Plastic Nylon vs. SLS PA12 Nylon

Compare Plastic Nylon vs. SLS PA12 Nylon strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Mechanical	Plastic Nylon	SLS PA12 Nylon
Yield strength	63.1MPa1	not given (tensile used)
Ultimate tensile strength	63.1MPa131% stronger	48MPa2
Flexural strength	82.9MPa1	not sourced
Elongation at break	not sourced	18%2
Young's modulus (stiffness)	2.33GPa141% stiffer	1.65GPa2
Density	1,140kg/m³1	930kg/m³223% lighter
Strength to weight	55.4kN·m/kg7% higher	51.6kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight	2.04MN·m/kg15% higher	1.77MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio	base material0.43	not sourced
Shear modulus	0.833GPa	not sourced
Bulk modulus	3.89GPa	not sourced
Speed of sound	1,430m/s7% faster	1,332m/s

Stiffness against densityHigher and further left: stiffer for its weight

Strength against densityHigher and further left: stronger for its weight

Thermal	Plastic Nylon	SLS PA12 Nylon
Thermal conductivity	base material0.33W/m·K4	not sourced
Thermal expansion	base material98–102µm/m·K4	not sourced
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	500µm growth	not sourced
Specific heat	base material1,700J/kg·K4	not sourced
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	0.17mm²/s	not sourced
Thermal shock resistance	53.6W/m	not sourced
Melting point	188°C1	176°C2
Glass transition	55.1°C1	not sourced
Max service temperature	HDT 0.455 MPa89.2°C1	HDT 1.8 MPa64°C2

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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Sources4 documents: UltiMaker, EOS GmbH, Covestro, BASF

Plastic Nylon: Ultimaker Nylon, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat), conditioned >=24 h at room temperature; 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 v2.00, April 20, 2022.
SLS PA12 Nylon: 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.

1
Ultimaker Nylon Technical Data Sheet, v5.00UltiMakerarchived copyPlastic Nylon · Yield strength: typicalPlastic Nylon · Ultimate tensile strength: typical, peak stress (= stress at yield)Plastic Nylon · Flexural strength: typicalPlastic Nylon · Young's modulus (stiffness): typicalPlastic Nylon · Density: typicalPlastic Nylon · Melting point: typicalPlastic Nylon · Glass transition: typicalPlastic Nylon · Max service temperature: HDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens)
2
PA 2200 Balance Material Data SheetEOS GmbHSLS PA12 Nylon · Ultimate tensile strength: typicalSLS PA12 Nylon · Elongation at break: typicalSLS PA12 Nylon · Young's modulus (stiffness): typicalSLS PA12 Nylon · Density: typicalSLS PA12 Nylon · Melting point: typicalSLS PA12 Nylon · Max service temperature: HDT 1.8 MPa, X orientation
3
Engineering Polymers Part and Mold Design: Thermoplastics, A Design GuideCovestroPlastic Nylon · Poisson's ratio: base material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1)
4
Ultramid (PA) Product RangeBASFPlastic Nylon · Thermal conductivity: base material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both)Plastic Nylon · Thermal expansion: base material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K, 98) and PA6 (B3S, 102), 23-55 CPlastic Nylon · Specific heat: base material: unreinforced BASF Ultramid PA66 (A3K) and PA6 (B3S), 23 C (same value for both)

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.

Plastic Nylon and SLS PA12 Nylon are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.

Questions

Mechanical

Is Plastic Nylon stronger than SLS PA12 Nylon?

Plastic Nylon is stronger: its yield strength is 63.1 MPa against tensile strength 48 MPa for SLS PA12 Nylon (31%).

Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon or SLS PA12 Nylon?

SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,140 kg/m³ for Plastic Nylon.

Which is stiffer, Plastic Nylon or SLS PA12 Nylon?

Plastic Nylon is stiffer: Young's modulus 2.33 GPa against 1.65 GPa for SLS PA12 Nylon, so the same part in Plastic Nylon deflects less under the same load.

Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon or SLS PA12 Nylon?

For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Nylon is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), strong rod or tie; SLS PA12 Nylon is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate.

Part that must be	Plastic Nylon	SLS PA12 Nylon
Stiff rod or tie (tension)	lighter	15% heavier
Stiff beam (bending)	3% heavier	lighter
Stiff panel or plate	9% heavier	lighter
Strong rod or tie	lighter	7% heavier
Strong beam	2% heavier	lighter
Strong panel or plate	7% 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).