Materials / Compare
SLS PA12 Nylon vs. Titanium
Compare SLS PA12 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 | not given (tensile used) | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 48MPasourcetypical | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Elongation at break | 18%sourcetypical | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.65GPasourcetypical | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 930kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 51.6kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg3.87x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.77MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg14.6x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 42.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,332m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 45µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 2.57mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 3,730W/m |
| Melting point | 176°Csourcetypical | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation | 400°Csourceupper recommended use 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. | 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.
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 Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (18.4x).
Which is lighter, SLS PA12 Nylon or Titanium?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, SLS PA12 Nylon or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, SLS PA12 Nylon or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: SLS PA12 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 | SLS PA12 Nylon | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 14.6x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.75x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 16% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.87x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 47% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 11% 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).