Materials / Compare
Plastic Nylon PA6 vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Plastic Nylon PA6 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 | 90MPasourcetypical, dry | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, dry | 18%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.5GPasourcetypical, dry | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,130kg/m³sourcetypical | 930kg/m³sourcetypical22% lighter |
| Strength to weight | 79.6kN·m/kg1.54x higher | 51.6kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 3.1MN·m/kg1.75x higher | 1.77MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 1.25GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 5.83GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,760m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.33W/m·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 102µm/m·Ksourcelongitudinal, 23-55 °C | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 510µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.172mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 49.9W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 220°CsourceDSC | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 87°CsourceIEC 60216 temperature index, 20000 h | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | BASF Ultramid B3S (PA6, unreinforced injection-moulding grade), Product Information 02/2026, dry values (ISO methods) | 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 Plastic Nylon PA6 stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic Nylon PA6 is stronger: its yield strength is 90 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (1.88x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon PA6 or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,130 kg/m³ for Plastic Nylon PA6.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Nylon PA6 or SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic Nylon PA6 is stiffer: Young's modulus 3.5 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Plastic Nylon PA6 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon PA6 or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon PA6 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic Nylon PA6 | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 1.75x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 20% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 6% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.54x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 25% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 13% heavier |
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).