| HS Code | 154957 |
| Density | 1.01 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 176 °C |
| Tensile Modulus | 600 MPa |
| Tensile Strength At Yield | 40 MPa |
| Tensile Strain At Yield | 8 % |
| Elongation At Break | >200 % |
| Charpy Impact Strength 23 C | No break |
| Charpy Notched Impact Strength 23 C | 45 kJ/m² |
| Charpy Notched Impact Strength 30 C | 25 kJ/m² |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 0 45 Mpa | 130 °C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 1 8 Mpa | 55 °C |
| Water Absorption 24h | 0.2 % |
As an accredited EMS-Grivory Grilamid L 20A HL NZ nat Nylon 12, Impact Modified, Dry factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Impact-modified Nylon 12 resin, supplied as dry natural pellets in sealed 25 kg moisture-barrier packaging to preserve low moisture content. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: dry nylon 12 granules in sealed bags, palletized, secured for safe transit. |
| Shipping | Ship Grilamid L 20A HL NZ nat in sealed, moisture-proof packaging to prevent water absorption, as it is dry nylon 12. Keep containers closed, avoid exposure to humidity, and store in a cool, dry area. Protect from physical damage and contamination during transit. |
| Storage | Store Grilamid L 20A HL NZ nat in its original, sealed container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Protect from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity, as moisture absorption affects performance. Keep away from oxidizers and ignition sources. Avoid contamination; reseal tightly after use. Ideally, store below 30°C with low relative humidity. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 2 years when stored dry, sealed in original packaging, away from direct sunlight and heat. |
Predrying governs the conversion of Grilamid L 20A HL NZ nat into constant-bore air brake tubing more than any screw-speed adjustment. When the granulate reaches the hopper at a residual moisture level above 0.10 wt%, hydrolysis at 230–245°C melt temperatures promotes surface roughness and micro-voiding at the calibration sleeve; the resulting tube exhibits scatter in burst-pressure retention after 72 h at 100°C in SAE J844 thermal conditioning, not because the polymer backbone has lost ductility, but because the wall contains frozen-in moisture spherulites that act as crack-initiation sites under dynamic pressure cycling. A single-screw extruder with 30–45 mm screw diameter, L/D 24:1, and 2.5:1 compression ratio is adequate; deeper channel sections above 3.2 mm create residence-time distribution broadening that makes the melt temperature difficult to hold within the ±5°C window required for stable vacuum calibration. For compliance, the finished tube is checked against ISO 7628-1 for dimensions and marking, while service performance is documented under SAE J844 Type A requirements for cold-temperature flexibility and oil resistance; the processor must retain batch records showing granulate lot number, residual moisture after drying, and melt-temperature trace because heavy-duty vehicle audits increasingly require lot-level correlation under IATF 16949. Formulation addition remains deliberately narrow: the base compound is used as supplied, regrind is capped at 20 wt% with no more than 0.10 wt% moisture in the regrind, and no additional impact modifier or plasticizer is added at the line. If cut-length scrap is re-fed, it is screened to remove fines below 2 mm because high-fines regrind reduces bulk density and induces feed starvation at the screw root. The downstream production line includes predrying at 80°C for 4–8 h in a desiccant drier, gravity feed to the extruder, melt temperature measured at the die 235–245°C, vacuum calibration sleeve held at 0.02–0.04 MPa, water bath at 25–35°C, and laser diameter scanning with ±0.05 mm tolerance. Terminal products include coiled air brake tubing in 6–16 mm OD for truck, trailer, and bus pneumatic circuits, spiral-cut harness protection, and small-diameter pilot lines for suspension air distribution.
When fuel-line retaining clips are cooled under a holding pressure below 45 MPa, post-mould shrinkage in the gate region exceeds 1.2% after 24 h, creating interference-fit loss on the fuel rail. The impact-modified PA12 responds to mould temperature more than to melt temperature because the nucleated grade develops stiffness as a function of cooling rate; mould temperatures below 60°C freeze the skin before the core has compacted, leaving asymmetric residual stress that relaxes after re-absorption of 0.6–1.2% moisture under 23°C/50% RH. Compliance for engine-bay service is usually qualified under ISO 188 for dry heat ageing and ISO 179-1/1eA for notched Charpy impact at −30°C, supplemented by OEM-specific cold-soak at −40°C for 500 h; flammability classification is generally UL 94 HB at the tested thickness. Formulation addition ratio at the press is restricted to 15 wt% regrind with residual moisture below 0.10 wt%; if a specific color is required, a polyamide-based color concentrate is dosed at 2–4 wt%, but the holder must verify that the concentrate carrier does not dilute the low-temperature toughness below OEM limits. Injection moulding is performed with an 800–1,200 kN clamp force tool for an 8-cavity family mould, melt temperature 245–260°C, mould temperature 60–80°C, injection speed set to fill the gate in 0.4–0.8 s, hold pressure 50–70 MPa for 4–6 s, and screw back pressure 0.5–1.0 MPa. Screw recovery should complete after 70–80% of cooling time to prevent hot-channel residence. Terminal product types include fuel-line retaining clips, quick-connector yokes, brake-line routing brackets, and harness channel brackets in the vehicle fuel and chassis space.
For pneumatic control lines in automated assembly cells, the selected dry-as-moulded PA12 grade is processed directly from sealed original packaging because open-granulate storage at 60% RH raises surface moisture above 0.12 wt% within 4 h and causes intermittent bubble formation at the die lip. The absence of plasticizer in Grilamid L 20A HL NZ nat avoids the chronic failure mode of plasticized nylon 12: an upward drift in Shore D hardness as low-molecular-weight ester plasticiser migrates into the instrument air at 0.6 MPa operating pressure, which eventually embrittles the tube ID and releases extractables into solenoid pilot valves. The finished tube is dimensioned to DIN 73378 for polyamide tubing in compressed-air systems; pressure rating is determined by the 4:1 safety factor against room-temperature burst pressure measured at 23°C. The resin supplier’s REACH registration covers the base polymer; the finisher must validate the final article for any restrictions tied to industrial machinery sold into the EU. Formulation addition ratio at the line is 100% virgin compound if the tube is destined for clean dry air or inert gas; a maximum of 10 wt% clean post-industrial regrind is permitted only when the product specification allows a slight reduction in gloss and a 0.05 mm wider wall-thickness tolerance. No impact modifier, plasticizer, or processing aid is added at the extruder. Downstream production includes single-screw extrusion with L/D 24:1 barrel, vacuum sizing tank pressure 0.02–0.04 MPa, die melt temperature 235–245°C, and post-extrusion laser marking on a rotational encoder. Terminal product types are blue and black pneumatic control line, vacuum sensing tube, robot dress-pack bundling tube, and semiconductor cleanroom compressed-air supply line with low particle generation.
Corrugated PA12 conduit for e-mobility harness protection is sensitive to vacuum pulling in the corrugator blocks because the thin molten web leaving the die has a wall thickness of 0.25–0.45 mm before forming; vacuum set above 0.05 MPa creates wall eccentricity greater than 15% and a low-temperature pinch-load reduction in the final harness cover. The selected grade survives repeated flexing at −40°C when the corrugation radius is kept above 2.5× the wall thickness and the block temperature is maintained at 70–90°C to avoid micro-cracking at the hinge roots. The conduit system is tested to IEC 61386-1 for mechanical protection, with low-fire-hazard variants additionally validated for UL 94 HB at the declared wall thickness; RoHS 2011/65/EU declarations are based on XRF screening of the feedstock. Formulation addition ratio for natural traceability is normally 0% pigment; if UV laser marking contrast is required, a low-dosage pearl or dark pigment masterbatch is metered at 0.5–1.5 wt% and must not alter the heat distortion temperature by more than 3°C in incoming QC, according to ISO 75-2 method A. Downstream production takes place on a corrugator with vacuum blocks, melt temperature 230–245°C, die gap set at 1.8× the desired post-forming wall, cooling-air temperature 15–20°C, and haul-off speed ratio controlled to give a corrugation pitch tolerance of ±0.3 mm. Terminal products include split and closed polyamide 12 cable conduit for electric vehicle high-voltage harnesses, rail carriage wire loom, and robotics cable track.
In dry food packaging transport lines, chain guides machined from natural impact-modified PA12 are used where polyacetal-to-polyacetal wear points generate dust that must be minimized in secondary packaging areas. The material is not a dry-running tribological grade; it requires a stainless-steel or UHMWPE counter-surface to keep the coefficient of friction below 0.30 at 0.5 m/s line speed without external lubrication, and any abrasive filler is excluded to retain cleanability of the machined surface. The base polyamide 12 resin can be referenced under FDA 21 CFR 177.1500 for nylon resins, and the finished article is verified under EU 10/2011 for overall migration below 10 mg/dm² using food simulants appropriate to the process contact; processors must document that no unapproved lubricant, mould-release, or regrind fraction from non-food grades enters the machined stock. Formulation addition ratio for machining blanks is 100% virgin natural compound; regrind from the same lot is permitted up to 15 wt% only if it comes from sprues and runners generated in a food-grade cleanroom. No colorants are added; laser-marked lot numbers are permitted only after migration testing on the marked area. Downstream production includes injection moulding of plate stock 20–40 mm thick with mould temperature 60–80°C, followed by annealing at 100°C in a dry-air oven for 2–4 h to stabilize machined flatness, then CNC machining and mechanical fastening. Terminal products are bottle conveyor chain guides, star wheels, feed scrolls, wear strips, and adjustable rail brackets for dry food and beverage packaging machinery.
Reusable laboratory enclosures exposed to gamma irradiation at 25–40 kGy often lose impact strength if the PA12 contains high moisture from unsealed granulate storage; water radiolysis produces hydroxyl radicals that attack the amide linkage and cause a faster drop in elongation at break after 6 months of storage than the same part kept in a desiccated secondary pack. Grilamid L 20A HL NZ nat is processed with the same dry handling as other nylon 12 components, but the post-gamma property retention must be validated on each moulded geometry because wall thickness, gate location, and residual stress influence the degradation rate in ways that published datasheet values do not capture. The material supplier’s documentation supports review against ISO 10993-5 for cytotoxicity only when the final article is cleaned and gamma-validated; published data for this specific impact-modified grade in reusable medical or laboratory devices is limited, so the moulder must conduct article-level testing according to the intended use. Formulation addition ratio is neat natural compound with 0% regrind for gamma-critical parts; if an external mould release is used, it must be an isoparaffinic grade that volatilizes completely without residue because residue oxidizes under irradiation and becomes a surface adhesion failure point. Downstream production involves injection moulding with melt temperature 235–250°C, mould temperature 50–70°C, polished cavity surfaces for easy demoulding, and post-mould vacuum packing with desiccant sachets; gamma dose mapping is performed on the packaging shipper to confirm the minimum dose on the innermost part does not exceed the maximum validated dose by more than 10%. Terminal products include housing shells, handles, panel brackets, and equipment covers for repeated-use laboratory diagnostic systems, where low-temperature impact after sterilization is evaluated at −20°C using ISO 179-1/1eA.
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EMS-Grivory Grilamid L 20A HL NZ nat identifies a heat-stabilised polyamide 12 grade with impact modification, supplied as an uncoloured natural resin in dry condition. The backbone polymer is polylaurolactam, and the grade is not a PA6 or PA66 formulation. The class-level density of unfilled PA12 is normally reported between 1.01 g/cm³ and 1.02 g/cm³ under ISO 1183-1, and saturation water uptake at 23°C in water is approximately 1.5 wt% under ISO 62, compared with roughly 9.5 wt% for PA6 and 8.5 wt% for PA66. The L 20A viscosity series indicates medium molar mass; viscosity number is commonly measured in the range 190–210 cm³/g in 0.5% m-cresol solution according to ISO 307. The HL suffix is associated with a long-term heat-aging stabiliser package, while the nat field denotes natural colour. The dry state refers to a controlled moisture condition after polymerisation and packaging, not to a coating or dry-blended additive. Grade-specific mechanical, rheological, and thermal values must be taken from the current EMS-Grivory datasheet; published data for this exact configuration in open literature is limited.
The identifier contains no glass-fibre or flame-retardant suffix, so the material is unfilled and not inherently flame-retarded. Mechanical anisotropy from glass orientation is therefore absent in neat sections; shrinkage behaviour is closer to isotropic than in reinforced grades.
In incoming inspection, the dry designation is verified because PA12 absorbs atmospheric moisture quickly. At 23°C and 50% RH, unfilled PA12 typically equilibrates to a moisture content of 0.7–1.0 wt%, a level that is too high for bubble-free melt processing. The accepted pre-processing target is below 0.10 wt% residual moisture determined by ISO 15512 or Karl Fischer titration. This operational boundary is a processing control derived from the hydrolytic sensitivity of the amide linkage at melt temperature.
The impact-modified system introduces a dispersed elastomeric phase that terminates propagating cracks and encourages shear-yield deformation instead of brittle cleavage. Notched impact evaluations are performed under ISO 179-1/1eA Charpy conditions and, for thinner sections, ISO 180/1A Izod conditions. The most discriminating test for automotive and industrial components is usually the notched impact energy at -30°C or -40°C, not the dry-as-moulded room-temperature value. Unfilled PA12 can exhibit a sharp loss in notched impact resistance at sub-zero temperatures, while elastomer-modified formulations are designed to maintain a measurable proportion of ductile response under the same conditioning. The same modification reduces stiffness: class-typical tensile modulus for unmodified PA12 under ISO 527-1/-2 is approximately 1,400–1,600 MPa, whereas impact-modified PA12 is more commonly in the range 1,000–1,300 MPa. Yield stress also decreases, while elongation at break and instrumented puncture energy increase. The compromise is a lower creep resistance under ISO 899-1 and a modest reduction in deflection temperature under ISO 75-1/-2. These are PA12 class observations, not certified grade-specific values.
Because the matrix is PA12, the moisture uptake effect on mechanical response is smaller than in short-chain polyamides. Impact-modified PA12 therefore shows a narrower difference between dry-as-moulded and conditioned modulus than impact-modified PA6, which is advantageous when parts must pass dimensional tolerance checks after ISO 1110 accelerated conditioning and during service in humid air.
In production-scale pneumatic tube and cable sheathing lines, the grade is processed on single-screw extruders with L/D ratios of 24:1–30:1. Barrier screws and grooved feed sections are used to control pressure fluctuations. The observed failure modes from actual manufacturing lines include surface melt fracture when the melt temperature is pushed above the stabiliser limit, ovality drift in thin-wall tube when the internal air support pressure is unstable, and microvoid formation when residual moisture is not held below 0.10 wt%. Vacuum calibration tanks are operated with controlled water temperature and internal tube support pressure, because the medium-viscosity PA12 melt has sufficient melt strength for moderate draw-down but not for large unsupported free-form extrusion. A melt pump between the screw and die is often installed to damp pulsations that would otherwise appear as wall-thickness variation in the finished tube. Candidate applications are screened under SAE J844 for air-brake tubing, DIN 74324 for motor-vehicle thermoplastic tubing, ISO 7628 for vehicle pneumatic lines, and ISO 6722 for low-voltage cable insulation. Fuel vapour return line use is technically reasonable for a low-moisture-uptake PA12, but complete OEM fuel-contact approval requires permeation, extraction, and thermal-cycling testing on the exact wall thickness and line configuration; compliance cannot be inferred solely from the base resin classification.
When the material is used in injection-moulded connectors or clips, the recommended drying condition is unchanged. Melt temperature is commonly held in the range 220–250°C, and mould temperature is often set at 40–80°C for unfilled PA12. The final mould temperature within this range affects crystallinity, shrinkage, and dimensional stability; post-moulding shrinkage is typically evaluated after 24 h under ISO 291 standard atmosphere. For parts requiring maximum dimensional stability, humidity cycling under ISO 1110 shows that PA12 impact-modified grades undergo less reversible expansion than PA6 or PA66 at the same relative humidity.
The heat-stabiliser system is intended to retard thermally induced chain scission in air. Heat-aging data are generated under ISO 188 forced-circulation ovens and, when a long-term thermal index is required, under IEC 60216. Evaluation temperatures commonly include 100°C, 120°C, and 150°C. The melt endotherm of PA12, typically 175–180°C under ISO 11357-3, is not a continuous-use temperature. The practical limit depends on the selected end-point criterion, usually tensile impact or elongation retention after a defined exposure time, and on part wall thickness because stabiliser migration and consumption are diffusion-controlled. Heat-stabilised PA12 may show useful property retention at elevated air temperatures for limited durations, but continuous pressurised exposure to hot ethylene glycol coolant or concentrated acidic media is outside the intended boundary; hydrolysis reduces molar mass and promotes environmental stress cracking. Users evaluating pressure-bearing pipe or tubing must embed the material in the ISO 9080 hydrostatic regression framework rather than rely on short-term burst tests alone. The same limitation applies to potable-water or food-contact service: the natural grade is not automatically food-contact approved. Compliance must be verified for the specific grade and stabiliser package under Commission Regulation (EU) 10/2011 or FDA 21 CFR 177.1500 as applicable.
At ambient relative humidity above 60%, natural PA12 granules adsorb surface moisture quickly, and open storage for even a few hours can introduce enough water to disturb extrusion stability. The required intervention is a desiccant-bed dryer with a supply air dew point of -40°C or lower, an air temperature of 80°C, and a residence time of 4–8 hours for granular feed. The exit moisture is verified below 0.10 wt% by ISO 15512 or Karl Fischer method. If the feed moisture reaches approximately 0.15 wt%, hydrolysis accelerates at melt temperature and the melt pressure at the breaker plate becomes unstable. Surface roughness, bubble defects, and dimensional drift appear, and these defects are not corrected by raising barrel setpoints alone because higher temperature increases hydrolytic chain scission. A typical starting temperature profile for medium-viscosity PA12 on a general-purpose screw is rear zone 200–220°C, centre zone 220–240°C, metering zone 230–250°C, and adapter/die zone 230–250°C. A melt temperature above 260°C should be avoided unless the exact stabiliser package has been validated for that condition. For injection moulding, the same drying rule applies, and clamp force is calculated from projected area using a cavity pressure estimate of 300–500 bar for unfilled PA12 class materials; final settings are set by short-shot trials and pressure-drop measurements.
Capillary rheometry under ISO 11443 reveals that medium-viscosity PA12 melts are shear-thinning, and the apparent viscosity at 240°C declines continuously between shear rates of 100 s⁻¹ and 1,000 s⁻¹; published data for this exact configuration is limited, but the trend governs die pressure calculations. In extrusion practice, the pressure drop across a tube or cable die is more sensitive to melt temperature uniformity than to barrel setpoint alone. Poor melt-temperature uniformity results in one side of the annular die developing lower viscosity than the other, producing spiral weld lines or uneven wall thickness that cannot be corrected by downstream calibration. Screen-pack selection affects residence time distribution in the melt: a fine screen pack increases back pressure and can reduce throughput, while a coarse pack may permit degraded gel particles to reach the die. The use of melt filtration below 100 µm screen size is not normally required for natural PA12, but when adding regrind or colour concentrate, a filtration size of 100–200 µm is common. The combination of impact modification and heat stabiliser does not remove the need for nitrogen blanketing during hot-air drying, especially when drying times exceed 8 hours at 80°C, because prolonged exposure to oxygen can yellow natural polymer and deplete the stabiliser at the granule surface.
Morphologically, impact modification creates a two-phase structure in the natural PA12 matrix. The dispersed phase increases visible haze in thin walls but is required for low-temperature ductility. For fuel-contact components, the two-phase structure and reduced modulus can affect hydrocarbon permeation; steady-state permeation rates should be measured under SAE J2659 or an equivalent controlled-temperature and controlled-relative-humidity method, not estimated from base PA12 permeability data. Because the grade is supplied as natural-coloured polymer, addition of masterbatch or regrind alters rheology, morphology, and weathering behaviour; processors must revalidate shrinkage and weld-line strength when changing colour or regrind content above 20%. Regulatory status under REACH and RoHS must be confirmed from the current safety data sheet and supplier statement, since the modifier and stabiliser package is part of the regulatory profile, not only the polylaurolactam backbone.
Compared with PA6 and PA66, the PA12 impact-modified heat-stabilised grade offers lower water uptake and better retention of mechanical properties in humid environments, but at higher raw material cost. Compared with unmodified PA12, the impact-modified version trades stiffness and creep resistance under ISO 899-1 for improved notched impact at low temperature and a more ductile failure mode. Compared with PA11, the practical differences are smaller in moisture absorption and melt temperature, and selection is often dictated by available stabiliser packages, long-term heat-aging data, and regional supply. Compared with polyether block amide, PA12 impact-modified grades generally retain higher modulus and surface hardness under ISO 868, while PEBA provides lower Shore D values and greater room-temperature flexibility. Inside the Grilamid L series, L 20A is positioned as a medium-viscosity material for balanced flow and melt strength; lower-viscosity grades are used for very thin-wall or long-flow injection moulding, and higher-viscosity grades are preferred when unsupported large-diameter tube or thick rod demands higher extrudate strength.
