3. About Us
Nylene is a leading supplier of nylon polymers, co-polymers, and fibers –
specializing in innovative and environmentally responsible solutions for
the global plastic industries.
We are committed to customer driven innovation though quality
products, technical expertise, and market insights.
• Injection Molding Companies
• Automotive Manufacturers
• Wire & Cable Manufacturers
• Packaging Producers
• Plastic Extrusion Industry
• Rotational Molders
Our Customers
4. www.nylene.com
• Three manufacturing facilities in U.S. & Canada
• Annual capacity of 100,000 MT
• 185 million pounds total capacity
• Seven logistical warehouses in North America
• International Sales Centers
ABOUT US | MANUFACTURING, SALES & LOGISTICS
Certifications and Accreditations:
ISO 9001:2008 Facilities
A2LA Accredited Labs
Products meeting UL, NSF, FDA & Automotive Specs
SCS Recycling Program
5. www.nylene.com
MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES
• Fully integrated production - flexibility in both
formulation and in volume
• Specialty and custom products to meet specific end use
requirements
• Technical sales support and knowledgeable, in-house
experts in all major plastics industries
• Equipped to reprocess customer’s regrind and other
sources of feed stock and return them to original quality
• Depolymerization capabilities to convert nylon 6 waste
back into caprolactam, its main chemical building block
Solutions for just about any nylon application.
Custom
Compounding
Co-polymerization
Resource
Recovery
Depolymerization
High Viscosity
Nylon
Polymerization
6. www.nylene.com
POLYMERS/
CO-POLYMERS:
CUSTOM
PROPERTIES:
APPLICATIONS
• Nylon 6
• Nylon 6/6
• Nylon 6,6/6
• Nylon 6,6/9
• Nylon 6/10
• Nylon 6/12
• Specialty Nylons
• Reprocessed Nylon
• Recycle Content
Polyamide/Co-polymer
• Impact & Flex Modified
• Glass & Long Glass Fiber Reinforced
• Mineral & Glass/Mineral Reinforced
• High Impact Glass Reinforced
• Plasticized
• Flame Retardant
• Inherent Stain Resistance
• Differential Dye
Nylon Fiber
• Differential Dye • Anti-Static
• Injection Molding
• Extrusion
• Blown Film
• Cast Film
• Monofilament
• Fiber Spinning
• Blow Molding
• Rotational Molding
• Compounding
PRODUCTS Nylene’s product line includes a wide range of UL approved and FDA compliant
polymers from prime to utility grades.
12. www.nylene.com
Nylon 6 is made from one
monomer –
caprolactam
Nylon 6/6 is made from two
monomers - adipic acid and
hexamethylene diamine
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE – NYLON 6 AND 6/6
NYLON 6/6
NYLON 6
13. www.nylene.com
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE – NYLON 6 AND 6/6
NYLON 6/6
NYLON 6
Caprolactam is difficult to make, but
easy to polymerize
Does not polymerize completely, about
8 - 10% residual monomer
Residual monomer usually extracted,
but can be left to improve impact and
flexibility
Hexamethylene diamine and adipic
acid are easier to make but more
difficult to polymerize
Polymerizes completely
14. www.nylene.com
Caprolactam in
the presence of
heat & a catalyst
“opens” the ring
structure
During Polymerization, the
“open” caprolactam
molecules bond “head-to-tail”
to form long chains
Caprolactam
“Open” Caprolactam molecule
When the chains become long enough, Nylon 6 is formed
Bond
Breaks
Bond
Makes
Bond
Makes
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE – NYLON 6 POLYMERIZATION
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Nylon 6 and Nylon 6/6 are
comparable in these areas:
Thermal Stability
Physical
Properties
Dimensional
Change with
Moisture Gain
Shrink Rates
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE – NYLON 6 AND 6/6
Nylon 6 Offers These Advantages:
• Surface appearance
• Processability
• Regrind stability
• Price
PA6
16. Nylons all have amide group in the chain.
WHAT MAKES NYLON – NYLON?
• The amide group has electrical charge, meaning it is
POLAR
• The polar amide groups are where the polymer chains
bond to each other.
• This gives the material strength and controls melt point.
• Amide groups not bonded between chains are sites
where water molecules, which are also polar, is
attracted.
N
O
C
H
-
+
+
-
17. CHEMICAL STRUCTURE - NYLON TYPES
The carbon in the monomer gives
the “number type”
Nylon 4,6 1,4 Diamino Butane Adipic Acid
Nylon 6 Caprolactam
Nylon 6,6 Hexamethylene
Diamine
Adipic Acid
Nylon 6,10 Hexamethylene
Diamine
Sebacic Acid
Nylon 6,12 Hexamethylene
Diamine
Dodecanedioic Acid
Nylon 12 Hexamethylene
Diamine
Dodecanedioic Acid
18. The carbon in the monomer gives the “number type”
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE – OTHER NYLON TYPES
Kevlar Para-phenylenediamine Terephthaloyl Chloride
Nomex m-phenylenediamine isophthaloyl chloride
PPA-Polyphthalmide
Amodel / Zytel HTN
Hexamethylenediamine Terephthalic acid
25. www.nylene.com
NYLON PART SURFACE:
SURFACE ROUGHNESS vs. % FIBERGLASS
• Nylon 6/6 to have rougher surface at
< 10% glass fiber
• At 20% glass content, 6/6 is twice as
rough
• At 40% glass content, nylon 6 is nearly
identical to unreinforced nylon 6/6 is
~ 8 times surface roughness
Surface
Roughness
(10-6
in.)
Glass (%)
0
25
50
75
100
0 10 20 30 40
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
26. www.nylene.com
NYLON PART SURFACE:
GLOSSVS.%FIBERGLASS
• Unreinforced nylons can obtain 90+ to
< 2 Gloss Units (GU)
• At 40% glass fiber content, nylon 6
can still obtain 85 GU
• At 40% glass fiber content, nylon 6/6
is reduced to < 30 GU
Gloss
(10-6
in.)
Glass (%)
0
25
50
75
100
0 10 20 30 40
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
27. HEAT CAN MEAN
MANY THINGS
• Melt point – 490F vs. 420F
• Long-term aging
• Use temperature
• DTUL (Deformation Temperature Under Load)
• Properties at Temperature
• Processing Energy
• Thermal Degradation
• Glass Transition Temperature
29. www.nylene.com
Property
Time
Without Heat Stabilizer
With Heat Stabilizer
NYLON 6 MELTS AND PROCESS AT A LOWER TEMPERATURE
Aging at Elevated Temperature
The wider processing range of nylon 6 aids in filling then wall parts.
The lower processing temperature of nylon 6 Reduces polymer degradation
• Improves regrind utilization
• Reduces machine wear associated with filled materials.
• Can require up to 25% less energy to process
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EFFECT OF REINFORCEMENT ON MODULUS
0
25
50
75
100
10 20 30 40
Reinforced Amorphous
Amorphous
Reinforced Crystalline
Crystalline
Modulus
Temperature
Unreinforced Amorphous
Unreinforced Crystalline
32. www.nylene.com
PROPERTY DIFFERENCE OVER TEMPERATURE RANGE
Key Points: 1. Using properties of Type 6/6 nylon as a base, a comparison was made with Type 6 nylon. The show where
nylon 6 property values are lower, equal to, or higher than nylon 6/6 for a given property.
2. Comparing both physical and electrical properties show that the variation is no more than 30% and in most
cases less than 20%.
Of the 55 properties considered 34 vary less than 10%.
3. Good design practice demands a safety factor of at least 2, and more, if possible
4. A 10 to 20% variation in properties of materials due to the fabrication is considered normal in the metals
field, as well as the plastics field.
Conclusion: The difference in material properties of nylon 6 and nylon 6/6 are slight, and design safety factors will
permit selection of either material in most cases.
33. NYLON 6 VS. 6/6 (DAM) YIELD STRESS VS. TEMPERATURE
Key Points: 1. Nylon 6 and nylon 6/6 are equal in the -40°F to +40 ° F range.
2. Nylon 6 is slightly higher in the +40 ° F to 120 ° F range.
Conclusion: Over a broad useful temperature range selection of either nylon would be good design practice.
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Stress
psi
Temperature
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
-40 0 40 100 200 300
34. -12,500
90,000
192,500
295,000
397,500
500,000
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Modulus
PSI
Temperature F
-40 0 40 120 200 280
NYLON 6 VS. 6/6 (DAM) TENSILE MODULUS VS. TEMPERATURE
Key Points: 1. Type 6/6 nylon has a higher modulus over the entire temperature range
2. The two nylon types do not differ by more than 35% and in most cases the difference is less than 20%
Conclusion: Type 6,6 nylon has inherently more stiffness but this is within design limits of a part
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
35. ULTIMATE ELONGATION VERSUS TEMPERATURE
Key Points: 1. Nylon 6 superior in -40°F to +130°F range.
2. Nylon 6/6 slightly superior in +130°F to 280°F range
Conclusion: Nylon 6 has greater ductility and toughness over complete operating range of -40°F to 280°F
0
100
200
300
400
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Strain
%
Temperature °F
-40 0 40 120 200 280
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
36. NYLON 6 VS. 6/6 NYLON (DRY AS MOLDED)
STRESS AT 1% OFFSET. STRAIN VS. TEMPERATURE
Key Points: 1. Nylon 6 slightly superior in -40 to +80F range.
2. Nylon 6/6 slightly superior in +80F to +140F range
3. Nylon 6 and nylon 6/6, equal in +140F to 300F range
Conclusion: In useful temperature range, either material could be selected.
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Stress
PSI
Temperature °F
-40 0 40 120 200 300
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
37. www.nylene.com
NYLON 6 VS. NYLON 6/6 |
RATE OF MOISTURE ABSORPTION AT 73°F
Key Points
1. Nylon 6 absorbs moisture at a faster rate than nylon 6/6
both in air or in water, and equilibrium is reached faster.
2. Total moisture absorption is somewhat higher for nylon 6.
Conclusion
In useful temperature range, either material could be
selected.
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
Moisture
Content
Time - Days
38. NYLON 6 VS. NYLON 6/6
IZOD IMPACT STRENGTH VS. MOISTURE CONTENT
Key Points: 1. At 50% equilibrium moisture content (2.5%) nylon 6 very superior to nylon 6/6.
2. At all moisture contents nylon 6 is superior in impact strength to nylon 6/6.
Conclusion: In all applications where the greatest impact strength is necessary, nylon 6 should be specified.
0
8
15
23
30
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Impact
Strength
–
FT.
LBS./Inch
of
Notch
Moisture Content in %
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
39. NYLON 6 VS. NYLON 6/6
DIMENSIONAL CHANGE VS. MOISTURE CONTENT
Key Points: 1. Nylon 6/6 changes more with increasing moisture content: up to 5 mils per inch more at saturation
Conclusion: Nylon 6 is subject to less dimensional change than nylon 6/6 and result will be less part variation with
changing moisture content.
0.000
0.030
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dimensional
Change
in/In
Moisture Content %
Nylon 6
Nylon 6/6
40. www.nylene.com
Nylon 6 has wider temperature window,
same upper temp limit
Similar flow for typical grades
Flow is affected by H2O content
Both can be injection molded, extruded,
blow molded
Only nylon 6 is used in rotational molding
Nylon 6 & 6/6 are both used in fibers
Nylon 6 is typically used for large diameter
extrusion, blow molding, and cast shapes
Nylon 6 has higher melt strength and is
easier to tailor viscosity range for improved
extrusion and film processing
Nylon 6 gives much better surface
appearance in filled grades
PROCESSING NYLON 6 & 6/6
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MOISTURE AND PROCESSING
• Nylon 6 & 6/6 should be dried to <0.20% moisture by
weight
• Molders who mold nylon should have a moisture
analyzer
• A dew point meter measures the capacity of AIR to
hold moisture NOT the moisture in plastic
• Filled materials should be dried to 0.20% moisture of
nylon portion of formulation
For example:
5133 = .67% nylon x 0.20% = 0.134% total moisture
42. www.nylene.com
REGRIND EFFECTS
• Unreinforced nylon 6 has significantly better
retention of properties and structure when
reground and re-used.
• Differences narrow in reinforced grades, as
the reinforcement has much higher effect on
the properties.
43. www.nylene.com
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
PA 6 PA 6 PA 6/6 PA 6/6
Percent
of
original
Relative
Viscosity
Molding Grade
First
Molding
Second
Molding
RELATIVE VISCOSITY ON RE-MOLDED NYLON SCRAP
0
20
40
60
80
100
PA 6 PA 6 PA 6/6 PA 6/6
Percent
of
original
Relative
Viscosity
Extrusion Grade
Conclusion: Loss of relative viscosity is a good indicator or embrittlement of part. Type 6 nylon compounds exhibit far greater
thermal melt stability than Type 6/6 nylon.
Key Point: Molding of nylon 6/6 results in moderate
loss in relative viscosity. There is no loss in
nylon 6.
Key Point: Extrusion of nylon 6,6 products serious loss
in relative viscosity and moderate loss in
nylon 6.
44. NYLON REGRIND STUDIES
0
25
50
75
100
0 1 2 3
Nylon 6 100% Regrind Study
Retention
of
Original
Property
(%)
Tensile Strength
Flexural Modulus
Relative Viscosity
Drop Weight Impact
Number of Passes
0
25
50
75
100
0 1 2 3
Nylon 6/6 100% Regrind Study
Retention
of
Original
Property
(%)
Tensile Strength
Flexural Modulus
Relative Viscosity
Drop Weight Impact
Number of Passes
VS
46. Second
Molding
NYLON RECYCLING COMPARISION
• Depolymization of Nylon 6,6 waste is much more
complicated to achieve because it is made with more than
one chemical component.
• Nylon 6,6 is considered to be non-renewable and waste is
often re-used (down-cycled) into lesser products that
eventually end up in landfill or incinerated.
• Post-consumer and post-industrial Nylon 6 waste can be
depolymerized back to its one chemical component,
caprolactam.
• Nylon 6 is considered renewable - recovered caprolactam
from the depolymerization process is remanufactured
into brand new nylon, recycled without any loss of
properties or quality, over and over again.
Nylon 6 Nylon 6,6
VS
47. www.nylene.com
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE – NYLON 6 DEPOLYMERIZATION
Nylon 6
Nylon 6, in the presence of heat & a catalyst “fractures” the bonds of
the molecule to release “open” molecules of Caprolactam during
Depolymerization
“Open” Caprolactam molecule
The ends of the “open” caprolactam molecules bond with each
other during ring closing
Caprolactam
Bond
Breaks
Bond
Breaks
49. www.nylene.com
• Nylon 6 has superior surface appearance in reinforced grades
• Nylon 6 is inherently tougher than 6/6
• Nylon 6 is equal in thermal performance to 6/6 at recommended use
temperatures.
• Nylon 6 is renewable – can be depolymerized back to caprolactam.
• Higher melt point of 6/6 means that nylon 6 has;ns that nylon 6 has;
SUMMARY
Less degradation | Better use of regrind | Less energy consumed
50. www.nylene.com
Ron Bailey Kurt Dubowski Stuart Allen
Vice President of
Sales and Marketing
Office: 803-364-9941
Mobile: 678-910-4370
rbailey@nylene.com
Regional Sales Manager /
Distribution Manager
Office: 248-377-6796
Mobile: 248-758-8935
kdubowski@nylene.com
THANK YOU
Business Development
Manager
Office: 248-377-6796
Mobile: 616-240-9987
sallen@nylene.com
COMPANY CONTACTS
info@nylene.com
