Materials / Compare
Plastic PLA vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Plastic PLA 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 | 52.5MPasourcetypical | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Flexural strength | 96.8MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 7.8%sourcetypical | 18%sourcetypical2.31x more ductile |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.25GPasourcetypical1.97x stiffer | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical | 930kg/m³sourcetypical33% lighter |
| Strength to weight | 42.3kN·m/kg | 51.6kN·m/kg22% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.62MN·m/kg48% higher | 1.77MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,619m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0874mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Melting point | 152°Csourcetypical | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | 59.1°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 58.8°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | Ultimaker PLA, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat) orientation; Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS dated April 20, 2022. | 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.
Plastic PLA and SLS PA12 Nylon are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic PLA stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic PLA is stronger: its yield strength is 52.5 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (9%).
Which is lighter, Plastic PLA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,240 kg/m³ for Plastic PLA.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PLA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic PLA is stiffer: Young's modulus 3.25 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Plastic PLA deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PLA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PLA is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending); SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic PLA | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 48% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 5% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | 6% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 22% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 26% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 27% heavier | lighter |
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, Plastic PLA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon stretches further before it breaks: 18% elongation at break against 7.8% for Plastic PLA.