Materials / Compare
Iron vs. Plastic Nylon PA6
Compare Iron vs. Plastic Nylon PA6 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 | 90MPasourcetypical, dry |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, dry |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal | 3.5GPasourcetypical, dry |
| Density | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,130kg/m³sourcetypical6.96x lighter |
| Strength to weight | 23.7kN·m/kg | 79.6kN·m/kg3.37x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 26.3MN·m/kg8.5x higher | 3.1MN·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 | 80.7GPa64.6x stiffer in shear | 1.25GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 158GPa | 5.83GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,132m/s | 1,760m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C | 0.33W/m·Ksourcetypical |
| Thermal expansion | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C | 102µm/m·Ksourcelongitudinal, 23-55 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 68.5µm growth7.45x less | 510µm growth |
| Specific heat | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcetypical |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 20.7mm²/s120x faster | 0.172mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,447W/m69.1x more resistant | 49.9W/m |
| Melting point | 1,532°Csourcetypical | 220°CsourceDSC |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 87°CsourceIEC 60216 temperature index, 20000 h |
| 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. | BASF Ultramid B3S (PA6, unreinforced injection-moulding grade), Product Information 02/2026, dry values (ISO methods) |
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.
Questions
Is Iron stronger than Plastic Nylon PA6?
Iron is stronger: its yield strength is 186 MPa against 90 MPa for Plastic Nylon PA6 (2.07x).
Which is lighter, Iron or Plastic Nylon PA6?
Plastic Nylon PA6 is lighter: 1,130 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is stiffer, Iron or Plastic Nylon PA6?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 3.5 GPa for Plastic Nylon PA6, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or Plastic Nylon PA6?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending); Plastic Nylon PA6 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 PA6 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 8.5x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 11% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | 1.79x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.37x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 4.29x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 4.84x 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 PA6?
Iron conducts heat better: 73.2 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon PA6.
Which expands less with temperature?
Iron expands less: 13.7 µm/m·K against 102 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon PA6.