Materials / Compare
Plastic Nylon vs. Titanium
Compare Plastic Nylon vs. 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 | 63.1MPasourcetypical | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 63.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Flexural strength | 82.9MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.33GPasourcetypical | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 1,140kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 55.4kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg3.61x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.04MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg12.6x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4sourcebase material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1) | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | 0.833GPa | 42.7GPa51.2x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.89GPa | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,430m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.33W/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 98–102µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K, 98) and PA6 (B3S, 102), 23-55 C | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 500µm growth | 45µm growth11.1x less |
| Specific heat | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcebase material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both) | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.17mm²/s | 2.57mm²/s15.1x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 53.6W/m | 3,730W/m69.6x more resistant |
| Melting point | 188°Csourcetypical | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 55.1°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 89.2°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| 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. | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 63.1 MPa for Plastic Nylon (14x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon or Titanium?
Plastic Nylon is lighter: 1,140 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Nylon or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 2.33 GPa for Plastic Nylon, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate; 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 | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 12.6x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.8x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 6% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.61x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 50% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 4% 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 Titanium?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.33 W/m·K for Plastic Nylon.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon.