NYLON 6

Nylon 6 was discovered by Paul Schlack, a German chemist working for IG Farben, a major German chemical conglomerate, in 1938. Schlack developed Nylon 6 through the polymerization of caprolactam, a process that resulted in a material with properties similar to those of Nylon 6,6, which had been developed by Wallace Carothers at DuPont a few years earlier.

Nylon 6 quickly found widespread use due to its excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and versatility in applications ranging from textiles and carpets to industrial and automotive parts.

BPY work with Nylon 6 on a daily basis, making parts like screws for numberplates, corner protectors for amplifiers, and parts for shooting sticks among others.

Why choose Nylon 6 for your injection moulding project?

  • 1. Excellent Toughness: Nylon 6 offers good toughness, which allows it to withstand impacts and resist cracking under stress.
  • 2. High Tensile Strength: It has high tensile strength, making it suitable for parts that need to bear significant loads without deforming.
  • 3. Good Flexibility: Compared to Nylon 66, Nylon 6 tends to be more flexible, which can be advantageous in applications requiring some degree of flexibility and ductility.
  • 4. Chemical Resistance: Nylon 6 is resistant to many chemicals, including oils, greases, and solvents, making it suitable for various industrial applications.
  • 5. Thermal Stability: It has a high melting point (approximately 220°C or 428°F), which allows it to perform well in high-temperature environments.
  • 6. Ease of Processing: Nylon 6 has better flow characteristics during the molding process, making it easier to mold complex shapes and thin-walled parts with high precision.
  • 7. Surface Finish: It provides a good surface finish, which can reduce the need for post-molding finishing operations and improve the aesthetic quality of the parts.
  • 8. Dimensional Stability: Nylon 6 offers good dimensional stability, ensuring that molded parts maintain their shape and dimensions over time.
  • 9. Resistance to Wear and Abrasion: It has excellent wear and abrasion resistance, which is important for parts subjected to friction and mechanical wear.
  • 10. Cost-Effectiveness: Nylon 6 is generally more cost-effective compared to some other engineering plastics, offering a good balance between performance and cost.
  • 11. Moisture Absorption: Although Nylon 6 does absorb moisture, which can affect its mechanical properties, this can be managed with proper design considerations and material treatments.
  • 12. Versatility: Like Nylon 66, Nylon 6 can be modified with additives, fillers, and reinforcements to enhance specific properties such as UV resistance, flame retardancy, and increased stiffness.

These properties make Nylon 6 a versatile and reliable material for a wide range of injection molding applications, including automotive components, electrical housings, consumer goods, industrial parts and many more. 

If you have an injection moulding project and are considering using Nylon 6, please get in touch with our technical team on 01280 706335 for a free consultation!

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