Ceramic Aluminum Nitride vs. DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel

Compare Ceramic Aluminum Nitride vs. DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Ceramic Aluminum NitrideSintered ceramic (pressed and fired)

DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel3D printed metal (DMLS)

Mechanical	Ceramic Aluminum Nitride	DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Yield strength	none (brittle)	mean861MPa1
Ultimate tensile strength	not sourced	mean886MPa1
Flexural strength	310MPa2	not sourced
Elongation at break	none (brittle)	mean at break19.9%1
Young's modulus (stiffness)	320GPa21.62x stiffer	base material197GPa3
Density	3,400kg/m³22.29x lighter	mean part density7,790kg/m³1
Strength to weight	not sourced	110kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight	94.1MN·m/kg3.72x higher	25.3MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio	0.242	base material0.2723
Shear modulus	129GPa1.67x stiffer in shear	77.4GPa
Bulk modulus	205GPa42% higher	144GPa
Speed of sound	9,701m/s1.93x faster	5,029m/s

Stiffness against densityHigher and further left: stiffer for its weight

Strength against densityHigher and further left: stronger for its weight

Thermal	Ceramic Aluminum Nitride	DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Thermal conductivity	150W/m·K28.38x more heat through a fin	base material17.9W/m·K3
Thermal expansion	mean4.6µm/m·K22.26x less	mean 25-100 °C10.4µm/m·K1
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	23µm growth2.26x less	52µm growth
Specific heat	710J/kg·K21.54x higher	base material460J/kg·K3
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	62.1mm²/s12.4x faster	5mm²/s
Thermal shock resistance	not sourced	5,474W/m

Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weight

Thermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated

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Sources3 documents: EOS GmbH, KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe, Cleveland-Cliffs

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride: KYOCERA AN216A dense sintered aluminium nitride, typical values; KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe data sheet 2023.04.03
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel: EOS StainlessSteel 17-4PH IndustryLine (powder 9011-0041), EOS M 290, 40 µm, default job 17-4PH_040_StainlessM291_100, as built, horizontal; ISO 6892 & ASTM E8M

1
EOS StainlessSteel 17-4PH IndustryLine Material Data Sheet, M 290EOS GmbHarchived copyDMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Yield strength: mean, as built, horizontal (N=72)DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Ultimate tensile strength: mean, as built, horizontal (N=72)DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Elongation at break: mean at break, as built, horizontalDMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Density: mean part density (ISO 3369)DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Thermal expansion: mean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228, AFTER atmospheric heat treatment (as-built value not published)
2
AN216A Aluminium Nitride Data Sheet (2023)KYOCERA Fineceramics Europearchived copyCeramic Aluminum Nitride · Flexural strength: 3-point bending strength (JIS R 1601)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Young's modulus (stiffness): typical (JIS R 1602)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Density: typical (JIS R 1634)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Poisson's ratio: typical (JIS R 1602)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Thermal conductivity: typical (JIS R 1611)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Thermal expansion: mean, 40-400 °C (JIS R 1618)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Specific heat: typical (JIS R 1611)
3
17-4 PH Stainless Steel Product Data Bulletin (2021)Cleveland-CliffsDMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Young's modulus (stiffness): base material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition H 900 (Cleveland-Cliffs)DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Poisson's ratio: base material: wrought 17-4 PH, all conditions (Cleveland-Cliffs)DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Thermal conductivity: base material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition H 900, at 149 °C (Cleveland-Cliffs)DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel · Specific heat: base material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition A, 0-100 °C (Cleveland-Cliffs)

Each number points to the document that states it, with the exact basis. Values without a number are computed from the sourced ones. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.

DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.

Questions

Mechanical

Which is lighter, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is lighter: 3,400 kg/m³ against 7,790 kg/m³ for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel.

Which is stiffer, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is stiffer: Young's modulus 320 GPa against 197 GPa for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel, so the same part in Ceramic Aluminum Nitride deflects less under the same load.

Which is lighter for the same job, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?

For the same stiffness or strength: Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate.

Part that must be	Ceramic Aluminum Nitride	DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Stiff rod or tie (tension)	lighter	3.72x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)	lighter	2.92x heavier
Stiff panel or plate	lighter	2.69x 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).

Thermal

Which conducts heat better, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride conducts heat better: 150 W/m·K against 17.9 W/m·K for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel.

Which expands less with temperature?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride expands less: 4.6 µm/m·K against 10.4 µm/m·K for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel.