NYCOA TOPICS IN ENGINEERED PLASTICS: CHEMICAL RESISTANCE AND NYLON
Chemical resistance is the property of how well a material holds up during the stress and strain of exposure to chemicals such as solvents. Chemical resistance is important to a number of engineered applications in industries such as oil and gas, tubing, plumbing and construction.
Solvents, by their nature, are designed to chemically weaken materials. And in many industrial processes, solvents are a critical element to achieve chemical reactions and establish proper processing conditions. In metal replacement chemical reactivity is also very important. Many of your metals are going to be unreactive to most chemicals, so when trying to replace them finding out which chemicals your new material is reactive to could be vital to maintaining your current workflow.
The numbers commonly seen in the names of a Nylon product (for example - nylon-6, nylon-6.12, nylon 6,6 and so on) are derived from the number of carbon atoms in the diamine and dibasic acid monomers used to manufacture it. The ratio of carbon atoms is what gives each nylon type its unique traits. More bonds often means more chemical resistance as there are fewer molecules left with open bonds. For this reason Nylon 6.10, 6.12, 11, 12, and specialty nylon grades such as NYCOA’s NXTamid tend to outperform Nylon 6 and 6,6 when chemical resistance is required.
Nylons as a class tend to provide good resistance to most chemicals, however Nylons can be attacked by strong acids, alcohol and alkalis. They do well against organic solvents and certain salts.
So why would you ever use a Nylon with lower chemical resistance such as Nylon 6 or 6,6? It is all about the end-use application and performance requirements! Nylon chemistries with high chemical resistance can have a higher cost and often are in short supply. Many applications are not intended for use near chemicals which could be damaging for the Nylon and so the additional cost isn’t necessary. As well high volume buyers might need a more readily available grade of Nylon, rather than a customized, specialty engineered nylon such as those offered with NYCOA long-chain chemistries.
Assessing which Nylon Grade has the chemical resistances you need is one of the most critical elements in your journey to getting the most out of your nylon. Each grade has specific strengths and weaknesses that might better suit your individual needs.
About NYCOA
NYCOA (the nylon corporation of America) commercially manufactures many grades of nylon, including both nylon 6,10 and nylon 6,12, and unique NXTamid chemistries that can offer improved performance in chemical resistance than nylon 11 and nylon 12. All NYCOA products are made in the USA, manufactured in our ISO plant located in Manchester, NH. NYCOA is dedicated to plastics engineering, plastics innovation, and a consistent quality earned through operational excellence. NYCOA is dedicated to its customers, and produces specialty engineered polymers for industries and partners around the world, and has plastics compounding capabilities to produce a variety of reinforced grades.
Nylon manufactures specialty engineered polyamide (nylon) plastics for many industries and applications, including fasteners, hook and loop, extruded parts, injection molding, foamed components, monofilament, powders, and wire and cable jacketing.
Interested in a sample of our NXTamid long-chain nylon grades, or more information about their chemical resistance properties? CONTACT US
Contact:
333 Sundial Ave.
Manchester, NH 03103-7230
Tel: 603.627.5150
Fax: 603.627.4499