Polyamide 6 (PA6, Nylon 6)
Semi-crystalline engineering thermoplastic; strong and tough, moisture-sensitive properties.
Also called: polyamide 6, PA6, Nylon 6
| Property | Value | Source | Method | Conditions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.13 g/cm³ | Callister & Rethwisch, Materials Science and Engineering, 10th ed. | ASTM D792 | 23 °C, dry | — |
| Young's modulus E | 2.8 GPa | Callister & Rethwisch, Materials Science and Engineering, 10th ed. | ASTM D638 | 23 °C, dry | dry as molded; drops ~50% conditioned |
| Tensile strength | 78 MPa | Callister & Rethwisch, Materials Science and Engineering, 10th ed. | ASTM D638 | 23 °C, dry | dry as molded |
| Glass transition Tg | 50 °C | Callister & Rethwisch, Materials Science and Engineering, 10th ed. | DSC | 23 °C, dry | dry; plasticized by moisture |
| Melting point Tm | 220 °C | Callister & Rethwisch, Materials Science and Engineering, 10th ed. | DSC | 23 °C, dry | — |
Polyamide 6 (Nylon 6) is a tough, semi-crystalline engineering thermoplastic with excellent abrasion and fatigue resistance and good chemical resistance — the material of gears, bearings, bushings and cable ties.
Its defining quirk is moisture: nylon absorbs water, which plasticises it — toughness goes up but stiffness and strength come down, so datasheet values are quoted dry-as-moulded and drop in a humid environment. It is very close to PA66, which trades a little toughness for a higher melting point.
See where Polyamide 6 fits in a real product, and what it competes with:
- Callister & Rethwisch, Materials Science and Engineering, 10th ed.
Typical room-temperature values for learning and preliminary design; grades vary. Always confirm against the supplier datasheet before design work. Data policy: docs/DATA-SOURCES.md in the repository.