General-purpose engineering polyamide. Excellent wear resistance and chemical resistance. Widely used for gears, bushings, pulleys and machine parts.
PA6 (Polyamide 6, Nylon 6) per ISO 1874-1 is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyamide produced by ring-opening polymerisation of caprolactam. It offers an excellent combination of mechanical strength (60-80 MPa tensile), wear resistance, chemical resistance and low coefficient of friction, making it one of the most widely used engineering plastics for mechanical components. Significant water absorption (2.5-3.5% equilibrium) reduces modulus and strength when wet — an important design consideration. Available as unfilled, glass-filled, MoS2-filled and lubricated grades.
| Standard Body | Designation | Country / Region | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO | PA 6 (ISO 1874-1) | International | |
| EN | EN ISO 1874-1 | European Union | |
| ASTM | D4066 PA6XX | USA | |
| DIN | DIN 16742 (PA6) | Germany | |
| DIN EN | EN ISO 527-1 (testing) | Germany / EU | |
| Trade Names | Nylon 6 (DuPont/various) / Durethan (Lanxess) / Ultramid (BASF) / Akulon (DSM) | Global | |
| ISO | PA6-GF30 (30% glass-filled) | International | ISO designation includes filler code |
| ISO | PA6-MoS2 (solid lubricated) | International | MoS2 addition improves bearing properties |
| UL | 94 HB (unfilled) / 94 V-2 to V-0 (flame-retardant grades) | USA (UL rating) | |
| JIS | PA6 (JIS K 6920) | Japan | |
| GOST | Poliamid-6 (PA6) | Russia / CIS | |
| RoHS | Compliant (standard grades) | EU | |
| FDA | 21 CFR 177.1500 (unfilled natural PA6) | USA | FDA-compliant grades available |
| JUS | PL-PA6 | Yugoslavia / Serbia | Polyamide 6 engineering plastic; JUS G.S2.010 |
| Colour | Natural (ivory/off-white) / Black (carbon or UV-stabilised) | Global | |
| Supply Forms | Rod, sheet, tube, pipe, block (stock shapes) + injection moulding compound | Global |
| # | Standard Body | Designation | Country / Region | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ISO | PA 6 (ISO 1874-1) | International | — |
| 2 | EN | EN ISO 1874-1 | European Union | — |
| 3 | ASTM | D4066 PA6XX | USA | — |
| 4 | DIN | DIN 16742 (PA6) | Germany | — |
| 5 | DIN EN | EN ISO 527-1 (testing) | Germany / EU | — |
| 6 | Trade Names | Nylon 6 (DuPont/various) / Durethan (Lanxess) / Ultramid (BASF) / Akulon (DSM) | Global | — |
| 7 | ISO | PA6-GF30 (30% glass-filled) | International | ISO designation includes filler code |
| 8 | ISO | PA6-MoS2 (solid lubricated) | International | MoS2 addition improves bearing properties |
| 9 | UL | 94 HB (unfilled) / 94 V-2 to V-0 (flame-retardant grades) | USA (UL rating) | — |
| 10 | JIS | PA6 (JIS K 6920) | Japan | — |
| 11 | GOST | Poliamid-6 (PA6) | Russia / CIS | — |
| 12 | RoHS | Compliant (standard grades) | EU | — |
| 13 | FDA | 21 CFR 177.1500 (unfilled natural PA6) | USA | FDA-compliant grades available |
| 14 | JUS | PL-PA6 | Yugoslavia / Serbia | Polyamide 6 engineering plastic; JUS G.S2.010 |
| 15 | Colour | Natural (ivory/off-white) / Black (carbon or UV-stabilised) | Global | — |
| 16 | Supply Forms | Rod, sheet, tube, pipe, block (stock shapes) + injection moulding compound | Global | — |
| Element | Symbol | Min % | Max % | Typical % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon (backbone repeat unit) | C | — | — | 53.3000 |
| Hydrogen | H | — | — | 9.7900 |
| Nitrogen (amide group) | N | — | — | 12.4000 |
| Oxygen (amide carbonyl) | O | — | — | 24.5000 |
| Water absorption (equilibrium at 50%RH, 23C) | H2O | — | 2.5000 | — |
| Water absorption (saturation in water, 23C) | H2O | — | 9.5000 | — |
| Condition | Code | Rm min MPa | Rm max MPa |
Re min MPa | Re max MPa |
A₅ min % |
Z % |
KV J |
HB min | HB max | HRC min | HRC max | E GPa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry as Moulded (DAM) | DAM | 75 | 85 | 55 | 70 | 30.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.8 |
| 50% RH Equilibrium | RH50 | 60 | 75 | 40 | 55 | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.5 |
| Water Saturated | Wet | 40 | 55 | 20 | 35 | 50.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.5 |
| PA6 GF30 — Dry | GF30-DAM | 140 | 180 | 100 | 130 | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9.0 |
| Coolant | Compressed air (dry); light mist for wet cutting; no flood coolant (chips are hygroscopic) |
| Chip Formation | Long stringy chips in natural; shorter in GF30 |
| Tool Material | Carbide K10 (uncoated); PCD for GF grades; HSS M2 for light cuts |
| Surface Finish | Ra 0.4-3.2 um |
Schematic stress-strain for PA6 unfilled: dry as moulded (DAM) vs water-saturated. Note dramatic ductility increase and strength decrease when wet.