Materials / Compare
SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Stainless 316
Compare SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Stainless 316 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) | 265MPasourcetypical (representative), annealed 1.0 mm sheet |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 48MPasourcetypical | 583MPasourcetypical (representative), annealed 1.0 mm sheet |
| Elongation at break | 18%sourcetypical | 61%sourcetypical (representative), annealed, in 2 in. (51 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.65GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 930kg/m³sourcetypical8.63x lighter | 8,027kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 51.6kN·m/kg1.56x higher | 33kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.77MN·m/kg | 24.9MN·m/kg14x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 76.9GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 167GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,332m/s | 4,992m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 14.6W/m·Ksource20–100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 16.5µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 82.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 450J/kg·Ksourceat 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 4.04mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 821W/m |
| Melting point | 176°Csourcetypical | 1,390–1,440°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation | 871–899°Csourceoxidation (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. | ATI 316 (UNS S31600), annealed 1.0 mm sheet, ATI technical data sheet (2012); 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 316?
Stainless 316 is stronger: its yield strength is 265 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (5.52x).
Which is lighter, SLS PA12 Nylon or Stainless 316?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 8,027 kg/m³ for Stainless 316.
Which is stiffer, SLS PA12 Nylon or Stainless 316?
Stainless 316 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Stainless 316 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, SLS PA12 Nylon or Stainless 316?
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 316 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending).
| Part that must be | SLS PA12 Nylon | Stainless 316 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 14x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 28% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.74x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.56x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.76x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 3.67x 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).