NYCOA POLYMER TOPICS: 6i/6t and Film
Last time we looked at Nylon 6i/6t in a broad and general sense. Going over the basic material properties, synthesis of the polymer, and how materials are sourced. This high level overview served to give us a baseline appreciation for the resin and its performance properties, and if you missed that article you can read it here. This time we’d like to dial all the way into one specific topic where nylon 6i/6t has proven to be useful: its utility in manufacturing high quality plastic films.
(For an overview on Nylons and films, we’ve already done an article you can view here ).
To summarize our earlier article on nylon use in polymer films, the reason we use plastics for packaging are because they are:
Lightweight
Durable and damage-resistant
Flexible
Can be clear or colored or printed
Have excellent vapor barrier properties
Have favorable barrier properties for specific gasses important to freshness.
These properties in combination determine which type of plastic film is right for which application. Not all films require nylon, but for those that do, the specific nylon utilized can be incredibly important.
So what are the properties of 6i/6t nylons that make them, in particular, desirable for films? First and foremost the material is foodsafe. Since one of the most common applications of a nylon film is in the packaging and shipping of food, certified food safety (regulated in the US by FDA and kept in searchable registries) is critical. Nylon 6i6t is one of several nylon chemistries that is suitable for coming into contact with food.
Secondly, 6i/6t boasts impressive gloss and low haze. One primary function of packaging, afterall, is aesthetics, and to present a clear view of the inner product in as desirable a state as possible. 6i/6t has a glossy transparency which shows off the enclosed item well, and which is also printable. Additionally it has excellent shrink properties, allowing a tight and secure hold on the wrapped products for safe consistent shipping.
Adjusting the ratios of amorphous and non-amorphous polyamide segments in a Nylon 6i6t recipe allows a polymer chemist to dial in extremely specific properties related to oxygen permeability, tensile strength, puncture resistance or shrinkage. While all nylons can be made unique to their purpose, 6i/6t is uniquely good at being adjusted to the highly specific needs of the films customer. Because nylon 6i6t is a blend of two different polyamides, each suited to specific needs, it’s a product you can dial in to whatever use-case best fits all the demands of the product it’s used for. This also means that selecting a nylon material for very specific film applications can be challenging, as the purchaser needs to understand and analyze their options carefully - not all 6i6t resins are the same!
Perhaps as important to film users as barrier properties is film toughness. 6i/6t boasts an impressive weight to durability ratio. And because it is semi-aromatic it benefits from the advantages of an aromatic material, chief among them the low moisture absorption. Moisture absorption is one of the leading causes of mechanical failure in a polyamide. The low moisture absorption of nylon 6i6t means that the material properties off the production line are going to be the same as the material properties during shipping and on the shelf, a claim many polymers simply can’t match.
6i/6t is flexible, transparent, and resistant in all the ways you want when you create a packaging material. It’s also lightweight and durable meaning it’s going to save you money on shipping costs. It’s a robust material that you can tweak easily to adjust its specific properties to your needs. So is it any wonder this material is already lining the shelves of most major markets? Next time we’ll take a look at its other common application: Tubing and hosing. This material isn’t just food safe, it’s also an automotive powerhouse and we’ll get into that next week.
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About NYCOA
NYCOA (the Nylon Corporation of America) commercially manufactures many grades of specialty engineered nylon, including nylon 6, nylon copolymers, filled and super-tough grades, nylon 6,10 and 6,12, and a unique high-resistance, low moisture customizable specialty copolymer NXTamid , and our unique flexible PEBA Nylon Ny-Flex. 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 for many industries and applications, including fasteners, hook and loop, extruded parts, injection molding, athletic accessories, military and transportation applications, foamed components, monofilament, powders, and wire and cable jacketing.
Interested in a sample of our specialty 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