Nylons (PA)

Nylons offer high strength, stiffness, plus excellent wear and abrasion resistance for long-life components in both injection-molded and machined forms. Nylon’s low friction and excellent wear properties make it ideal for gears, bearings, and sliding wear elements where lubrication is difficult or undesirable. Nylon’s inherent moisture absorption can be both an advantage (improved toughness) and a disadvantage (dimensional stability).

For injection molding, nylon provides good flow, ductility but without the precision possible with acetal parts. From a machining standpoint, nylon shapes are easy to machine, although the inherent ductility can make deburring more challenging than other materials like acetal. Machined nylon parts are used where a balance of strength, toughness, and wear resistance is required over precision tolerances. The higher-number nylon grades such as 6/12, 11, and 12 are low-moisture nylons that are generally lower in strength and stiffness.