Materials / Compare
Plastic TPU vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Plastic TPU 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 | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Flexural strength | 4.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 18%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 0.067GPasourcetypical | 1.65GPasourcetypical24.6x stiffer |
| Density | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical | 930kg/m³sourcetypical31% lighter |
| Strength to weight | 19.4kN·m/kg | 51.6kN·m/kg2.66x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 0.0549MN·m/kg | 1.77MN·m/kg32.3x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 234m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | not sourced |
| Specific heat | not sourced | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Melting point | 217°Csourcetypical | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | Ultimaker TPU 95A, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat); 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 (file v5.00), April 29, 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 TPU and SLS PA12 Nylon are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic TPU stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is stronger: its tensile strength is 48 MPa against 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (2.03x).
Which is lighter, Plastic TPU or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,220 kg/m³ for Plastic TPU.
Which is stiffer, Plastic TPU or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is stiffer: Young's modulus 1.65 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in SLS PA12 Nylon deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic TPU or SLS PA12 Nylon?
For the same stiffness or strength: SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic TPU | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 32.3x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 6.51x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 3.82x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.66x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.1x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.87x 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).