Materials / Compare
Plastic Nylon vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel
Compare Plastic Nylon vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel 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 | 63.1MPasourcetypical | 530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 63.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Flexural strength | 82.9MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.33GPasourcetypical | 185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet) |
| Density | 1,140kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine |
| Strength to weight | 55.4kN·m/kg | 67.1kN·m/kg21% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.04MN·m/kg | 23.4MN·m/kg11.5x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) | 0.3sourcebase material: austenitic stainless steels incl. 1.4404 (316L), design value |
| Shear modulus | 0.833GPa | 71.2GPa85.5x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.89GPa | 154GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,430m/s | 4,839m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.33W/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) | 16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 98–102µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K, 98) and PA6 (B3S, 102), 23-55 C | 15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 500µm growth | 78.6µm growth6.36x less |
| Specific heat | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) | 500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.17mm²/s | 4.1mm²/s24.1x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 53.6W/m | 2,067W/m38.6x more resistant |
| Melting point | 188°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Glass transition | 55.1°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 89.2°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | not sourced |
| Values for | Ultimaker Nylon, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat), conditioned >=24 h at room temperature; Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS v2.00, April 20, 2022. | EOS StainlessSteel 316L (powder 9011-0032), EOS M 290, ParameterSet 316L 20µm Surface M290/400W, as manufactured, horizontal; ISO 6892-1 |
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.
Plastic Nylon and DMLS 316L Stainless Steel are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic Nylon stronger than DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against 63.1 MPa for Plastic Nylon (8.4x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
Plastic Nylon is lighter: 1,140 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Nylon or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 185 GPa against 2.33 GPa for Plastic Nylon, so the same part in DMLS 316L Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Plastic Nylon | DMLS 316L Stainless Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 11.5x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 29% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.61x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 21% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.68x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.39x 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 or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel conducts heat better: 16.2 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
Which expands less with temperature?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel expands less: 15.7 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
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