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