Materials / Compare
Plastic Nylon PA6 vs. DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium
Compare Plastic Nylon PA6 vs. DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium 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 | 1,100MPasourcetypical, as built, average of horizontal + vertical (M400) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 1,270MPasourcetypical, as built, average of horizontal + vertical (M400) |
| Elongation at break | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, dry | 8.7%sourcetypical at break, as built (M400) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.5GPasourcetypical, dry | 110GPasourcesame maker and process, sibling grade: EOS Titanium Ti64 (Grade 5) on EOS M 290, as built, XY and Z, typical |
| Density | 1,130kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,400kg/m³sourcetypical part density (ISO 3369), M400 |
| Strength to weight | 79.6kN·m/kg | 250kN·m/kg3.14x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 3.1MN·m/kg | 25MN·m/kg8.07x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) | 0.342sourcewrought TIMETAL 6-4 (TIMET measurement, mean of 10); composition-level, not DMLS-measured |
| Shear modulus | 1.25GPa | 41GPa32.8x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 5.83GPa | 116GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,760m/s | 5,000m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.33W/m·Ksourcetypical | 6.6W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought Ti-6Al-4V / 6-4 ELI (TIMET datasheet), 20 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 102µm/m·Ksourcelongitudinal, 23-55 °C | 9µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228; EOS Ti64 Grade 23 (=ELI) on EOS M 290 40 µm; condition not stated (sheet's mechanical data are heat treated) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 510µm growth | 45µm growth11.3x less |
| Specific heat | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcetypical | 580J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought Ti-6Al-4V / 6-4 ELI (TIMET datasheet), 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.172mm²/s | 2.59mm²/s15.1x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 49.9W/m | 4,825W/m96.7x more resistant |
| Melting point | 220°CsourceDSC | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range, wrought TIMETAL 6-4 (composition-level) |
| Max service temperature | 87°CsourceIEC 60216 temperature index, 20000 h | not sourced |
| Values for | BASF Ultramid B3S (PA6, unreinforced injection-moulding grade), Product Information 02/2026, dry values (ISO methods) | EOS Titanium Ti64ELI (powder 9011-0040; ASTM F136/F3001, i.e. Grade 23) on EOS M400 SF, parameter set Ti64ELI_030_FlexM400_100, 30 µm, as built; ISO 6892-1 A14 |
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.
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic Nylon PA6 stronger than DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 1,100 MPa against 90 MPa for Plastic Nylon PA6 (12.2x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon PA6 or DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
Plastic Nylon PA6 is lighter: 1,130 kg/m³ against 4,400 kg/m³ for DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Nylon PA6 or DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 110 GPa against 3.5 GPa for Plastic Nylon PA6, so the same part in DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon PA6 or DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon PA6 is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate; DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | Plastic Nylon PA6 | DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 8.07x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 44% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 23% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.14x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 36% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 11% 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 DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon PA6.
Which expands less with temperature?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 102 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon PA6.
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