Materials / Compare
SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Plastic PEEK
Compare SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Plastic PEEK 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 | not given (tensile used) | 98MPasourcetypical, tensile yield |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 48MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Compressive strength | not sourced | 125MPasourcetypical, 23 C |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 165MPasourcetypical, flexural stress at yield, 23 C |
| Elongation at break | 18%sourcetypical | 25%sourcetypical, at break |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.65GPasourcetypical | 4GPasourcetypical (nominal) |
| Density | 930kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,300kg/m³sourcetypical (crystalline) |
| Strength to weight | 51.6kN·m/kg | 75.4kN·m/kg46% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.77MN·m/kg | 3.08MN·m/kg1.73x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.38sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 1.45GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 5.56GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,332m/s | 1,754m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 0.29W/m·Ksourcetypical, average, 23 C |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 55µm/m·Ksourceaverage of flow/cross-flow, below Tg (<143 C) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 275µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 2,200J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 23 °C, DSC (Victrex PEEK 450G TDS, revision Jul 2012) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.101mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 80.1W/m |
| Melting point | 176°Csourcetypical | 343°Csourcetypical, DSC |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 143°Csourceonset (midpoint 150 C) |
| Max service temperature | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation | 240°CsourceUL 746B RTI, mechanical strength (continuous use index) |
| Values for | EOS PA 2200 (PA12) Material Data Sheet, process parameter 'Balance' at 120 µm layer thickness, X orientation, dry (conditioned values not given). Live MDS status 04.10.2026, last changed 10.09.2026; PDF via ?topdf=... link on the same page. | Victrex PEEK 450G (unreinforced, injection moulded), Victrex TDS rev. March 2026; Poisson from Victrex fluid-management flyer (2020-07) |
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.
SLS PA12 Nylon is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is SLS PA12 Nylon stronger than Plastic PEEK?
Plastic PEEK is stronger: its yield strength is 98 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (2.04x).
Which is lighter, SLS PA12 Nylon or Plastic PEEK?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,300 kg/m³ for Plastic PEEK.
Which is stiffer, SLS PA12 Nylon or Plastic PEEK?
Plastic PEEK is stiffer: Young's modulus 4 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Plastic PEEK deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, SLS PA12 Nylon or Plastic PEEK?
For the same stiffness or strength: SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate; Plastic PEEK is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | SLS PA12 Nylon | Plastic PEEK |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 1.73x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 11% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 4% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 46% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 15% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 2% heavier | lighter |
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).