Materials / Compare
Plastic PMMA vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Plastic PMMA 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 | not given (tensile used) | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 80MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Compressive strength | 110MPasourcecompressive yield stress, typical | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | 115MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 5.5%sourcetypical | 18%sourcetypical3.27x more ductile |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.3GPasourcetypical, short-term | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,190kg/m³sourcetypical | 930kg/m³sourcetypical28% lighter |
| Strength to weight | 67.2kN·m/kg30% higher | 51.6kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.77MN·m/kg1.56x higher | 1.77MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.37sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 1.2GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 4.23GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,665m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.19W/m·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 70µm/m·Ksource0-50 °C | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 350µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 1,470J/kg·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.109mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 41.5W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 80°Csourcemax. permanent service temperature | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | Röhm PLEXIGLAS GS 0F00 cast acrylic sheet, typical values at 23 °C / 50 % RH (Röhm Technical Information Ref. No. 211-1) | 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 PMMA stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic PMMA is stronger: its tensile strength is 80 MPa against 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (1.67x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PMMA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,190 kg/m³ for Plastic PMMA.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PMMA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic PMMA is stiffer: Young's modulus 3.3 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Plastic PMMA deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PMMA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PMMA is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam; SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic PMMA | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 1.56x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 11% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | 2% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 30% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 10% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | about equal | about equal |
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 PMMA or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon stretches further before it breaks: 18% elongation at break against 5.5% for Plastic PMMA.