| HS Code | 804740 |
| Density | 1.01 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 178 °C |
| Water Absorption 24h | 0.10 % |
| Tensile Modulus Conditioned | 650 MPa |
| Tensile Strength At Break Conditioned | 35 MPa |
| Elongation At Break Conditioned | 300 % |
| Flexural Modulus Conditioned | 650 MPa |
| Charpy Impact Strength Notched 23 C Conditioned | No break |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 1 80 Mpa | 45 °C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 0 45 Mpa | 90 °C |
| Vicat Softening Temperature B50 | 165 °C |
| Molding Shrinkage | 0.4 % |
As an accredited EMS-Grivory Grilamid L 20 GM Nylon 12, Conditioned factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | 25 kg moisture-proof sealed bags of EMS-Grivory Grilamid L 20 GM Nylon 12, Conditioned, labeled with batch and safety information. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: sealed, palletized bags of conditioned Grilamid L20 GM nylon 12, stably loaded, protected from moisture, heat, and contamination. |
| Shipping | Grilamid L 20 GM Nylon 12 ships as a conditioned granular resin in sealed, moisture-resistant packaging to preserve properties. Standard ground freight applies; keep dry, avoid excessive heat, and store in original containers. No hazardous material designation for general transport, though palletized shipment is recommended. |
| Storage | Store Grilamid L 20 GM in its original, unopened packaging in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and UV radiation. Keep tightly sealed to prevent moisture absorption. Recommended storage temperature is below 25°C. Under these conditions, shelf life is typically 2 years from delivery. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 2-5 years when stored in original, sealed packaging away from moisture and direct sunlight. |
In automotive interior harness clip production, EMS-Grivory Grilamid L 20 GM is dried in a desiccant hopper to a residual moisture target of 0.06–0.10% before entering a 60–80 t hydraulic clamp injection moulding machine with an 18:1 L/D general-purpose screw and a reverse-taper nozzle. The 20 wt% glass microsphere loading reduces flow-direction and cross-flow shrinkage differential to less than 0.15 percentage points when measured on 60 mm × 60 mm × 2 mm plaques per ISO 294-4, which allows a four-cavity clip tool with a cavity-to-cavity pitch of 75 mm to hold the snap-fit opening within ±0.08 mm. Barrel temperatures are set from hopper to nozzle at 220 °C, 235 °C, 245 °C, and 250 °C, while the mould is held at 40–60 °C; injection speed is capped at 70–100 mm/s to avoid jetting around the gate insert. The clip is demoulded after 18–22 s cooling and immediately placed in a conditioning chamber at 23 °C and 50% RH for 48 h per ISO 1110. Without this conditioning step, the tip of the snap-fit beam retains dry-as-moulded elongation below 10% and can fracture during insertion at −30 °C after vehicle thermal soak; conditioned parts typically recover from 1.0–1.2 mm deflection without stress whitening. The terminal clip body is paired with a polyamide 66 latch pin and a nitrile rubber cushion; the glass microsphere filler avoids fibre orientation-induced sink marks that would otherwise require mould flow simulation corrections at the gate land. On the production floor, the dominant failure mode is not gross part warpage but gate-side sink over the thicker latch boss; when holding pressure is reduced below 30 MPa, the boss exhibits local shrinkage of 0.03–0.05 mm and clip release force rises above 25 N, so cavity pressure switch-over is fixed at 45 MPa.
A shift from 20 wt% chopped glass fibre to 20 wt% glass microspheres in Grilamid L 20 GM changes the shrinkage tensor from highly orthotropic to quasi-isotropic. In a petrol vapour line quick connector with a 12.0 mm bore and 1.8 mm wall thickness, dispersion of spherical filler produced post-ejection roundness deviation below 0.04 mm across the sealing diameter, compared with 0.10–0.15 mm for short-glass equivalents under the same ISO 294-4 measurement. The connector body is moulded in a two-drop valve-gated cold runner system: melt temperature at the nozzle 235–255 °C, hold pressure 45–60 MPa for 6–8 s, and tool temperature 60–80 °C to promote spherulite formation and to stabilise the O-ring groove before the part is ejected onto a cooling fixture. The valve gates open sequentially with a 0.2 s delay to move the weld line away from the thinnest bore section. Conditioned at 23 °C and 50% RH for 72 h, the connector shell absorbs 0.5–0.7 wt% moisture; this lowers tensile modulus by approximately 15% relative to dry-as-moulded values and raises elongation at break sufficiently to allow the retaining clip lugs to flex outward during coupling without cracking at −40 °C. Fuel exposure is evaluated in an OEM PV test rather than a single ISO standard: the finished connector is immersed in test fluid E10 at 60 °C for 500 h; after immersion, the bore diameter must remain within ±0.06 mm of the conditioned baseline. Process limits are narrow: melt residence time above 260 °C should not exceed 8 min, and regrind from sprues should be limited to 25 wt% because higher recycle fractions shorten the notched impact after thermal aging. The terminal quick-connector assembly includes an EPDM O-ring, a polyacetal release sleeve, and a stainless steel retaining clip, all inserted after the conditioner has stabilised the snap geometry.
Directly after ejection from a four-cavity hot runner mould, pneumatic valve bodies made from Grilamid L 20 GM are sealed in moisture-barrier polyethylene bags for secondary moisture absorption to 0.5–0.7 wt%; below 0.2 wt% moisture the mouldings are hard and cannot accept brass thread inserts without microcracking. The 20 wt% glass microsphere phase gives flat sealing faces with a total flatness deviation below 0.05 mm over a 30 mm diameter port face, measured with a dial indicator on a Grade 0 granite surface plate after insert loading. In compressed air fittings operating at 0.8 MPa line pressure and −20 °C to 50 °C ambient, conditioned PA12 retains notched Charpy impact of 7–9 kJ/m² per ISO 179/1eA while keeping tensile creep low enough that thread relaxation after 1000 h at 60 °C does not reduce assembly torque below 0.8 N·m. The brass insert is preheated to 120 °C before insertion into the hot boss; this prevents the glass microsphere boundary layer from acting as a crack path during thread-forming. Moulding uses a manifold temperature of 245 °C, hot drop tip temperature of 255 °C, cavity pressure at gate freeze 35–40 MPa, and a cooling time of 20 s. The final poppet valve body must pass leak testing at 0.6 MPa with a loss below 0.3 cm³/min and is assembled with a nitrile poppet, a stainless steel spring, and a zinc-plated steel retaining cap. The grade is not recommended for direct contact with ester-based compressor oils above 60 °C unless the oil supplier has validated PA12 resistance; otherwise the outer valve body can show surface softening after 2000 h oil mist exposure. Production batches have shown increased reject rates when the moisture-barrier bag is opened in an uncontrolled high-humidity area above 60% RH, because surface condensation can be drawn into the hopper and create local viscosity loss at the melt film.
Conditioned Grilamid L 20 GM test plaques cut at 2.0 mm thickness show a notched Charpy impact shift from 4–5 kJ/m² dry-as-moulded to 7–9 kJ/m² after ISO 1110 conditioning, while tensile modulus falls to 1400–1600 MPa under ISO 527-1/-2 at 23 °C. This balance is used in miniature circuit breaker housings where the snap-fit cover must engage at −35 °C without cracking and the body must not creep away from a copper busbar after 10 000 thermal cycles between 25 °C and 85 °C. The housing is moulded from a single-cavity tool with a centre sprue and two fan gates; barrel profile 225–250 °C, back pressure 8–10 MPa, injection velocity 60–100 mm/s, and mould temperature 50–70 °C. After demoulding, the part is allowed to condition at 23 °C and 50% RH for 72 h; critical clearance for the copper busbar is measured after conditioning because moisture-induced growth can reduce the slot width by 0.03–0.05 mm. Flammability is assessed at 1.5 mm wall thickness against UL 94 HB and glow wire flammability is checked per IEC 60695-2-11 at 650 °C; the grade is not rated for continuous contact with live parts unless the end-use product passes the creepage and clearance requirements of IEC 60664-1. The glass microsphere filler reduces post-mould sink over the breaker mechanism mounting posts to below 0.02 mm, eliminating the need for secondary milling. Process limitations include a melt residence time below 12 min above 230 °C and a maximum regrind level of 20 wt%; beyond this level the low-temperature impact property falls below the 6 kJ/m² acceptance limit in batch release testing. The finished housing is assembled with a flame-retardant polycarbonate cover, a copper busbar, and a steel rivet; the assembly is then tested for dielectric strength at 2 kV for 60 s while still in the conditioned state.
Because the glass microsphere filler in Grilamid L 20 GM remains quasi-isotropic in both flow and transverse directions, fibre orientation-induced tooth flatness deviation is avoided in office automation drive gears that must run below 45 dB(A) noise at 1.5 m/s pitch-line velocity. The 20 wt% glass microsphere content is compounded into PA12 to improve dimensional stability without the abrasive mating-surface wear associated with short glass fibre; in a 0.8 mm module gear with 28 teeth, total profile deviation is held to DIN 3962 quality grade 8 after moulding in a three-plate cold runner tool. The melt is processed at 235–255 °C and injected through a 0.8 mm pin gate at 150 mm/s; mould temperature is 70–80 °C to promote crystallinity and to reduce post-mould torque variation. After ejection, gears are conditioned at 23 °C and 50% RH for 48 h; tooth span measurement is repeated after conditioning and must remain within ±0.025 mm of the cold-runner baseline. The gears operate against a POM gear in a laser printer paper-path drive; a polyalphaolefin grease with lithium thickener is used at a film quantity of 0.05 g per gear. Wear after 500 h at 40 °C is typically below 0.03 mm tooth thickness loss unless paper dust loading exceeds 2 mg/m³, in which case the PA12 gear should be shielded or shifted to a steel/POM pair. The final assembly includes a sintered bronze bearing, a stainless steel shaft, and a glass-filled POM idler; adhesive bonding is avoided because moisture-conditioned PA12 surfaces can retain a weakly bound water film that reduces cyanoacrylate adhesion to below 3 MPa lap shear.
Water-meter register housings moulded from Grilamid L 20 GM are held to a total lens-sealing groove tolerance of ±0.05 mm across a 40 mm diameter even after 500 h at 40 °C and 90% RH; the glass microspheres restrict hygroscopic dimensional change to 0.1–0.2%, whereas an unfilled PA12 housing can move beyond 0.4% under the same exposure. The injection mould uses a central sprue, two side gates, and a perimeter vent land of 0.015 mm depth; fill time is 1.2 s, with a hold pressure profile dropping from 45 MPa to 25 MPa over 8 s. After ejection, the housing is cooled on a dimensioned fixture rather than free in water; parts are measured for groove diameter and roundness before moisture conditioning. If conditioning is carried out before the lens groove has been measured, the diameter can expand by 0.03–0.05 mm, causing the acrylic lens seal to leak at 0.2 bar overpressure. The final register shell is assembled with an acrylic lens, a stainless steel snap ring, and a silicone cord seal; the snap fit is designed for a 0.8 mm deflection at ambient and is tested at 5 °C after the material has reached equilibrium moisture. The grade must be dried to 0.06–0.10% before moulding; if the granulate absorbs above 0.15% during hopper residence in an unsealed feed throat, the melt viscosity drops and the lens groove can exhibit short shots at the flow-front junction. Published data for this specific water-meter configuration is limited; therefore, production validation should include at least three lots tested for dimensional stability after 1000 h at 40 °C and 90% RH with ISO 62 water absorption correlation before the tool is locked.
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EMS-Grivory Grilamid L 20 GM Nylon 12, conditioned, is a 20% glass-fibre reinforced polyamide 12 injection-moulding grade whose mechanical property data are reported after equilibration at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity according to ISO 291:2008. The model designation decomposes into three functional segments: the prefix “L” identifies the EMS-Grivory PA12 polymer family, the numeric code “20” specifies 20% by mass glass-fibre reinforcement, and the suffix “GM” denotes a medium-viscosity, glass-reinforced injection-moulding material. Under the ISO 16396-1 thermoplastics classification, the material falls within the PA12-GF20 family. The conditioned state is not a surface treatment or additive package; it describes the moisture-equilibrated condition of a moulded part after storage in a controlled atmosphere. For 2 mm test plaques, this equilibrium typically corresponds to 0.5–0.8 wt% absorbed water, whereas dry-as-moulded specimens contain less than 0.1 wt% residual moisture. Density is approximately 1.14 g/cm³ when measured under ISO 1183-1. Melt volume-flow rate under ISO 1133-1 at 275 °C/5 kg is reported in the range of 12–18 cm³/10 min for natural-colour material; pigment additions and regrind content may shift this value by up to ±15%. The material is supplied as cylindrical or lenticular pellets with a glass-fibre length distribution that is further reduced during plastication, and the final fibre-length profile in a moulded part is a critical determinant of tensile modulus and notched impact behaviour.
The absorbed water in conditioned PA12 is concentrated in the amorphous phase of the polyamide matrix, where it disrupts interchain hydrogen bonding and lowers glass-transition-related energy barriers. In a 20 wt% glass-fibre compound, the reinforcement does not absorb water, so the moisture-induced reduction in tensile modulus is smaller than for unfilled PA12 but remains measurable. Relative to an unfilled PA12 such as Grilamid L 25, the 20% glass fibre increases dry tensile modulus from approximately 1,600 MPa to 4,700 MPa and the 1.8 MPa heat deflection temperature from 50–60 °C to approximately 165 °C, while reducing elongation at break from ductile yielding to semiductile behaviour. Representative supplier-reported data for natural-colour specimens at 2 mm thickness are shown in the following table. Dry values refer to specimens tested immediately after moulding or after drying to below 0.1 wt% moisture; conditioned values refer to specimens stored at 23 °C/50% RH until mass equilibrium under ISO 291:2008.
| Property | Test method | Dry | Conditioned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | 1.14 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ |
| Tensile modulus | ISO 527-1/-2 | 4,700 MPa | 2,800 MPa |
| Tensile stress at break | ISO 527-1/-2 | 85 MPa | 55 MPa |
| Elongation at break | ISO 527-1/-2 | 5% | 12% |
| Charpy notched impact at 23 °C | ISO 179/1eA | 8 kJ/m² | 10 kJ/m² |
| Charpy notched impact at -30 °C | ISO 179/1eA | 6 kJ/m² | 5 kJ/m² |
| Heat deflection temperature at 1.8 MPa | ISO 75-1/-2 | 165 °C | 160 °C |
| Water absorption, saturation at 23 °C | ISO 62 | 1.1 wt% | 1.1 wt% |
After conditioning, tensile modulus drops from approximately 4,700 MPa to 2,800 MPa, a reduction of about 40%. The tensile stress at break falls from 85 MPa to 55 MPa, while elongation at break increases from 5% to 12%. The notched Charpy impact value at 23 °C rises by roughly 25%. At -30 °C, the impact value remains in the 5–6 kJ/m² range, which is a significant difference from PA6 and PA66 glass-fibre grades that can exhibit a sharper ductile-to-brittle transition at sub-zero temperatures. The heat deflection temperature at 1.8 MPa shows only a small shift because the glass network controls the high-temperature creep response. Published data for the moisture-diffusion coefficient of this exact grade is limited; however, conditioning rate is known to scale with wall thickness squared, so a 4 mm plaque requires substantially longer than a 2 mm plaque to reach equilibrium.
Low moisture affinity is a defining difference from PA6 and PA66. At saturation in water at 23 °C, PA12 GF20 absorbs approximately 1.1 wt% moisture, whereas a comparable PA6 GF20 grade may absorb 5–6 wt% under the same condition. This lower uptake reduces post-moulding dimensional growth and stabilises clearance fits in assembled components. Mould-shrinkage values measured under ISO 294-4 for a 2 mm plaque are typically 0.4–0.6% in the longitudinal direction and 0.6–0.8% transverse; the difference reflects glass-fibre orientation. For thin-wall sections below 1.5 mm, the medium-viscosity GM grade provides sufficient flow to reduce short shots and weld-line depth without requiring the high barrel temperatures that can degrade the PA12 matrix. Production-scale moulding records for PA12 GF20 components show batch-to-batch shrinkage variation of ±0.05% when regrind content is held below 25% and drying is stable. Exceeding 35% regrind can shift shrinkage by an additional 0.05–0.10% and lower Charpy notched impact at 23 °C by 10–15%, because cumulative fibre-length reduction in regrind lowers the reinforcing efficiency of the glass phase.
Conditioned dimensional change from dry-as-moulded to equilibrium at 50% RH is typically below 0.1% in the flow direction and below 0.2% transverse, although local values depend on wall thickness and orientation. This stability is used in parts that must maintain snap-fit insertion and withdrawal forces after storage in humid environments. The low water uptake also reduces the risk of blistering during short-term powder-coating or adhesive curing steps; however, continuous exposure to hot water above 80 °C can hydrolyse the polyamide backbone over extended service periods, and published data for this specific grade under high-pressure steam is limited.
On production-scale reciprocating-screw injection moulding machines with screw diameters of 25–60 mm and L/D ratios of 20:1–25:1, the processing window for Grilamid L 20 GM is controlled by an upper melt-temperature limit and a lower mould-temperature limit. The compound is produced on co-rotating twin-screw extruders with L/D ratios of 40:1–48:1; side-feeding of glass fibre after the polymer-melt zone preserves fibre length and lowers fibre attrition compared with all-in-one feeding. Supplier-recommended barrel settings for injection moulding commonly span 235–265 °C from feed to nozzle, with melt temperature measured at the nozzle in the range of 250–270 °C. Holding melt temperatures above 280 °C for more than 10 min can initiate oxidative chain scission of the PA12 backbone, producing yellowing, gas splay, and a measurable reduction in melt viscosity. The mould-temperature range is typically 40–80 °C; below 40 °C, the surface may freeze before full packing and crystallinity develop, while above 80 °C, cycle time increases without a comparable gain in mechanical properties. Desiccant drying at 80 °C for 4–6 h is recommended when the material has been exposed to humid air; the target residual moisture before moulding is below 0.1 wt%. Low-compression screw geometries with compression ratios of 1.8:1–2.2:1 and no high-shear mixing sections are preferred because high-compression screws generate fibre attrition and reduce the fibre aspect ratio that controls tensile modulus stability.
After demoulding, parts are often sealed in moisture-barrier packaging to preserve the dry-as-moulded state for applications requiring maximum stiffness. If parts must be validated to the conditioned data set, they should be stored at 23 °C/50% RH until mass equilibrium is reached; for 2 mm plaques, this interval is typically 7–14 days. Accelerated conditioning by immersion in water is not equivalent to standard atmosphere conditioning under ISO 291 because the diffusion profile and absorbed-water distribution differ, and immersion can overestimate toughness while underestimating stiffness. Processing lot-to-lot variation in melt volume-flow rate is commonly controlled by the supplier within ±10% of the nominal value; this variation is visible in cavity-pressure repeatability but is normally smaller than the effect of differing regrind levels or moisture content.
Quality-control release testing for this grade typically includes melt volume-flow rate under ISO 1133-1, density under ISO 1183-1, glass content under ISO 1172, and moisture content by Karl Fischer titration. Regulatory data for the standard natural and black grades do not list intentionally added substances above the threshold defined in RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU as amended by (EU) 2015/863. Under REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, suppliers are required to communicate SVHC presence above 0.1 wt%; the current safety data sheet for this PA12-GF20 formulation does not list SVHCs above that threshold. Food-contact compliance must be verified against the specific grade and colour because glass-reinforced grades may not meet migration limits without additional evaluation.
Fuel-system brackets, clips, cable guides, and underbody fasteners are representative application areas where conditioned Grilamid L 20 GM is evaluated as a replacement for PA6 GF20 or PA66 GF20. The lower density, approximately 1.14 g/cm³ versus 1.27–1.29 g/cm³ for PA6 GF20, provides a mass reduction of roughly 10% at equal part volume. The lower equilibrium moisture uptake reduces dimensional growth in humid underhood or fuel-vapour environments; this is assessed by storage at 85 °C/85% RH or by water immersion under ISO 62. Chemical resistance to aliphatic hydrocarbons, diesel fuels, greases, and zinc chloride road-salt solutions is generally superior to PA6/PA66; test protocols based on ISO 175 and internal OEM specifications are used to evaluate tensile-strength retention and surface stress-cracking after immersion in Fuel C and in 50% zinc chloride solution at 23 °C and 50 °C.
Compared with a low-viscosity 20% glass-fibre PA12 grade, the medium-viscosity L 20 GM provides higher melt strength and improved impact resistance at a small penalty in spiral-flow length. For moulded wall sections between 0.8 mm and 4.0 mm, the flow-length advantage of low-viscosity grades is not decisive because glass-fibre orientation and hot-runner pressure losses can outweigh viscosity differences. Snap-fit arms moulded from PA12 GF20 exhibit lower notch sensitivity than PA6 GF20 at -40 °C; this is relevant for clips exposed to cold-impact loading during vehicle assembly. Knit lines formed downstream of holes are the primary failure sites in such parts; moulding trials have shown that increasing melt temperature from 250 °C to 265 °C improves knit-line tensile strength by 10–15% but increases degradation risk if residence time exceeds 8 min. In applications requiring a dry-conditioned tensile modulus above 5,000 MPa, PA6 GF20 may remain technically preferable if its higher moisture uptake and higher density can be tolerated. Conversely, where low moisture uptake, sub-zero impact retention, and resistance to salt-induced stress cracking are the primary design constraints, PA12 GF20 is the more robust selection. Flammability of the standard grade is typically classified as UL 94 HB at 3.0 mm; colourants and additives can alter this rating, so part-specific testing is required for compliance with end-use standards.
