PA6 Sheet (Polyamide 6 Sheet) is a sheet engineering plastic formed by extrusion or calendering process with polyamide 6 (PA6) as the base material. PA6 is a linear polymer formed by ring-opening polymerization of caprolactam (Caprolactam) at high temperature (220-280℃) and initiator. Its molecular chain is composed of repeated -[NH-(CH₂)₅-CO]- units, with high crystallinity (crystallinity 50%-60%), excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance. PA6 sheet can be divided into extruded sheet (thickness ≥2 mm) and calendered sheet (thickness ≤2 mm) according to the production process, and can be divided into pure PA6 sheet and glass fiber reinforced PA6 sheet (such as GF30%, GF50%) according to whether it is reinforced.
It is a synthetic thermoplastic linear polyamide engineering plastic, one of the most important engineering plastics, with superior comprehensive properties, including mechanical strength, stiffness, toughness, mechanical shock absorption and wear resistance. Good electrical insulation and chemical resistance make PA6 a "universal grade" material. It has a wide range of applications, covering almost every field, and is widely used in chemical machinery, transportation, electronic semiconductors and other industries.
Since the industrial production in the 1950s, PA6 sheet has been widely used in automobiles, electronics, machinery manufacturing and other fields with its high strength, wear resistance, chemical corrosion resistance and other characteristics, becoming an indispensable structural material in modern industry.
Production process
The production process of PA6 sheet is mainly divided into extrusion and calendering. Some special scenarios use secondary processing after injection molding (such as punching and forming), corresponding to different product forms and application requirements:
Extrusion PA6 sheet
Process flow: After the PA6 resin particles are dried (the moisture content needs to be less than 0.1% to avoid hydrolysis and degradation), they are heated and melted by a single-screw or twin-screw extruder (temperature 240-280℃), extruded into sheets through a T-die, and then calendered, cooled, pulled, and rolled by a three-roll calender.
Features: Continuous production, high thickness uniformity (error ±0.05mm), suitable for large-scale mass production (thickness range 0.5-10mm).
Calendering PA6 sheet
Process flow: After mixing the PA6 resin with additives (such as plasticizers and stabilizers), first press it into a thick sheet (thickness 5-20mm), then gradually thin it to the target thickness (0.2-3mm) through a multi-stage calender, and finally cool it to shape.
Features: High surface finish (Ra＜0.2μm), suitable for scenes with strict flatness requirements (such as optical film substrates, decorative panels).
PA6 sheet processing after injection molding
Process flow: PA6 particles are made into blanks of specific shapes (such as gear blanks) by injection molding machines, and then processed into sheets or special-shaped parts by stamping, cutting, etc.
Features: High flexibility, suitable for small batches and complex structure products (such as customized electronic shielding sheets).
Data Sheet
| Properties |
Standard |
Unit |
Test Data |
| Specific gravity |
ISO 1183 |
g/cm3 |
1.14 |
| Water absorption |
ISO 62 |
% |
3.0 |
| Flammability |
UL94 |
|
HB |
| Mechancial Properties |
|
|
|
| Yield stress |
ISO 527 |
Mpa |
71.2 |
| Elongation at break |
ISO 527 |
% |
50 |
| Tensile modulus of elasticity |
ISO 527 |
Mpa |
2610 |
| Notched impact strength |
ISO 179 |
kJ/m2 |
7.6 |
| Notched izod impact strength |
ISO 180 |
kJ/m2 |
7.67 |
| Shore hardness |
ISO 868 |
scale D |
85 |
Market trends and development directions
As downstream industries increase their requirements for material performance, PA6 sheets are developing towards high performance, functional integration, and green environmental protection:
High performance: Develop special PA6 sheets that are resistant to ultra-high temperatures (continuous use temperature > 180°C), ultra-high strength (tensile strength > 200MPa), and ultra-wear-resistant (wear loss < 30mm³/1000 revolutions) to meet the needs of cutting-edge fields such as aerospace and deep-sea equipment.
Functional integration: Give PA6 sheets more additional functions (such as heat dissipation and antibacterial properties) through nano-composite technology (such as adding graphene to improve thermal conductivity and adding nano-silver to prevent bacteria); at the same time, develop multifunctional integrated products such as conductive, electromagnetic shielding, and self-repairing.
Environmentally friendly and sustainable: Promote bio-based PA6 (raw materials come from renewable resources such as castor oil and glucose) to reduce dependence on petroleum; develop PA6 that can be completely hydrolyzed or composted (introducing easily hydrolyzed groups through molecular chain design).
Lightweight and thin-walled: By optimizing the glass fiber/carbon fiber reinforcement ratio and molding process, the PA6 sheet can be lightweighted (replacing steel with plastic) (weight reduction of 30%-50%), while meeting the high-precision requirements of thin walls (thickness <1mm) (such as electronic packaging components).
