| HS Code | 417879 |
| Material | Rilsan BESN Black P20 TL |
| Resin | Polyamide 11 (Nylon 11) |
| Grade Type | Flexible Tubing Grade |
| Density | 1.04 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 186 °C |
| Vicat Softening Point | 120 °C |
| Tensile Strength | 38 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 350% |
| Flexural Modulus | 500 MPa |
| Shore Hardness | Shore D 55 |
| Water Absorption 24 H | 0.8% |
| Continuous Service Temperature | -40 °C to 100 °C |
As an accredited Arkema Rilsan BESN BLACK P20 TL Nylon 11, Flexible Tubing Grade factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | 25 kg bags of Arkema Rilsan BESN BLACK P20 TL, black nylon 11 pellets for flexible tubing, supplied moisture-protected. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | A 20′ FCL container loaded with palletized bags of Arkema Rilsan BESN BLACK P20 TL Nylon 11, flexible tubing grade. |
| Shipping | Rilsan BESN Black P20 TL is shipped as solid nylon resin pellets in sealed moisture-barrier bags or drums to prevent moisture absorption. Standard dry van transportation is suitable; avoid excessive heat and humidity. No hazardous classification applies, but keep away from ignition sources during transit and storage. |
| Storage | Store in original sealed packaging in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and moisture. Keep containers tightly closed to prevent humidity absorption, which can affect processing. Avoid contact with contaminants. Recommended storage temperature is below 50°C (122°F). Use within shelf life for optimal performance. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 2 years from manufacture when stored unopened, cool, and dry, protected from direct sunlight. |
In heavy-duty vehicle air brake circuits, Rilsan BESN BLACK P20 TL is converted into coiled and straight tube elements whose acceptance is fixed by SAE J844 and ISO 7628-1:2018; qualification includes cold impact after conditioning at -40 °C, boiling-water burst retention, and collapse resistance under vacuum. Tensile elongation at break after conditioning at 23 °C and 50% RH is verified under ISO 527-2 to confirm that the plasticiser package survives processing. The compound is fed at 100% of its supplied pellet mass, with clean in-house edge trim held to ≤20 wt% because higher regrind addition shifts the plasticiser equilibrium and increases the probability of carbon black agglomeration. Drying is executed in a desiccant hopper at 80 °C for 4 h to 6 h, targeting a residual moisture content below 0.08% before the screw. Extrusion on a grooved-feed single-screw machine with L/D 24:1 to 30:1, a compression ratio of 2.5:1 to 3.0:1, and a screen pack of 60/80/100 mesh is performed with barrel setpoints from 220 °C to 245 °C; the melt is kept below 250 °C to prevent plasticiser volatilisation and die-lip plate-out. Vacuum sizing with closed-loop water at 15 °C to 20 °C and ultrasonic wall-thickness gauging hold a 6 mm OD tube within ±0.05 mm wall variation. Terminal products are tractor-trailer coiled air brake lines, straight chassis supply and service lines, spring-brake jumper segments, and suspension levelling valve connections.
Subsea hydraulic control and chemical injection core tubes are extruded from Rilsan BESN BLACK P20 TL as the internal pressure barrier in thermoplastic umbilical constructions, with design and qualification governed by API SPEC 17E and ISO 13628-5:2021; type approval commonly requires hydrostatic collapse testing, methanol immersion after simulated service, and full-cross-section bending fatigue. The grade is used neat at 100% of supplied compound, and converter-side regrind is restricted to 0–10 wt% only when batch traceability and methanol-resistance documentation are not impaired. Drying before extrusion is tightened to ≤0.05% moisture at 75 °C to 80 °C for 4 h to 6 h. A single-screw extruder with L/D 30:1, barrier mixing section, and melt gear pump is used to reduce pressure pulsation that would otherwise create wall-thickness variation along a 6 mm OD × 1 mm wall control line. Melt temperature is controlled between 225 °C and 245 °C; screw speed is indexed to a gear-pump suction pressure of 20 bar to 30 bar so that the calibration die sees constant throughput. Downstream, the tube passes through a vacuum sizer and ultrasonic eccentricity gauging that holds eccentricity below 5% of nominal wall. On-plant spooling is a documented bottleneck: thin-wall control lines spooled below 10 × OD hub radius can develop ovality that fails dimensional inspection, so reels are specified with a hub radius of at least 150 mm for 6 mm tube. Terminal products include hydraulic control lines, chemical injection lines, methanol flushing lines, and protective inner ducts for signalling cables inside subsea umbilical cross sections. The operational boundary is chemical rather than thermal: continuous exposure to concentrated formic acid, phenol, or strong oxidizing halogen solutions above 40 °C is outside the verified compatibility envelope because chain scission of the polyamide backbone can progress under those conditions.
For automotive fuel vapour return and evaporative emission segments, Rilsan BESN BLACK P20 TL is extruded as the flexible mono-wall conduit that connects the tank rollover valve, carbon canister, and purge solenoid in naturally aspirated fuel systems; the acceptance basis is SAE J2045 for fuel system tubing assemblies, while SAE J2260 is invoked only when the finished construction includes a separate barrier layer, because a mono-wall PA11 tube by itself does not provide the lowest permeation classification required for pressure-side liquid fuel. The material is processed at 100% of as-supplied pellet mass and in-plant regrind is capped at ≤12 wt% to preserve low-temperature impact behaviour tested after fuel soaking at -40 °C. Drying at 80 °C for 5 h to a moisture content below 0.08% precedes extrusion on a smooth-bore single-screw line of L/D 24:1 to 28:1, with barrel temperatures from 210 °C to 235 °C for the feed and transition zones and 230 °C to 245 °C at the head. Because the grade contains a pre-dispersed carbon black package, the line employs a 60/80 mesh screen pack and breaker plate to trap micro-agglomerates before the die. Downstream cooling is by water immersion at 12 °C to 18 °C, and post-extrusion annealing at 60 °C for 2 h may be applied to stabilise dimensional recovery after fitting insertion. Terminal products include quick-connect vapour return lines under SAE J2044, canister purge tubing, and rollover valve vent tails. A stated limitation is that mono-wall flexible PA11 is not a substitute for fluoropolymer-barrier multilayer tubing where evaporative emission limits are set at CARB LEV III or EPA Tier 3 levels; published data for this specific mono-wall configuration under those limits is limited.
| Sector | Maximum regrind | Maximum residual moisture | Melt temperature window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air brake tubing | ≤20 wt% | ≤0.08% | 220–245 °C |
| Subsea umbilical control lines | ≤10 wt% | ≤0.05% | 225–245 °C |
| Automotive fuel vapour return | ≤12 wt% | ≤0.08% | 210–245 °C |
| Rail pneumatic lines | ≤10 wt% | ≤0.08% | 230–245 °C |
| Industrial compressed air | ≤15 wt% | ≤0.08% | 220–245 °C |
| Agricultural chemical transfer | ≤15 wt% | ≤0.08% | 225–245 °C |
In rolling-stock pneumatic suspension and brake-control circuits, the flexible tube is assessed against EN 45545-2:2020 for fire propagation and smoke opacity, with supplementary data generated under ISO 4589-2 for limiting oxygen index and ISO 5659-2 for smoke density at the required hazard level. The compound is run at 100% as supplied, and the use of in-plant rework is held to ≤10 wt% because repeated heat history can degrade the plasticiser and alter fire-test response in a manner that is difficult to reverse through re-additisation at the converter. Drying precedes extrusion at 80 °C for 5 h, producing moisture below 0.08%. A grooved-feed extruder of L/D 28:1 to 32:1 with a metering screw is operated at 20 rpm to 60 rpm on a 30 mm to 60 mm barrel, and melt temperature is kept within 230 °C to 245 °C. The vacuum calibration tank applies -0.2 bar to -0.6 bar gauge and the haul-off is set to maintain ±0.10 mm on outer diameters from 8 mm to 12 mm. After cutting, the tubes are conditioned at 23 °C ±2 °C and 50% RH ±10% before connector assembly because dimensionally unstable tube can reduce connector retention. Terminal products are inter-car pneumatic jumpers, bogie brake control lines, air spring supply tubes, and leveling valve connection pipes. The operational boundary is continuous service above 90 °C; routing adjacent to brake resistors or axle gearboxes requires external shielding because long-term heat aging of plasticised PA11 can embrittle the outer surface.
In centralized compressed-air distribution networks for robotic cells and packaging machinery, the polymer is processed into small-bore pneumatic tubing where pulse loading from solenoid valves and push-in connector retention dominate the failure analysis. The relevant plant-level safety system is designed under ISO 4414:2010, and tube burst verification is performed at 3 × maximum working pressure; flow-rate characterisation follows ISO 6358-1:2013 for components where valve response time depends on tube internal volume. As supplied, the compound is used at 100%, with regrind addition limited to ≤15 wt% and restricted to dry, uncontaminated sprueless tube scrap. Drying at 80 °C for 4 h yields a moisture content below 0.08% before a single-screw extruder of L/D 24:1 to 28:1 fitted with a barrier screw. Melt temperatures from 220 °C to 245 °C are maintained across die heads producing 4 mm to 16 mm OD, and a closed-loop laser gauge controls tolerance to ±0.05 mm for 4 mm to 8 mm OD and ±0.10 mm for larger dimensions. Terminal products include spiral-coil pneumatic tubes for robotic end-of-arm tooling, compressed-air drops for packaging actuators, and push-in connector harnesses in automated assembly cells.
Agricultural boom sprayers and seed-treatment carts use Rilsan BESN BLACK P20 TL in transfer segments that are periodically exposed to dilute urea-ammonium nitrate, organophosphate pesticides, and cold-weather folding stress at field margins. Chemical compatibility screening is performed under ISO 175:2014, and dimensional acceptance for the extruded tube follows DIN 73378 where the tube is fitted into barbed connectors. The compound is processed at 100% as supplied; any regrind is capped at ≤15 wt% because field chemical exposure can extract low-molecular-weight fractions from degraded plasticiser in poorly controlled recycled material. Drying to ≤0.08% moisture at 80 °C for 4 h is followed by extrusion on a L/D 24:1 to 30:1 single-screw line with melt temperature 225 °C to 245 °C. The vacuum sizer holds ±0.10 mm on 10 mm to 20 mm OD and the tubes are coiled onto reels with a minimum radius of 8 × OD to avoid field-relevant kinking. Terminal products include sprayer boom distribution lines, low-pressure return lines, seed treatment metering lines, and fertilizer injection cart rinse lines. The material is not designated for concentrated sulphuric acid, methylene chloride, or continuous hot-water service above 60 °C at pressure; published data for those specific configurations is limited.
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Arkema Rilsan BESN BLACK P20 TL is a plasticized polyamide 11 extrusion grade supplied as black pellets and formulated for flexible tubing manufacture. The BESN prefix identifies the base extrusion series; P20 indicates an intermediate plasticizer loading; TL denotes tubing-grade melt strength, surface finish, and dimensional control. Representative values from supplier technical literature list unfilled density at 1.04 g/cm³ per ISO 1183-1, melting peak temperature at approximately 185 °C per ISO 11357-3, and saturation moisture uptake around 1.8 wt% per ISO 62. The compound is positioned between unplasticized BESNO and higher-plasticizer BESN P40 TL or P50 TL, offering a balance of cold-temperature flexibility, tensile strength retention, and resistance to plasticizer exudation.
The black pigmentation is carbon-black based and contributes to ultraviolet absorption, but retention under ISO 4892-2 xenon-arc exposure is a finished-part property governed by wall thickness, carbon black dispersion, and crystallization history. Pellet color therefore cannot be used as the sole predictor of ultraviolet service life. Lot-specific values must be obtained from the certificate of analysis because the bands presented in this document are representative, not specification limits.
At the molecular level, the P20 formulation uses a controlled external plasticizer phase dissolved within the polyamide 11 matrix. The plasticizer reduces stiffening at low temperature and lowers flexural modulus relative to unplasticified BESNO. Under ISO 868, P20 TL Shore D hardness is typically 68–73, whereas P40 TL falls near 60–66. Under ISO 178, P20 TL flexural modulus is generally in the 500–700 MPa band, while P40 TL is often reported at 300–450 MPa. The intermediate formulation reduces plasticizer exudation risk compared with P40 TL and P50 TL, but it raises the minimum bend radius at -40 °C compared with higher-plasticizer grades. Selection should therefore be made after finished tube bending tests at the target cold condition, not from hardness alone.
| Property | Method | Typical band |
|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | 1.03–1.05 g/cm³ |
| Melting peak | ISO 11357-3 | 183–187 °C |
| Water saturation | ISO 62 | 1.6–2.0 wt% |
| Shore D hardness | ISO 868 | 68–73 |
| Flexural modulus | ISO 178 | 500–700 MPa |
| Tensile elongation at break | ISO 527-2 | >300% |
The values above are compiled from supplier technical literature and are not product specification limits. Some published data for this specific configuration is limited; incoming lot testing remains mandatory where the application is subject to OEM approval or regulatory control.
Moisture management is the first production-scale risk. Polyamide 11 absorbs surface moisture rapidly. At floor relative humidity above 60%, measurable surface moisture increases within 10–20 min after bag opening. At melt temperatures above 200 °C, residual pellet moisture above 0.10 wt% hydrolyzes the amide linkage and generates splay, microvoids, internal bubbles, and tube diameter instability. A closed-loader system with dry air purge is required when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60%. Desiccant-bed performance should be verified by ISO 15512 Karl Fischer titration rather than weight-loss instruments that cannot distinguish surface water from internal water.
Pre-drying is normally performed at 80 °C for 4–6 h in a desiccant dryer with air dew point not higher than -30 °C. The target residual moisture is below 0.10 wt% and preferably below 0.08 wt% for thin-wall tube production. Drying times may require adjustment when pellet surface area or bulk density departs from the supplier reference. A dry-air hopper with -40 °C dew point is effective when the line runs continuously; intermittent operation can still permit moisture regain in the feed throat if the hopper throat is not sealed.
If residence time above 220 °C exceeds 10 min, the melt can show viscosity rise and black specks. A recommended starting barrel profile for a 30:1 L/D single-screw extruder is 180/195/205/215/215 °C from feed to die, but set points must be trimmed to maintain melt temperature within 195–225 °C. Melt pressure at the breaker plate is typically held between 50 bar and 150 bar. Sustained pressure above 200 bar indicates insufficient open area in the screen pack or excessive die restriction, which raises shear heating and accelerates thermal degradation.
On production-scale single-screw extruders with 24:1 to 30:1 L/D, a general-purpose polyolefin screw with 2.2:1 to 2.5:1 compression ratio is usually adequate, but a low-shear screw with deeper metering channels reduces shear heating. A barrier screw with a Maddock mixing section improves carbon black dispersion but requires additional head-pressure allowance. The die land length should be 10–15 times the die gap. Draw-down ratio is normally maintained between 1.05:1 and 1.50:1, while draw ratio balance is held at 0.90–1.10. Vacuum calibration is set at 0.2–0.6 bar, depending on tube diameter and wall thickness, and quench water is usually controlled at 15–25 °C. Tube ovality and internal ripple occur when melt draw exceeds 1.5:1 or when quench water falls below 10 °C because the outer skin freezes before core relaxation.
For line speeds above 20 m/min, closed-loop diameter control with laser or ultrasonic gauging is normally required to keep wall thickness within ±0.05 mm on small-diameter tube. Batch-to-batch variation in plasticizer content of ±0.5 wt% can shift Shore D hardness by approximately 1–2 points and flexural modulus by up to 50 MPa. Process settings should therefore be re-established for each incoming lot.
Compared with BESN P40 TL, the P20 variant displays higher hardness and modulus, lower elongation at break, and lower plasticizer availability for exudation. Table 2 provides a relative grade-positioning comparison. The lower plasticizer content improves retention of mechanical stiffness in contact with hydrocarbon fluids but increases the minimum bend radius at -40 °C. When a tube must meet SAE J844 low-temperature impact and flexibility, P40 TL may be favored; when higher dimensional stability and surface hardness are more important, P20 TL is selected. The comparison is not a substitute for finished tube testing.
| Grade | Plasticizer level | Shore D hardness | Flexural modulus | Typical use driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BESNO | Unplasticized/low | 76–80 | 900–1200 MPa | Stiff tubing, chemical resistance |
| BESN P20 TL | Intermediate | 68–73 | 500–700 MPa | Flexible tubing, balanced stiffness |
| BESN P40 TL | Higher | 60–66 | 300–450 MPa | High-flexibility routing, lower bend force |
Flexible tubing from BESN BLACK P20 TL is typically specified for pneumatic lines, compressed-air circuits, truck air brake tubing, fuel vapor return lines, and hydraulic-control outer sheathing. In air brake service, finished tube is qualified under SAE J844 or ISO 7628, which include burst pressure, cold-temperature impact, flex resistance, and extraction tests. In European polyamide tubing systems, DIN 73378 is also encountered. Raw-material selection to P20 TL does not itself confer approval; the converter must verify wall thickness, fitting compatibility, and assembly performance. For drinking-water contact, NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 evaluation is performed on the finished tube, and the suitability of the carbon black and plasticizer package must be confirmed under the specific use condition.
Under chemical exposure, the PA11 matrix resists aliphatic hydrocarbons, mineral oil, diesel fuel, and zinc chloride solutions at moderate temperatures, but it is attacked by strong mineral acids, phenols, and concentrated formic acid. For liquid immersion, screening is performed under ISO 175. For tubing intended for fuel contact, ISO 1817 or SAE J2260 may apply. Continuous exposure to hot water above 60 °C reduces molecular weight by hydrolysis; design should avoid continuous service above 60 °C in water or wet air unless the tube wall is derated. Plasticizer extraction can occur in contact with polar fluids such as methanol or glycol-containing brake fluids. The P20 level reduces the extraction rate relative to P40 TL, but swelling and aging tests are mandatory before specifying the material in aggressive fluid environments.
The polymer portion of polyamide 11 falls under the EU REACH polymer registration exemption, but monomers and additives must be registered when required. For food-contact applications, nylon 11 resins may be evaluated under FDA 21 CFR 177.1500(b); however, carbon black, plasticizer, and processing aids carry their own conditions-of-use limitations, and the finished article manufacturer must confirm end-test compliance. Under RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU, the compound must meet maximum concentration values for lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, and PBDE. The black pellet form does not guarantee that downstream regrind or fitting components meet the threshold. Automotive tube OEMs normally require IMDS or PPAP documentation that lists all constituent substances.
Lot release should include melt volume-flow rate under ISO 1133-1, residual moisture under ISO 15512, density under ISO 1183-1, and tensile or flexural modulus under ISO 527-2 or ISO 178. Incoming-lot testing is recommended because storage time, humidity, and heat history can shift moisture and viscosity. If the material is blended with regrind above 20 wt%, the effect on melt viscosity, carbon black dispersion, and tube surface finish must be qualified on the production line. Regrind without closed-loop drying often introduces moisture and fines that destabilize diameter control.
