Materials / Compare
Plastic Nylon vs. Steel AISI 1045
Compare Plastic Nylon vs. Steel AISI 1045 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 | 531MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 63.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 627MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 82.9MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 12%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.33GPasourcetypical | 210GPasourcetypical90.1x stiffer |
| Density | 1,140kg/m³sourcetypical6.84x lighter | 7,800kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 55.4kN·m/kg | 68.1kN·m/kg23% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.04MN·m/kg | 26.9MN·m/kg13.2x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) | 0.3sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | 0.833GPa | 80.8GPa97x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.89GPa | 175GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,430m/s | 5,189m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.33W/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) | 40–45W/m·Ksourcetypical range, ambient |
| Thermal expansion | 98–102µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K, 98) and PA6 (B3S, 102), 23-55 C | 12µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 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) | 460–480J/kg·Ksourcetypical range, 50/100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.17mm²/s | 11.6mm²/s68.1x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 53.6W/m | 6,269W/m117x 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 1045 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle) for mechanical; Ovako C45 (lists 'SAE 1045' as a similar designation) for physical constants |
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 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 is stronger: its yield strength is 531 MPa against 63.1 MPa for Plastic Nylon (8.42x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon or Steel AISI 1045?
Plastic Nylon is lighter: 1,140 kg/m³ against 7,800 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1045.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Nylon or Steel AISI 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 is stiffer: Young's modulus 210 GPa against 2.33 GPa for Plastic Nylon, so the same part in Steel AISI 1045 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon or Steel AISI 1045?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1045 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Plastic Nylon | Steel AISI 1045 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 13.2x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 39% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.53x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 23% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.65x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.36x 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 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 conducts heat better: 42.5 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1045 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon.