass C260 Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Brick PCB Laminate FR-4 Silicon Ceramic Alumina 96% Aluminum A380 Aluminum 6063-T6 Aluminum 1100-O Aluminum ADC12 Magnesium AZ91D Solder SAC305 Plastic PBT GF30 Plastic PPS GF40 Plastic LCP GF30 Glass SLS PA12 Nylon Strength against density