Materials / Compare
SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Plastic PMMA
Compare SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Plastic PMMA 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) | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 48MPasourcetypical | 80MPasourcetypical, 23 °C |
| Compressive strength | not sourced | 110MPasourcecompressive yield stress, typical |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 115MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 18%sourcetypical3.27x more ductile | 5.5%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.65GPasourcetypical | 3.3GPasourcetypical, short-term |
| Density | 930kg/m³sourcetypical28% lighter | 1,190kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 51.6kN·m/kg | 67.2kN·m/kg30% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.77MN·m/kg | 2.77MN·m/kg1.56x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.37sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 1.2GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 4.23GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,332m/s | 1,665m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 0.19W/m·Ksourcetypical |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 70µm/m·Ksource0-50 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 350µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 1,470J/kg·Ksourcetypical |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.109mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 41.5W/m |
| Melting point | 176°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation | 80°Csourcemax. permanent service temperature |
| 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. | Röhm PLEXIGLAS GS 0F00 cast acrylic sheet, typical values at 23 °C / 50 % RH (Röhm Technical Information Ref. No. 211-1) |
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.
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 PMMA?
Plastic PMMA is stronger: its tensile strength is 80 MPa against 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (1.67x).
Which is lighter, SLS PA12 Nylon or Plastic PMMA?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,190 kg/m³ for Plastic PMMA.
Which is stiffer, SLS PA12 Nylon or Plastic PMMA?
Plastic PMMA is stiffer: Young's modulus 3.3 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Plastic PMMA deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, SLS PA12 Nylon or Plastic PMMA?
For the same stiffness or strength: SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate; Plastic PMMA is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | SLS PA12 Nylon | Plastic PMMA |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 1.56x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 11% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 30% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 10% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | about equal | about equal |
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 is more ductile, SLS PA12 Nylon or Plastic PMMA?
SLS PA12 Nylon stretches further before it breaks: 18% elongation at break against 5.5% for Plastic PMMA.