PA (Polyamide)

PA material or polyamide is a material more commonly known as nylon, which is also typically numbered to identify the nylon plastic type (such as 6, 66, 11 and 12). These numbers relate to the molecular structure of the nylon polymer and each structure type will have different properties. The most common polyamide plastics are Nylon 6 (PA 6) and Nylon 66 (PA66).

PA Nylon is a semi crystalline thermoplastic with low density and high thermal stability. Polyamides are among the most important and useful technical thermoplastics available due to their outstanding wear resistance, good coefficient of friction, and very good temperature and impact properties. In addition, nylon polyamide exhibits great chemical resistance and is particularly oil resistant. This excellent balance of properties makes the PA polymer an ideal material for metal replacement in applications, such as automotive parts, industrial valves, railway tie insulators and other industrial uses, whose design requirements include high strength, toughness and weight reduction. Nylon plastic has a propensity to absorb moisture and as a result has poorer dimensional stability than other engineering plastics. Polyamide properties vary from the hard and tough PA 66 to the soft and flexible PA 12. Depending on the type, polyamide products absorb differing amounts of moisture, which will, in turn, affect the nylon properties in addition to the dimensional stability of the finished machined part.

Polyamide plastic offers:

  • High wear resistance
  • High thermal stability
  • Very good strength and hardness
  • High mechanical damping characteristics
  • Good sliding properties
  • Good chemical resistance