A Perfect Balance of Properties

For decades, polyamide 66 (PA66) has been a vital resource for manufacturers looking to replace metal with new thermoplastic solutions – materials that have helped revolutionize the automotive and electrical industries. PA66 is the clear choice for these lightweight and resilient applications due to its balance of mechanical, chemical resistance and thermal material properties.

Today, PA66 is poised to drive even greater value in new fields like eMobility and the internet of things (IoT) where modern connectors and sensors continue to evolve. With its superior electrical, chemical and flame-resistant properties as well as its integrity under high heat, PA66 continues to be the ideal choice to help manufacturers capitalize on new opportunities.

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These expanded applications are creating more and more demand for PA66. As the world’s largest producer of the key ingredient for PA66, INVISTA has responded by launching the biggest expansion of feedstock capacity in PA66’s 80-year history.

While some have recently explored alternatives to PA66, when looking at all the advantages this resin delivers in molded applications and the long-term abundance INVISTA’s investment will deliver, one thing becomes clear – there is no better substitute.

As today’s engines keep getting smaller, power delivery remains constant or increases (often through turbocharging). Temperatures under the hood have likewise been increasing, often by significant amounts, yet space in the engine compartment has been decreasing through aerodynamic streamlining.

With limited “breathing” room around critical components and hotter processes generated by turbochargers and high-voltage hybrid electrical systems, several large-volume car platforms have already begun the switch from PA6 and GF-PP to more robust PA66 compositions. Additionally, its hydrolysis resistance has also made PA66 an ideal choice for full-battery electric vehicles utilizing liquid cooling.

PA66 is popular in injection molding processes because of its inherently faster crystallization rates compared to PA6 – as much as 10 times faster. This allows PA66-based parts to solidify in the mold quicker, improving manufacturing productivity. Also, while PA66 and PA6 parts sometimes have similar strength properties when they come out of the mold, in hot/humid environments, PA66 parts offer superior flexural strength.

PA66

PA6

Representative, publicly available data from a major compounder.

Due to the rapid growth of electric sensors and connectors in cars and appliances, molded parts must meet increasingly rigorous requirements for flame-retardant performance. Because it has a notably better oxygen index than PA6, more compounded grades of PA66 are certified to meet the highly valued V-0 rating.

PA66

PA6

Representative, publicly available data from a major compounder.