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Nylon 12 Rod
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Diameter | Length |
|---|---|
| 25 mm to 60 mm | 10 mm to 1000 mm |
Need custom configurations? Please contact us.
Key Features
Nylon 12 Rod (PA 12) is selected over shorter-chain polyamides specifically when dimensional stability in humid or wet service is the primary constraint: the 12-carbon repeating unit gives PA 12 an equilibrium water absorption of just 1.6%, directly translating into retained dimensions and mechanical properties where PA 6 or PA 66 would swell:
Equilibrium water absorption of 1.6% versus 9-11% for PA 6 and PA 66
The 12-carbon repeating unit reduces the density of amide groups available for hydrogen bonding with water, giving PA 12 an equilibrium moisture uptake of approximately 1.6% compared to 9–11% for PA 6 and PA 66. This difference directly controls dimensional change and mechanical property retention in humid or wet service: PA 12 maintains its machined dimensions and mechanical properties where shorter-chain nylons would swell, lose stiffness, and require pre-drying before machining to recover tolerances.
Machines cleanly to close tolerances without pre-drying in humid environments
Because PA 12’s moisture uptake is low and its dimensional change with moisture is correspondingly small, rod stock does not require pre-drying before machining to achieve close tolerances in workshop conditions where humidity varies. This practical handling advantage over PA 6 and PA 66, which must be dried before precision machining to avoid tolerance loss from moisture-induced swelling, reduces processing steps and stock management complexity.
Good wear resistance and low sliding friction
PA 12 provides good abrasion resistance and a low coefficient of sliding friction that qualify machined rod components as bearing bushings, gear teeth, and roller surfaces in mechanical systems, with performance improved in moist or lubricated conditions relative to dry sliding, unlike many engineering polymers whose friction and wear properties degrade significantly in wet service.
Tensile strength of 50–55 MPa with elongation of 290–300%
The combination of adequate tensile strength for load-bearing machined components and very high elongation to failure gives PA 12 the toughness needed for gears, bushings, and rollers that must withstand impact and shock loading in service without the brittle fracture that would occur in stiffer, lower-elongation engineering polymers at the same stress level.
Chemical resistance to oils, greases, and aromatic hydrocarbons
PA 12 resists oils, greases, and aromatic hydrocarbons well, qualifying machined components for mechanical systems involving hydrocarbon lubricants and process fluids. Chemical resistance is poor to concentrated mineral acids and halogens, which must be excluded from the service environment.
Industrial Applications
Nylon 12 Rod is selected over PA 6 and PA 66 when wet or humid service conditions make moisture-induced dimensional change and property loss unacceptable in machined polyamide components:
- ✦ Precision machined gears, bushings, bearings, and rollers in wet or chemically demanding systems
- Used for precision machined gears, bushings, bearings, and rollers in wet mechanical systems and chemically demanding environments, where the 1.6% equilibrium water absorption of PA 12 maintains machined dimensions and gear tooth geometry in sustained wet service where PA 6 or PA 66 components would swell out of tolerance and lose the stiffness required for precise gear mesh and bearing fit.
- ✦ Structural spacers and insulators in electronic assemblies
- Applied as structural spacers and insulating components in electronic assemblies where dimensional stability over a range of ambient humidity conditions is required to maintain precise spacing of electrical components, and where PA 12’s low moisture sensitivity provides more stable inter-component clearances than shorter-chain polyamides in environments with variable humidity.
- ✦ Valve seat and seal stock in fluid handling equipment
- Used as valve seat and seal stock in fluid handling equipment where moisture contact is inherent to the service environment, and where PA 12’s low moisture uptake ensures that the seat and seal geometry is retained in wet service without the dimensional growth that would change seat contact pressure and sealing performance in higher-uptake polyamide alternatives.
- ✦ Food and beverage and pharmaceutical process equipment components
- Applied as machined components in food and beverage processing and pharmaceutical equipment, where PA 12’s combination of low moisture uptake in wet process environments, good wear resistance for moving parts, and resistance to cleaning agents and lubricants supports reliable dimensional performance in the wash-down and wet operating conditions of these industries.
- ✦ Polymer tribology, moisture uptake, and dimensional stability research
- Used in research for polymer tribology and wear rate investigations, dimensional stability and equilibrium moisture uptake characterization across the polyamide family, and as a reference machined polymer specimen for comparative structural and chemical resistance evaluation where the well-defined moisture behavior of PA 12 provides a controlled variable for systematic polyamide property studies.
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Acids - concentrated | Poor |
| Acids - dilute | Fair-Poor |
| Alcohols | Fair |
| Alkalis | Good-Fair |
| Aromatic hydrocarbons | Good |
| Greases and Oils | Good |
| Halogenated Hydrocarbons | Good-Poor |
| Halogens | Poor |
| Ketones | Good-Fair |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Dielectric constant @1MHz | 3.5@100KHz |
| Dissipation factor @ 1kHz | 0.06 |
| Dielectric strength( kV mm⁻¹ ) | 26-30@1mm |
| Surface resistivity( Ohm/sq ) | 10¹³ |
| Volume resistivity( Ohmcm ) | 10¹²-10¹⁴ |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Flammability | HB-V2 |
| Radiation resistance | Fair |
| Resistance to Ultra-violet | Fair? |
| Limiting oxygen index( % ) | 21 |
| Water absorption - equilibrium( % ) | 1.6 |
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 1.02 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Hardness - Rockwell | R84-107 |
| Elongation at break( % ) | 290-300 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 50-55 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Heat-deflection temperature - 0.45MPa( C ) | 130-135 |
| Heat-deflection temperature - 1.8MPa( C ) | 48-55 |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 100-120 |
Tolerances
| Diameter | +20% / -10% | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | <100mm | ±1mm |
| Length | >=100mm | +5 / -1% |