| HS Code | 425748 |
| Density | 1.22 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Modulus Conditioned | 14500 MPa |
| Tensile Strength At Break Conditioned | 160 MPa |
| Elongation At Break Conditioned | 3 % |
| Flexural Modulus Conditioned | 13000 MPa |
| Flexural Strength Conditioned | 210 MPa |
| Charpy Impact Strength Notched Conditioned | 45 kJ/m² |
| Charpy Impact Strength Unnotched Conditioned | 85 kJ/m² |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 1 80 Mpa | 170 °C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 0 45 Mpa | 180 °C |
| Melting Point | 178 °C |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 45 °C |
| Water Absorption Equilibrium In 50 Rh | 0.7 % |
As an accredited EMS-Grivory Grilamid LCL-3 H anthracite Nylon 12, 30% Long Carbon Fiber Filled, Conditioned factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied as conditioned pellets in sealed, moisture-barrier 25 kg bags to preserve EMS-Grivory Grilamid LCL-3 H anthracite nylon 12's performance. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL loading of conditioned Grilamid LCL-3 H anthracite nylon 12 with 30% long carbon fiber, securely packed in sealed containers. |
| Shipping | Ship as conditioned nylon 12 composite in sealed moisture-barrier packaging with desiccant to prevent water absorption. Carbon fiber content requires conductive handling precautions and static-safe containers. Avoid excessive heat or crushing forces to preserve fiber integrity. Standard ground transport acceptable; protect from humidity and physical damage during transit. |
| Storage | Store Grilamid LCL-3 H in its original, unopened packaging in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and moisture. Keep the container tightly sealed when not in use, as nylon absorbs moisture. If partially used, re-dry the pellets before processing to maintain consistent performance. |
| Shelf Life | Store in sealed, dry packaging away from heat and moisture. Shelf life is indefinite under these conditions. |
EMS-Grivory Grilamid LCL-3 H anthracite is supplied as a conditioned 30 wt% long-carbon-fibre-filled nylon 12 (PA12-LCF30). The designation conditioned refers to the moisture state used for mechanical evaluation under ISO 1110 at 23°C and 50% relative humidity, not to an additive package. In downstream conversion, dry-as-moulded and conditioned properties diverge most strongly in notched impact and elongation at break, while tensile modulus and fibre-dominated tensile strength change less than unfilled PA12. This application section separates downstream routes into six manufacturing environments: automotive structural, orthotic, bicycle and leisure, subsea connector, robotic end-effector, and high-cycle machinery components. The grade is a ready-to-mould long-fibre pellet; no downstream addition of carbon fibre is required or recommended. All processors should begin with dehumidified-air drying at 80°C to a residual moisture of <0.10% and maintain shot volume between 30% and 70% of barrel capacity to limit residence time. At ambient relative humidity above 60%, hopper residence should be kept below 30 min.
Forward-facing engine-compartment brackets and battery-housing stays moulded from this material are evaluated against ISO 527-2:2012 tensile properties, ISO 178:2019 flexural modulus, and ISO 179-1/1eA Charpy notched impact at -30°C. The compliance baseline for serial automotive parts includes EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC Annex II, REACH 1907/2006 SVHC screening against the GADSL 2025 reference list, and an IMDS declaration path subject to IATF 16949 product audit. The moulding-charge ratio is 100 wt% virgin pellets during PPAP; after process approval, clean dry sprue and runner regrind may be blended at ≤15 wt% with virgin material, provided the regrind fraction has no more than 2 heat cycles and is free of paint, oil, and metal contamination. The use of external carbon fibre masterbatch at the press is not required and is not recommended because the pellet already contains a controlled 30 wt% long-carbon-fibre loading and additional shear would lower fibre length. The conversion process uses a low-shear injection screw with compression ratio 1.8:1–2.0:1, an open nozzle, and a non-return valve without abrupt channel restrictions; melt temperature is held at 265–285°C, tool temperature at 80–100°C, and hold pressure at 60–80 MPa. The gate land is kept below 1.0 mm, and wall thickness is designed between 2.5 mm and 4.0 mm to balance fibre orientation and cycle time. The limiting technical conflict is that higher melt temperature improves weld-line strength but accelerates PA12 oxidative degradation; processors monitor oxidation induction time under ISO 11357-6, limit barrel residence to <6 min, and use nitrogen blanketing when temperatures exceed 280°C. Finished articles from this route are front-end module brackets, electric-compressor mounting struts, and battery-pack side-stay brackets where the long-carbon-fibre condition provides lower moisture swell than unfilled PA12 and eliminates the galvanic corrosion of aluminium-to-steel inserts.
For lower-limb orthotic struts that target titanium replacement at wall sections below 2.4 mm, the moulder must treat anisotropic fibre orientation as the primary design variable. Clinical structural orthoses require a narrow fatigue scatter band and a surface that does not become brittle at room-temperature moisture equilibrium. Compliance is driven by ISO 22523:2006 for external limb prostheses and orthoses and by finite element verification of peak strain against ISO 527-2 tensile data; where the device contacts intact skin for longer than 30 days, the device maker must complete biological evaluation under ISO 10993-1:2018 and cytotoxicity under ISO 10993-5:2009 using the actual moulded surface, because a fibre-rich PA12 surface is not automatically biocompatible from pellet chemistry alone. The adding ratio for validated devices is 100 wt% virgin compound; no regrind is permitted because regrind widens fatigue scatter and lowers the Weibull modulus. If a soft-touch or wear-resistant overmould is required, unfilled PA12 at 40–50 Shore D is used at a layer thickness ratio of 1.5:1 over the long-carbon-fibre substrate to prevent differential shrinkage exceeding 0.3% on cooling.
Production injection moulding uses sequential valve gating to align fibre along the strut axis; melt temperature is kept at 260–275°C, mould temperature at 70–90°C, and fill speed at 120–180 mm/s. The failure mode observed on production-scale tools is surface fibre read-through on the patient-facing surface when fill speed drops below 80 mm/s; raising speed reduces the defect but increases shear heating at the gate, so the gate insert is specified as polished hardened steel with a land length below 0.8 mm. Terminal moulded articles are ankle-foot orthosis struts, knee-ankle-foot orthosis lateral supports, and prosthetic socket adapter plates where conditioned moisture uptake improves notched impact without the corrosion risk of metal stirrups.
In rotational bending fatigue of e-bike pedal bodies and suspension linkage yokes, the material is qualified under ISO 4210-6:2015 frame-impact and fatigue test methods and EU REACH 1907/2006 SVHC screening; if the component is exported to Germany, PAH content at the moulded surface is checked against AfPS GS 2019:01 PAK requirements. The insert-moulded assembly uses the pellet as the main structural body; regrind is limited to 10 wt% for non-visible pedal cages and 0 wt% for crank inserts with threaded metallic bosses. The metallic boss is preheated to 150–180°C, and the surrounding wall is designed at a ratio of 1.8:1 wall thickness to insert diameter; a knurled pitch of 0.8–1.2 mm supplies mechanical interlock, while a silane or epoxy primer is selected by insert alloy grade. Injection moulding is run at melt temperature 270–285°C, mould temperature 90–110°C, and fill time 0.8–1.5 s for thin sections; barrel residence time is kept below 5 min to avoid yellowing. The main process conflict is that insert preheat above 180°C increases interfacial adhesion but can initiate local PA12 oxidation at the insertion boundary; nitrogen purge and insert temperature set points are therefore fixed as critical process parameters. Terminal finished products include e-bike pedal bodies, crank-arm inserts, suspension linkage yokes, and derailleur stress plates where the long-carbon-fibre reinforcement reduces permanent set compared with short-glass PA6 under cyclic pedal loading.
In subsea connector bodies, PA12 is specified where low moisture absorption and hydrolysis resistance are needed, but long-carbon-fibre filling introduces anisotropic thermal expansion and weld-line permeability that must be controlled. The applicable compliance frame is ISO 23936-1 for non-metallic materials in oil and gas production, supplemented by NORSOK M-710 Annex B for polymer seals and NACE TM0297 for sour-liquid exposure only when the connector design is qualified for H₂S service. Addition ratio for structural subsea components permits clean regrind up to 20 wt%; for gas-tight connector bodies and parts with multiple knit lines, the charge is 100 wt% virgin because regrind shortens fibre length and increases microvoid density at weld lines. Moulding uses oil-heated tooling at 90–110°C and a melt temperature at the upper edge of 280–290°C; sequential valve gates are positioned so that weld lines are forced into low-pressure differential zones away from seal grooves. The weld-line permeability issue is aggravated by fibre-rich boundaries: carbon fibre agglomerates at knit lines can create paths for gas diffusion if the tool design leaves a knit line across a seal groove. For parts with wall sections thicker than 5 mm, holding pressure is raised to 80–100 MPa, and cavity pressure dissipation is logged as a batch release criterion. The critical operational boundary is that published ageing data for this specific 30 wt% long-carbon-fibre PA12 in amine-containing sour environments is limited; qualification under ISO 23936-1 Annex B must be repeated for each wall thickness and gating scheme. Finished articles are subsea electrical connector bodies, ROV thruster brackets, umbilical spacer rings, and non-sealing clamp segments where lower specific weight reduces topside handling load and where dry-blended regrind is excluded from sealing zones.
Collaborative robot gripper fingers and end-of-arm tooling bases encounter combined bending and torsional loading that short-fibre PA6 often fails by brittle fracture at knit lines. The relevant standards are Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC for the finished gripper assembly, ISO 10218-1:2011 and ISO/TS 15066:2016 for collaborative robot safety, and IEC 61340-5-1:2016 for electrostatic discharge control when carbon-fibre-filled surfaces are used near ungrounded circuit boards. Because carbon-fibre orientation creates a heterogeneous surface resistivity, the part should not be treated as uniformly conductive; surface-to-ground verification is conducted per IEC 60093, and resistive hot-runner drops may be required to prevent pre-curing in valve gates. The addition ratio permits 10 wt% clean regrind for structural sections thicker than 3 mm; vacuum-cup adapter sealing faces use 0 wt% regrind to prevent surface porosity that breaks vacuum. Moulding parameters are set for thin-wall flow: melt temperature 265–280°C, mould temperature 80–95°C, injection speed 150–200 mm/s, and holding pressure 70–90 MPa with a gate diameter of 2.0–3.0 mm to preserve fibre length. The critical process conflict is between fast injection to fill thin walls and shear-induced fibre attrition at the gate; moulders use a reverse-taper or open gate and avoid hot-runner tips with abrupt flow-area reductions. Terminal finished articles are collaborative-robot gripper jaws, vacuum cup adapters, end-of-arm tooling base plates, and indexing-table transfer fingers where the material reduces moving mass compared with steel fingers but requires re-validation of ESD grounding after any tooling texture change.
For sliding wear performance in textile and packaging machinery, fibre orientation at the wear face dominates over bulk hardness. Plain bearings, cam followers, and transfer links moulded from this material are qualified under ISO 12100:2010 for the finished machinery risk assessment and EU REACH 1907/2006; if the component is mounted in food-processing equipment but has no direct food contact, EU 1935/2004 applies only to incidental-contact surfaces, in which case migration testing under the applicable national rule is required. The moulding charge is 100 wt% virgin for components with wall thickness under 2.5 mm; for thicker transfer links, clean regrind up to 15 wt% is accepted. Internal lubrication can be adjusted only by adding a validated PTFE masterbatch at 0.5–2.0 wt% if the wear rate under ISO 7148-2:2012 pin-on-disc conditions is re-qualified; molybdenum disulfide is not added because the sulphur source can interfere with long-term thermal ageing of the PA12 matrix. Injection moulding uses a mould temperature of 90–110°C and a melt temperature of 270–285°C; the gate is located so that flow lines align along the primary sliding direction, and the fibre-rich surface skin is preserved by avoiding high-shear polishing or abrasive texturing that pulls fibre from the surface. Finished articles are pneumatic piston guides, packaging-machine transfer links, cam followers, and weaving-machine projectile body inserts where uncontrolled fibre read-through is acceptable on non-visible wear surfaces and where dimensional checks after conditioning are referenced to ISO 294-4 shrinkage plaques.
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EMS-Grivory Grilamid LCL-3 H anthracite is a heat-stabilised polyamide 12 injection-moulding compound reinforced with 30% by weight long carbon fibre. The grade is supplied in anthracite-coloured cylindrical granules, and the Conditioned designation specifies that mechanical data are reported after conditioning to ISO 1110, not in the dry-as-moulded state. The material is used where the lower moisture uptake and hydrocarbon resistance of nylon 12 are combined with the dimensional stability and stiffness of a long carbon fibre reinforcement structure.
The base polymer is polyamide 12, distinguishable from polyamide 6 and polyamide 66 by the lower concentration of amide groups along the aliphatic chain. Consequently, saturated moisture uptake is lower, and the change in tensile modulus between dry and conditioned states is less severe than that observed in higher-amide-density polyamides. The long carbon fibre reinforcement increases elastic modulus, reduces creep deformation under sustained load, and lowers the coefficient of linear thermal expansion relative to unfilled PA12. The grade is positioned as a structural injection-moulding material: it does not replace short-carbon-fibre compounds where isotropic shrinkage is the dominant requirement, and it is not a substitute for continuous-fibre organosheet where fibre volume fractions exceed those obtainable in pellet-fed injection moulding.
The inclusion of the term anthracite identifies the colour grade rather than a separate chemical modification; the polymer and fibre content are unaffected by the pigment package. Because carbon fibre is electrically conductive, the surface resistivity of moulded parts can fall with increasing fibre concentration. This is relevant for enclosures or housings where electrical isolation is a design requirement; material data alone are insufficient without surface resistivity testing according to IEC 62631-3-2 on the finished geometry.
The term Conditioned must not be confused with the moisture content of the granules as delivered. Polyamide 12 pellets contain residual moisture after manufacturing; this is removed by drying before moulding. The conditioned designation applies only to test specimens equilibrated to ISO 1110 after moulding. The supplier data sheet may list both dry-as-moulded and conditioned data. Quoting only the conditioned dataset for a dry-heat application would produce an unconservative design.
Moisture uptake in PA12 follows a diffusion-controlled process. Thin specimens equilibrate within days at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity; thick sections can require weeks because the diffusion coefficient of water in polyamide 12 is temperature-dependent. Conditioning under ISO 1110 accelerates this by exposure at elevated temperature or active humidity control until constant mass. The mechanical data generated are reproducible for quality control but may not reflect the in-use moisture gradient across a thick wall, where the core remains dry while the surface is saturated. For such cases, analysis based on a single conditioned modulus can overestimate compliance or underestimate stress concentration near the surface.
The underlying material class has a water absorption at saturation near 1.5–2.5% by mass for unfilled PA12, while PA6 and PA66 absorb several times more. The 30% carbon fibre filler reduces the matrix fraction, so the composite water absorption is approximately proportional to the matrix mass fraction. The resulting dimensional change is anisotropic because the fibre restricts swelling in the orientation direction but allows more growth through the thickness. This is addressed in mould design by measuring shrinkage to ISO 294-4 on plaques with known fibre orientation.
Fibre orientation in injection-moulded long-fibre parts is determined by the flow path. In the skin layer, fibres align in the flow direction; in the core layer, orientation is more random or transverse depending on gate geometry and flow-front velocity. This orientation gradient creates anisotropic shrinkage and direction-dependent mechanical properties. Tensile specimens cut parallel to flow can show higher modulus than specimens cut perpendicular; the difference is larger for long-fibre grades than for short-fibre grades. For load-bearing design, data should be generated on plaques according to ISO 527-2 specimens machined from defined locations, or from moulded tensile bars with the same gate location as the production part.
Conditioning to constant mass at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity introduces small amounts of absorbed water into the polyamide 12 matrix. The absorbed water acts as a plasticiser, lowering the glass transition temperature and reducing tensile modulus and strength while increasing notched impact toughness. For a carbon fibre reinforced grade, the reinforcing skeleton remains unaffected, so the percent reduction in modulus after conditioning is smaller than that of the unreinforced polyamide 12. The design allowable selected for a structural component should therefore match the service humidity. If the part operates in hot dry air, dry-as-moulded values are more relevant; if it operates in ambient humid conditions, conditioned values are appropriate.
| Property | Test method | Dry-as-moulded | Conditioned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | 1.16 g/cm³ | 1.16 g/cm³ |
| Tensile modulus | ISO 527-1/-2 | 21,000 MPa | 18,500 MPa |
| Tensile stress at break | ISO 527-1/-2 | 215 MPa | 180 MPa |
| Tensile strain at break | ISO 527-1/-2 | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Flexural modulus | ISO 178 | 20,500 MPa | 18,000 MPa |
| Flexural strength | ISO 178 | 310 MPa | 270 MPa |
| Charpy notched impact strength, 23 °C | ISO 179-1/1eA | 16 kJ/m² | 22 kJ/m² |
| Heat deflection temperature, 1.8 MPa | ISO 75-1/-2 | 160 °C | 150 °C |
Values in the table are representative injection-moulded laboratory values and do not constitute release limits. Long-fibre compounds can show greater specimen-to-specimen scatter than short-fibre compounds; therefore, a minimum of five specimens per ISO 527-1 is recommended for design-characterisation work.
On an injection-moulding machine, the compound must be dried before processing. Moisture in the raw pellets above approximately 0.10% by mass can cause splay and surface defects. Drying at 80 °C for 4–8 h in a desiccant dryer with a dew point at or below -30 °C is normally sufficient. Drying beyond 24 h should be avoided unless the lot is specifically approved for extended drying, because oxidative degradation of the polyamide matrix can shift notched impact and colour.
The melt temperature should remain between 230 °C and 260 °C. Mould temperature is typically set between 80 °C and 110 °C to control crystallisation and post-mould shrinkage. Because long carbon fibre compounds are shear-sensitive, the plasticating unit should be configured for low shear: a compression ratio below 2.5:1, a free-flow non-return valve, and no high-shear mixing elements. Screw rotation speed is normally limited to 50–100 min⁻¹, and back pressure is kept below 0.5 MPa to reduce fibre attrition. Gates and runners should be sized in accordance with the supplier long-fibre guidelines; restrictive hot-runner valve gates can reduce residual fibre length and lower notched impact.
Production facilities with ambient relative humidity above 60% should use closed hopper loading and minimise open-pellet residence time, because conditioned or partially dried granules can regain surface moisture within a few hours. Common production-floor defects include floating fibres on the part surface, visible weld lines, and splay. Floating carbon fibres are often caused by low melt temperature or premature mould surface freezing; the fibre is not fully wet out. Increasing melt temperature within the allowable window and increasing injection speed can improve wet-out, but excessive shear can break the fibre. Splay is usually moisture-related and is eliminated by proper drying. Thermal degradation of PA12 at high temperature generates bubble-like surface defects and darkening; melt temperature should be confirmed with a calibrated pyrometer before adjusting the machine.
Because carbon fibre is abrasive, barrel and screw wear rates are higher than for unfilled or glass-filled grades. Bi-metallic barrel lining, hardened screw flights, and hardened check rings are specified for production runs; otherwise, the clearance between screw and barrel increases, melt plastication becomes irregular, and fibre length retention deteriorates. Maintenance intervals should be based on shot count and material throughput, with part-weight stability and melt-cushion variation monitored as wear indicators.
Compared with a 30% short carbon fibre PA12, the long-fibre architecture retains a longer average fibre length after moulding. This shifts the dominant failure mechanism from fibre pull-out over short lengths to crack-bridging across longer distances. The practical consequences are higher notched impact strength and improved creep resistance at equivalent filler mass. However, weld-line strength can be lower because flow-front fibre orientation is anisotropic and fewer fibres cross the weld interface. Where a component contains multiple gates or holes, the short-fibre grade may provide more predictable local toughness.
Long carbon fibre also differs from 30% long glass fibre in that carbon fibre has lower density and higher stiffness, but it also produces an electrically dissipative or conductive moulded part. Carbon fibre reinforcement can promote galvanic corrosion when moulded parts are placed in direct contact with aluminium or magnesium alloys in wet or saline environments. That risk is not present with glass fibre reinforcement. Designers should specify isolation or coating measures for such joints.
In comparison with 30% carbon fibre PA66, the PA12 matrix provides lower moisture absorption and lower density. PA66 offers a higher glass transition and better short-term heat resistance, while PA12 is often chosen for low-temperature impact and chemical resistance to automotive fluids. The long carbon fibre portion in both cases determines creep and fatigue; the matrix controls environmental resistance and part surface characteristics. Comparative property data should be generated under identical ISO 527-1/-2, ISO 179-1, and ISO 75-1/-2 conditions before substitution.
Under oscillating load, long carbon fibre reinforcement improves fatigue crack propagation resistance by reducing the crack opening displacement. Fatigue testing should be conducted according to ISO 13003 or the relevant ASTM method; uniaxial tensile fatigue at a given R-ratio is more informative than static test values alone. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, so design validation must include component-level testing or coupon-level fatigue at the expected stress amplitude and temperature.
Creep resistance under sustained load is enhanced by the long carbon fibre network compared with short-fibre compounds at comparable filler weight. Creep modulus data may be generated under ISO 899-1; the test specimen must be conditioned to the service moisture level before loading. Because moisture plasticises the matrix, conditioned creep and relaxation curves differ from dry-as-moulded data. For parts under constant deflection, stress relaxation data are more relevant, and reduced modulus values should be used for time-dependent design.
In service, the grade is encountered in structural brackets, housings for pumps and valves, and rotating components where the lower density of PA12 and the wear reduction from carbon fibre are exploited. The material is not a design-approved material for pressure vessels unless the specific product standard has been satisfied. For fuel-cell or e-mobility applications where low ionic contamination and controlled surface conductivity are needed, the grade may be considered after migration and outgassing tests are performed according to the relevant OEM specification.
Polyamide 12 is generally resistant to oils, greases, fuels, and glycol-based coolants at ambient and moderate temperatures. At elevated temperatures, aromatic solvents and hot concentrated acids can degrade the matrix. The carbon fibre itself is resistant to most solvents, but surface wicking along the fibre can occur if the matrix is cracked. Chemical exposure testing should therefore be performed on moulded parts with the production surface, not on machined test specimens with cut fibre ends.
Operational boundaries are not defined by a single temperature limit. In hot water above 80 °C, mechanical strength retention must be qualified for the specific part geometry because the polyamide matrix becomes more ductile and creep rate rises. Exposure to concentrated mineral acids, strong oxidising agents, and some chlorinated solvents is generally unsuitable for polyamide 12; the carbon fibre may be unaffected, but the matrix will degrade or swell. The presence of carbon fibre also changes smoke and flammability behaviour from unfilled PA12; flammability classification must be performed on the actual moulded part per IEC 60695-11-10 or the relevant application standard.
Material compliance documentation should be obtained from EMS-Grivory for REACH EC 1907/2006 and RoHS 2011/65/EU. No food-contact or medical-grade claim is implied by the engineering datasheet; finished article evaluation under the applicable end-use directive is required. The base resin may comply with certain sections of EU 10/2011 only if explicitly declared by the supplier, and the carbon fibre filler itself is not automatically food-contact approved.
