Materials / Compare
Iron vs. Plastic Nylon
Compare Iron vs. Plastic Nylon strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 186MPasourcetypical (0.2% YS), hot rolled + SRA/recrystallization anneal | 63.1MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal | 63.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 82.9MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal | 2.33GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,140kg/m³sourcetypical6.89x lighter |
| Strength to weight | 23.7kN·m/kg | 55.4kN·m/kg2.34x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 26.3MN·m/kg12.9x higher | 2.04MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.282sourceNIST critically evaluated best value (polycrystalline iron) | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 80.7GPa97x stiffer in shear | 0.833GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 158GPa | 3.89GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,132m/s | 1,430m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C | 0.33W/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) |
| Thermal expansion | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C | 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 | 68.5µm growth7.3x less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 20.7mm²/s122x faster | 0.17mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,447W/m64.3x more resistant | 53.6W/m |
| Melting point | 1,532°Csourcetypical | 188°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 55.1°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 89.2°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | Cleveland-Cliffs / AK Steel ARMCO Pure Iron Product Data Bulletin (07/2022): Table 1 typical physical properties, Table 2 typical mechanical properties after SRA/recrystallization anneal. | 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 Iron stronger than Plastic Nylon?
Iron is stronger: its yield strength is 186 MPa against 63.1 MPa for Plastic Nylon (2.95x).
Which is lighter, Iron or Plastic Nylon?
Plastic Nylon is lighter: 1,140 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is stiffer, Iron or Plastic Nylon?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 2.33 GPa for Plastic Nylon, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or Plastic Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending); Plastic Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Iron | Plastic Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 12.9x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 37% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | 1.55x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.34x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3.35x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 4.02x 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, Iron or Plastic Nylon?
Iron conducts heat better: 73.2 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
Which expands less with temperature?
Iron expands less: 13.7 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon.