Nylon 6 & 66

The characteristics of Nylon 66 and Nylon 6 are, with a few exceptions, broadly similar to each other. While Nylon 66 is the preferred general-purpose nylon in the UK, and is therefore the principal stocked nylon at Smiths Metal Centres Ltd, Nylon 6 is used for the same applications throughout much of mainland Europe. Nylon 6 & 66 - high-quality general-purpose wear resistant engineering nylons; the chemical name is polyamide, and is available in a range of grades and forms to suit many applications. Nylon 66 is harder and stronger than nylon 6 whereas Nylon 6 absorbs slightly more moisture.

Machinability

While not as fine as Acetal, the machinability of un-modified nylon is good. Glass-filled grades will require the use of tipped tooling. As with all plastic materials, experience has shown that extra care must be taken with larger diameters, especially in the colder months when plastic materials lose some of their toughness and so have less resistance to machining stresses. It’s therefore important to ensure that these materials are not machined while in a chilled condition. Full machining instructions may be supplied on request.

Chemical Resistance

Nylon 66 and 6 are highly resistant to: hydrocarbons, alkalis, fats, oils, fuels, ethers, esters and ketones. But are not resistant to: halogens, mineral acids and certain organic acids, oxidising agents.

Typical Applications

Commercial applications for this engineering material include: