Nylon
Nylon is one of the most commonly and widely used and produced engineering thermoplastics. It has a balance between mechanical performance and a low cost than its alternatives.
Many grades of nylon are available, the most well know and sort after are nylon 6 and nylon 6/6 (sometimes written as nylon 66, nylon 6,6 or nylon 6.6, also PA 66) Nylon is a polyamide, hence the ‘PA’ designation. Other grades supplied are nylon 11 and nylon 12.
The chemical make up properties of nylon 6 and nylon 6/6 are very similar which can often lead to them being used interchangeably, but there are advantages and limitation for each grade.
The main characteristics of polyamide or nylon are:
- High wear and resistance
- Good mechanical structure, strength, stiffness, hardness and toughness
- Good fatigue resistance
- Good sliding properties
- Good electrical insulating properties
- Good machinability
- High mechanical damping ability
Nylon 6 or PA 6
Nylon 6 or PA 6 is a very well used commercial grade of nylon, it is hardworking, has a high tensile strength. lower processing temperature than other alternatives, it is perfect for areas and industries that require toughness, impact resistance and a good quality surface finish. As well as this Nylon 6 is often cheaper option to nylon 6/6. Casting results in less stress that extruding and provides better dimensional stability.
Applications: Widely used in automotive components, circuit breakers, pulleys and gears.
Forms: Rod and sheet, extruded and cast.
| Nylon | PA 6 |
| TECAMID 6 GF25 black | PA 6 |
| TECAMID 6 GF30 black | PA 6 |
| TECAMID 6 ID blue | PA 6 |
| TECAMID 6 MO black | PA 6 |
| TECAMID 6 natural | PA 6 |
| Omniamid (Cast Nylon Natural) | PA 6 |
| Omniamid (Cast Nylon Black) | PA 6 |
| Omniamid (Oil-Filled) | PA 6 |
| Omniamid (Heat-Stabilised) | PA 6 |
| Ertalon 6SA | PA 6 |
| Ertalon 6PLA | PA 6 |
| Ertalon LFG | PA 6 |
| Ertalon 6XAU+ | PA 6 |
| Ertalon LFX | PA 6 |
| Nylatron MC901 | PA 6 |
| Nylatron 703XL | PA 6 |
Nylon 6/6 or PA 66
Nylon 6/6 or PA 66 as it is also know is a semicrystalline polyamide and a versatile engineering thermoplastic. Nylon 6/6 has an great balance of toughness, flexibility and resistance to heat, it is stiffer and harder but more brittle than its counterpart nylon 6. It is a good engineering plastic to consider where metal replacement is being sort after. Nylon 6/6 has a higher melting point than nylon 6 and can be used where higher operating temperatures are needed or desired for safety. There are a larger number of fillers, fibres and internal lubricants available for nylon 6/6.
Applications: used where high mechanical strength, great rigidity, and good stability under heat is required. Bearings, gears, sprockets, bushes, profiles and machined parts. It is also used in fibre applications such as carpeting, clothing or reinforcement in tyres.
Forms: Rod and sheet, extruded.
| TECAMID 66 CF10 TF20 black | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 CF20 black | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 CF20 HI black | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 CF20 TF15 black | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 GF30 black | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 GF35 HI black | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 GF35 natural | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 HI brown | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 LA natural | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 MO black | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66 natural | PA 66 |
| TECAMID 66/X GF50 black | PA 66 |
| Ertalon 66SA | PA 66 |
| Ertalon 66GF30 | PA 66 |
| Nylatron GS | PA 66 |
Nylon 11 or PA 11
Nylon 11 or PA11 is a semi-crystalline engineering plastic with an extremely high toughness and good chemical resistance for a lot of different uses. It has many characteristic in common with nylon 12, including low water absorbtion and has the ability to accept high loading of fillers such as glass fibres or carbon fibres. Nylon 11 is derived from natural elements (castor oil) and has a lot lower environmental impact or footprint compared to other grades.
compare to other grades, nylon 11 offers reasonable UV resistance, higher strength, better heat resistance, but this comes at a higher cost.
Applications: Air hoses, hydraulic hoses, hoses for fluid or petrol, cams, gears, tool handles.
Available forms: Rod and sheet, extruded.
| TECAMID 11 natural | PA 11 |
| TECAMID 11 GF30 natural | PA 11 |
Nylon 12 or PA 12
Nylon 12 has minimum water uptake and good dimensional stability and superior flexibility. Nylon 12 is also chemical resistant and insensitive to stress cracking.
Available forms: Rod and sheet, extruded.
| TECAMID 12 natural | PA 12 |
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