Materials / Compare
Plastic Nylon PA6 vs. Plastic PTFE
Compare Plastic Nylon PA6 vs. Plastic PTFE 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 | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Elongation at break | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, dry | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.5GPasourcetypical, dry | not sourced |
| Density | 1,130kg/m³sourcetypical | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) |
| Strength to weight | 79.6kN·m/kg19.1x higher | 4.17kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 3.1MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) |
| Shear modulus | 1.25GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 5.83GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,760m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.33W/m·Ksourcetypical | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen |
| Thermal expansion | 102µm/m·Ksourcelongitudinal, 23-55 °C | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 510µm growth | 500µm growth2% less |
| Specific heat | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcetypical | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.172mm²/s2.08x faster | 0.0827mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 49.9W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 220°CsourceDSC | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 |
| Max service temperature | 87°CsourceIEC 60216 temperature index, 20000 h | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) |
| Values for | BASF Ultramid B3S (PA6, unreinforced injection-moulding grade), Product Information 02/2026, dry values (ISO methods) | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) |
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 Plastic Nylon PA6 stronger than Plastic PTFE?
Plastic Nylon PA6 is stronger: its yield strength is 90 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (10x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon PA6 or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic Nylon PA6 is lighter: 1,130 kg/m³ against 2,160 kg/m³ for Plastic PTFE.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon PA6 or Plastic PTFE?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon PA6 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic Nylon PA6 | Plastic PTFE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 19.1x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 8.87x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 6.04x 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).
Which conducts heat better, Plastic Nylon PA6 or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic Nylon PA6 conducts heat better: 0.33 W/m·K against 0.25 W/m·K for Plastic PTFE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic PTFE expands less: 100 µm/m·K against 102 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon PA6.