Materials / Compare
Plastic Nylon vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare Plastic Nylon vs. Steel AISI 1018 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 | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 63.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 82.9MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.33GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Density | 1,140kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,861kg/m³sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Strength to weight | 55.4kN·m/kg17% higher | 47.3kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.04MN·m/kg | 25.4MN·m/kg12.4x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) | 0.32sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Shear modulus | 0.833GPa | 75.7GPa91x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.89GPa | 185GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,430m/s | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.33W/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) | 51.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Thermal expansion | 98–102µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K, 98) and PA6 (B3S, 102), 23-55 C | 12µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unalloyed carbon steel, Ovako family table (S275JR, 'none alloyed structural steels', C <= 0.21%); mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 500µm growth | 60µm growth8.33x less |
| Specific heat | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) | 486J/kg·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.17mm²/s | 13.6mm²/s79.8x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 53.6W/m | 5,473W/m102x 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. | AISI 1018 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle, cold-finished bar producer) |
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 is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic Nylon stronger than Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against 63.1 MPa for Plastic Nylon (5.9x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon or Steel AISI 1018?
Plastic Nylon is lighter: 1,140 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Nylon or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 2.33 GPa for Plastic Nylon, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon or Steel AISI 1018?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1018 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending).
| Part that must be | Plastic Nylon | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 12.4x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 34% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.56x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 17% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.11x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.84x 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 Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 conducts heat better: 51.9 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1018 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon.