Materials / Compare
SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Stainless 304
Compare SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Stainless 304 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) | 241MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 48MPasourcetypical | 586MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Elongation at break | 18%sourcetypical | 55%sourcetypical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.65GPasourcetypical | 193GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 930kg/m³sourcetypical8.63x lighter | 8,030kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 51.6kN·m/kg1.72x higher | 30kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.77MN·m/kg | 24MN·m/kg13.5x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 74.2GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 161GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,332m/s | 4,903m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 16.2W/m·Ksourceat 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 16.9µm/m·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 84.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 500J/kg·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 4.03mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 838W/m |
| Melting point | 176°Csourcetypical | 1,399–1,454°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation | 899°Csourcecontinuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air |
| 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. | Type 304, annealed flat-rolled (Cleveland-Cliffs 304/304L Product Data Bulletin, May 2021); Poisson's ratio from the Nickel Institute/SCI structural stainless design manual |
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 Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 is stronger: its yield strength is 241 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (5.02x).
Which is lighter, SLS PA12 Nylon or Stainless 304?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 8,030 kg/m³ for Stainless 304.
Which is stiffer, SLS PA12 Nylon or Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 is stiffer: Young's modulus 193 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Stainless 304 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, SLS PA12 Nylon or Stainless 304?
For the same stiffness or strength: SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Stainless 304 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending).
| Part that must be | SLS PA12 Nylon | Stainless 304 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 13.5x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 25% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.77x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.72x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.94x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 3.85x 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).