Materials / Compare
Iron vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Iron vs. SLS PA12 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 | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 | 18%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical | 930kg/m³sourcetypical8.45x lighter |
| Strength to weight | 23.7kN·m/kg | 51.6kN·m/kg2.18x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 26.3MN·m/kg14.8x higher | 1.77MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.282sourceNIST critically evaluated best value (polycrystalline iron) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 80.7GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 158GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 5,132m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 68.5µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 20.7mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,447W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 1,532°Csourcetypical | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| 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. | 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 Iron stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
Iron is stronger: its yield strength is 186 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (3.88x).
Which is lighter, Iron or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is stiffer, Iron or SLS PA12 Nylon?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending); SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Iron | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 14.8x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 33% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | 1.69x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.18x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3.43x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 4.29x 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).