Polyamide - Nylon 12 (PA 12) - Material Information

Polyamide 12 (PA12), part of the nylon family of thermoplastics, is valued for its balance of toughness, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals and abrasion. It exhibits low water absorption and superior dimensional stability compared to other nylons, making it highly suitable for demanding engineering, automotive, and medical applications.

Material Overview

PA12 is a semi-crystalline polymer derived from laurolactam, characterized by long aliphatic chains that reduce hydrogen bonding and water uptake relative to shorter-chain nylons like PA6 or PA66. This gives PA12 its low moisture absorption (? 0.8 wt%) and high dimensional stability. It has a melting temperature around 178 °C and maintains impact strength and ductility at sub-zero temperatures (Bahrami et al., 2021). Its ?-phase crystalline structure imparts flexibility, while ?-phase content enhances rigidity. Ma et al. (2020) found that the ? and ?? crystal forms provide a strong and tough balance, whereas the ?-form is comparatively brittle. Thermal analysis revealed multiple melting transitions due to recrystallization, reflecting PA12’s complex crystalline morphology. PA12 also demonstrates high fatigue resistance, good wear performance, and excellent resistance to oils, fuels, and hydraulic fluids, further enhanced by additives or glass-fiber reinforcement.

Applications and Advantages

Thanks to its versatile mechanical and chemical properties, PA12 is used in automotive fuel lines, pneumatic tubing, wire insulation, and flexible mechanical parts. Its resilience in high-humidity environments and resistance to hydrocarbons make it a preferred choice for long-term fluid handling systems. In additive manufacturing, PA12 powders are utilized in selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) to produce durable prototypes and end-use components with fine resolution and consistent mechanical strength (Knoop & Schoeppner, 2015). Recent studies have also highlighted PA12’s increasing use in biomedical applications, including catheters, implants, and prosthetics, due to its biocompatibility and sterilization stability (Thanabalan et al., 2025).

Goodfellow Availability

Goodfellow supplies Polyamide 12 (PA12) in powder, tube, and other custom-engineered forms for industrial, research, and additive manufacturing use. The material’s consistent quality and mechanical reliability make it ideal for precision applications. Explore Polyamide 12 and related polymers through the Goodfellow product finder.

References

• Bahrami, M., Abenojar, J., & Martinez, M. A. (2021). Comparative characterization of hot-pressed polyamide 11 and 12: Mechanical, thermal and durability properties. Polymers, 13(20), 3553. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13203553
• Ma, N., Liu, W., Ma, L., He, S., Liu, H., Zhang, Z., Sun, A., Huang, M., & Zhu, C. (2020). Crystal transition and thermal behavior of Nylon 12. E-Polymers, 20(1), 397–405. https://doi.org/10.1515/epoly-2020-0039
• Knoop, F., & Schoeppner, V. (2015). Mechanical and thermal properties of FDM parts manufactured with Polyamide 12. Proceedings of the Polymer Processing Society.
• Thanabalan, L., Al-Rawas, M., Ghazalli, N. F., Alawi, R., & Abdul Muttlib, N. A. (2025). Revolutionizing healthcare: Recent advances of Polyamide 12 in medical applications. Global Journal of Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Biomedical Update, 10.25259/gjmpbu_19_2025.
• Saengthaveep, S., Jana, S. C., & Magaraphan, R. (2013). Phase morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of compatibilized Nylon 12/Natural Rubber blends. Advanced Materials Research, 844, 53–57. https://doi.org/10.4028/WWW.SCIENTIFIC.NET/AMR.844.53