Materials / Compare
Plastic UHMWPE vs. SLS PA12 Nylon
Compare Plastic UHMWPE 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 | 20MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527, 50 mm/min | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 43MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at break ISO 527, 50 mm/min | 48MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 465%sourcetypical, nominal elongation at break ISO 527 | 18%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 0.66GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527, 1 mm/min | 1.65GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 930kg/m³sourcetypical | 930kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 21.5kN·m/kg | 51.6kN·m/kg2.4x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 0.71MN·m/kg | 1.77MN·m/kg2.5x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 842m/s | 1,332m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, unfilled (narrative value, generic Celanese UHMWPE) | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 200µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 to 100 °C (generic Celanese UHMWPE) | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 1,000µm growth | 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 | 130–138°CsourceDSC 10 K/min | 176°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 80°Csourcerecommended max constant operating temperature | 64°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation |
| Values for | Celanese GUR 4120 (avg. molecular weight 4.7x10^6 g/mol), typical values on compression-molded specimens; CTE and thermal conductivity from Celanese's generic UHMWPE guide (grade not named) | 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 UHMWPE stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is stronger: its tensile strength is 48 MPa against yield strength 20 MPa for Plastic UHMWPE (2.4x).
Which is lighter, Plastic UHMWPE or SLS PA12 Nylon?
Plastic UHMWPE is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 930 kg/m³ for SLS PA12 Nylon.
Which is stiffer, Plastic UHMWPE or SLS PA12 Nylon?
SLS PA12 Nylon is stiffer: Young's modulus 1.65 GPa against 0.66 GPa for Plastic UHMWPE, so the same part in SLS PA12 Nylon deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic UHMWPE 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 UHMWPE | SLS PA12 Nylon |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 2.5x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.58x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 36% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.4x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 1.79x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.55x 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).