The difference between PA12 and PA11

Material powder

Comparison of two frequently used plastics



3DBAVARIA offers a variety of plastic materials for the additive manufacturing of prototypes, functional and series components. PA12 is the most frequently used material in the field of powder bed-based 3D printing technologies. We offer two 3D printing processes in this category. The selective laser sintering and the HP Multi Jet Fusion. You can read more about these two technologies in our article “The difference between HP MJF and SLS”. In this article we want to compare our all-round material PA12 with the slightly more expensive alternative PA11.

Polyamide 12 - PA12



The proven and robust plastic PA12 (here in comparison PA2200) is characterized by high long-term stability and good chemical resistance. It is currently not only the cheapest material in the field of powder bed-based processes, but also biocompatible according to EN ISO 10993-1 or USP / level VI / 121 ° C. In addition to being suitable for food contact, it also offers high process stability and thus enables very precise and dimensionally stable components in repeatable quality.

The many options for subsequent finishing, such as dyeing, vibratory grinding or ceramic blasting, make this plastic the perfect choice for high-quality, robust and durable prototypes, functional parts or small batches. Components made of PA12 offer a good alternative to the injection molding material ABS or PA6.

PA12 reflective surface

Polyamide 11 - PA11



This high-performance plastic is 100% based on renewable raw materials. The basis of the PA11 material is castor oil, which is obtained from the seeds of the African miracle tree "Ricinus communis". From a chemical point of view, the two polymers PA11 and PA12 are very similar. They only differ in the number of carbon atoms in the polymer structure, of which PA11, as the name suggests, has eleven and thus one fewer than our all-rounder PA12. The different number of carbon atoms is also responsible for the different properties of the two materials.

PA11 features extremely high material toughness, is strong and flexible enough to replace PP moldings, and maintains excellent properties over a wide temperature range (> 40°C - 130°C >). Especially in the automotive industry, this material is of very great importance, because it does not splinter when broken. It is therefore often used in vehicle interiors.

Brackets MJF

Mechanical properties PA12 and PA11



The mechanical properties should be determined for each application. In principle, you can't go wrong with both materials PA11 and PA12. In terms of price, PA11 parts are up to 50% more expensive than components made from PA12. This is not necessarily due to the material price and a higher mix of old to new material, but rather to the fact that the demand for PA11 is currently much lower and therefore construction jobs can only be poorly utilized. Below is a comparison of the mechanical properties of both materials:

Mechanische EigenschaffPrüfnormEinheitPA12 (PA2200)PA11 (PA1101)
ZugmodulISO 527MPa16501600
ZugfestigkeitISO 527MPa4848
BruchdehnungISO 527%1845
Charpy-Schlagzähigkeit (+23°C)ISO 179/1eUKJ/m²53N
Charpy-Kerbschlagzähigkeit (+23°C)ISO 179/1eAKJ/m²4.87.8
Biegemodul (+23°C)ISO 178MPa1500-
ShorehärteISO 7619-1-7575
Schmelztemperatur (20°C/min)ISO 11357-1/-3°C176201

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