| HS Code | 902925 |
| Density | 1.02 g/cm³ |
| Melting Temperature Dsc | 178 °C |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 55 °C |
| Vicat Softening Temperature | 150 °C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 1 80 Mpa | 60 °C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 0 45 Mpa | 140 °C |
| Tensile Modulus | 1500 MPa |
| Tensile Yield Stress | 50 MPa |
| Nominal Strain At Yield | 5 % |
| Elongation At Break | 100 % |
| Charpy Impact Strength Notched 23 C | 12 kJ/m² |
| Charpy Impact Strength Notched 30 C | 8 kJ/m² |
| Water Absorption 24h At 23 C | 0.5 % |
| Water Absorption At Saturation | 1.5 % |
As an accredited EMS-Grivory Grilamid XE 3841 nat PA12 factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | EMS-Grivory Grilamid XE 3841 nat PA12 is supplied as natural granules in sealed 25 kg moisture-proof bags. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Load 20′ FCL with palletized bags of EMS-Grivory Grilamid XE 3841 nat PA12, ensuring stable stacking, proper securing, and dry conditions. |
| Shipping | Grilamid XE 3841 nat PA12 is shipped as solid granules in sealed, moisture-proof bags or drums. Keep dry, away from heat, humidity, and direct sunlight. No hazardous goods classification; standard transport applies. Avoid prolonged storage above 40°C to prevent moisture uptake and degradation. |
| Storage | Store Grilamid XE 3841 nat (PA12) in its original, tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and moisture. Keep the area well-ventilated and avoid exposure to humidity, which can affect material properties. Under proper conditions, shelf life is approximately two years. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 2 years when stored in original sealed packaging, away from moisture and direct sunlight. |
In heavy-duty truck and trailer air brake circuits, polyamide 12 tubing operates continuously at 0.85–1.00 MPa service pressure, with cold-climate parking brake release excursions reaching 1.35 MPa and ambient service conditions spanning −40 °C to 100 °C. EMS-Grivory Grilamid XE 3841 nat is processed at 100 wt% virgin resin when the tube wall must satisfy SAE J844 burst, heat-aging, and dimensional stability criteria; in-house edge trim from the same production lot may be reintroduced up to 20 wt% only after verification that heat-aged tensile strength retention remains above 90% of the virgin control after 168 h at 100 °C. The extrusion line requires a single-screw extruder with L/D 24:1 to 30:1, grooved feed section, and barrel temperatures from 220 °C to 250 °C; melt temperature at die entry is held at 230–245 °C to maintain melt strength during vacuum calibration at 0.06–0.09 MPa negative pressure. In-line laser diameter gauges control ovality within ±0.08 mm, and die-head pressure fluctuation is maintained below ±1.5 MPa to prevent wall-thickness eccentricity in high-speed cut lengths. Terminal tube dimensions include outer diameters of 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, and 12 mm, with wall thicknesses from 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm in black, blue, and yellow identification colours for tractor-to-trailer pneumatic circuits, suspension leveling lines, and trailer ABS modulators. Excessive melt temperature above 255 °C or prolonged barrel residence produces low-molecular-weight degradation fractions that raise acetone extractables and compromise compliance with DIN 73378 limits for brake tubing.
Monolayer PA12 fuel lines have been qualified for low-pressure vapour return and tank vent applications under SAE J2260 and SAE J1737 test protocols; when evaporative emission limits demand permeation below 0.5 g/m²/day at 40 °C, EMS-Grivory Grilamid XE 3841 nat is coextruded as an outer protective layer over an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer barrier core. In a five-layer construction, the outer Grilamid XE 3841 nat layer constitutes 20–30 wt% of total wall thickness, the tie-resin layers constitute 6–10 wt% per layer, the EVOH barrier layer constitutes 3–5 wt%, and the inner carbon-black-filled PA12 or polyamide 6 conductive layer constitutes 55–65 wt%; these ratios are adjusted within those ranges to keep layer-to-layer adhesion above the minimum peel strength value specified by SAE J2260. The coextrusion line is configured with five single-screw extruders, gravimetric feeders, melt pumps, and a spiral mandrel die; the Grilamid XE 3841 nat barrel profile is set from 220 °C to 245 °C and the die temperature at 235–250 °C, while layer thickness is monitored by ultrasonic wall-thickness systems with a per-layer tolerance of ±0.02 mm. Pre-drying at 80 °C for 4–8 h to residual moisture below 0.08 wt% is mandatory; moisture exceeding 0.10 wt% at die exit produces microvoids and reduces interlayer adhesion, increasing fuel vapour permeation under SAE J2260 permeation testing. Terminal downstream articles include 8 mm and 10 mm outer diameter fuel vapour return lines, tank vent tubes, and carbon canister purge line assemblies installed in spark-ignition and hybrid platforms. The natural grade is suitable for outer layers where UV exposure is absent or where a separate jacket layer carries black pigmentation; outdoor use of natural outer layers without UV stabilization is not recommended.
Unbonded flexible risers and flowlines for subsea gas and oil transport place the most severe constraint on PA12 melt processing because the extruded pressure sheath must withstand rapid gas decompression, long-term hydrolysis at 60–85 °C in water-saturated hydrocarbon mixtures, and simulated service temperatures from −20 °C to 60 °C under API Spec 17J qualification. For Grilamid XE 3841 nat, the addition level is set at 100 wt% virgin resin with 1.0–2.5 wt% of a PA12-compatible antioxidant/heat-stabiliser masterbatch; no regrind, external lubricant, or impact modifier is introduced because these constituents alter the crystalline phase distribution and reduce rapid gas decompression resistance in final qualification. Extrusion onto the interlocked carcass is carried out with a 60 mm to 90 mm single-screw extruder with L/D 28:1 to 36:1, barrier screw geometry, melt pump, and horizontal crosshead die, at melt temperatures between 215 °C and 235 °C. The processing window is narrow: below 210 °C the melt viscosity rises and shear heating in the die gap exceeds 15 °C, while above 240 °C thermo-oxidative chain scission broadens the molecular weight distribution and reduces burst pressure retention after 1,000 h at 90 °C in ISO 13628-2 hydrocarbon exposure. Pre-extrusion drying is conducted at 80 °C for 6–8 h to a maximum moisture content of 0.05 wt%, with a desiccant dryer dew point of −40 °C or lower and closed-loop hopper transfer; ambient open storage exceeding 30 minutes in relative humidity above 55% requires re-drying because PA12 surface moisture uptake is rapid. Terminal finished products are 6-inch to 12-inch internal diameter flexible flowline and riser pipe sections in which the PA12 pressure sheath is over-laid with steel armour layers and an outer thermoplastic jacket. Published data for this specific natural grade under every customer-specific API Spec 17J end-fitting test configuration is limited; product-specific qualification is therefore required for tensile properties after ageing under ISO 527-2:2012, melt-flow stability under ISO 1133-1:2022, and rapid gas decompression performance defined in the project material specification.
Railway signalling cables, fibre-to-the-home drop cables, and subsea sensor cables are sheathed with PA12 where polyurethane fails abrasion tests or where polyvinyl chloride is excluded by low-smoke halogen-free procurement specifications. EMS-Grivory Grilamid XE 3841 nat is added at 96.0–98.5 wt% in the outer jacket formulation, with 1.5–3.0 wt% of a UV/heat-stabiliser masterbatch and 0.5–1.0 wt% of processing aid; for outdoor black jacket constructions, carbon-black masterbatch is substituted at 2.0–2.5 wt%, while the natural grade is selected for identifiable colour-coded jackets in indoor and buried installations where carbon black is not required. Pressure extrusion is performed on a single-screw extruder with L/D 30:1, compression ratio 3:1, and barrel zones from 220 °C to 245 °C; melt temperature at the die head is held at 235–245 °C, and the pressure tooling is set with a die-to-core tube gap ratio of 1.2:1 to 1.5:1 to prevent melt fracture and maintain concentric sheath wall. After water cooling, jacket thickness is checked by x-ray or laser diameter gauge to a tolerance of ±0.10 mm. Terminal articles include 4.5 mm to 15 mm outer diameter sensor cables, trackside signalling cables, and optical drop cables meeting sheath abrasion assessment under IEC 60794-1-21 and halogen-free compound requirements under EN 50290-2-23. Excessive melt temperature above 255 °C or residence time above 8 minutes generates gel particles that appear as surface pips and reduce abrasion resistance below the minimum load specified by the cable procurement specification.
Compressed air distribution in factory automation uses 4–16 mm outer diameter polyamide 12 tubing where resistance to compressor oil mist, low moisture absorption, and dimensional stability at 0.9–1.0 MPa working pressure are required. Grilamid XE 3841 nat is extruded neat with 1–2 wt% colour masterbatch and dried to below 0.08 wt% moisture at 80 °C for 4 h; the melt-temperature window is 230–245 °C, and the tube is sized by vacuum calibration. Terminal products include straight and coiled pneumatic tubes, FRL unit connections, and robotic end-effector supply lines tested for flow characteristics under ISO 6358. This segment does not require multilayer construction; a single-screw extruder with L/D 24:1 and grooved feed section is sufficient for stable production.
Injection moulded cable clamps, electrical connector housings, and suspension clips are moulded from Grilamid XE 3841 nat at 100 wt% virgin feed, with optional 1.5–2.0 wt% heat-stabiliser masterbatch and 2.0 wt% carbon-black masterbatch for outdoor weather resistance. The resin is dried at 80 °C for 4–6 h to below 0.08 wt% moisture; melt temperature is set at 240–260 °C, mould temperature at 60–80 °C, and injection machine clamp force is selected to maintain 60–80 MPa cavity pressure. Because of the high melt viscosity of XE 3841 nat, shot size relative to barrel capacity is held between 30% and 70% to avoid resin residence time longer than 6–8 minutes, which otherwise causes surface splay and reduces Charpy impact values measured after moulding under ISO 179-1:2010. Terminal articles include 20–100 g technical clips, bracket housings, and fasteners tested under ISO 527-2:2012 for tensile modulus and ISO 179-1:2010 for Charpy impact. Published data for this exact natural grade in long-term electrical connector creep tests is limited; qualification for electrical housings should include comparative tracking index determination under IEC 60112.
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EMS-Grivory Grilamid XE 3841 nat is a high-viscosity, natural-coloured polyamide 12 extrusion grade supplied by EMS-CHEMIE AG under the Grilamid trade name. The grade identifier XE marks the extrusion-grade rheology window; 3841 indexes the viscosity and additive package within the polyamide 12 product matrix; nat denotes an unpigmented natural resin without carbon black, titanium dioxide, or organic colour concentrates. The polymer is synthesised from laurolactam or ω-aminododecanoic acid, which lowers the amide-group density relative to PA6 and PA66. Consequently, equilibrium water absorption at 23°C saturation is approximately 1.5% according to ISO 62, whereas PA6 and PA66 typically reach 2.8% and 2.3% under comparable conditions. This lower moisture uptake stabilizes dimensional change in humid service and reduces the modulus shift between dry-as-moulded and conditioned states.
The extrusion-grade rheology is characterized by a melt-volume rate typically in the range of 5–10 cm³/10 min at 275°C under a 5 kg load using ISO 1133-1:2022, although the exact release value must be read from the lot certificate. Differential scanning calorimetry under ISO 11357-3 records a melting peak near 178°C. The Vicat softening temperature under ISO 306 method B50 is approximately 170°C, while the heat deflection temperature at 1.80 MPa under ISO 75-2 is approximately 55°C. These values indicate that XE 3841 nat retains short-term dimensional stability in low-stress thermal environments but is not a high-temperature engineering polymer. The processing window between melt crystallisation and thermo-oxidative degradation is narrower than for PA6: melt temperatures below 220°C can produce insufficient homogenisation and melt fracture in high-draw tube lines, while temperatures above 260°C accelerate thermo-oxidative chain scission and cause yellowing in natural resin. The permitted melt residence time at 250°C should not exceed 8–10 min; lines with frequent interruptions should use screw retraction or purging with a low-MFI polyolefin.
| Property | Method | Dry | Conditioned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183 | 1.01 g/cm³ | — |
| Water absorption, saturation in water at 23°C | ISO 62 | — | 1.5% |
| Tensile modulus | ISO 527-1/-2 | 1600 MPa | 1300 MPa |
| Yield stress | ISO 527-1/-2 | 45 MPa | 40 MPa |
| Nominal strain at break | ISO 527-1/-2 | ≥50% | ≥50% |
| Charpy notched impact strength, 23°C | ISO 179-1/1eA | 7 kJ/m² | 8 kJ/m² |
| Ball indentation hardness | ISO 2039-1 | 100 MPa | — |
| Melting temperature | ISO 11357-3 | 178°C | — |
| Vicat softening temperature, B50 | ISO 306 | 170°C | — |
| Heat deflection temperature, 1.80 MPa | ISO 75-2 | 55°C | — |
| Linear coefficient of thermal expansion, 23–55°C | ISO 11359-2 | 1.2 × 10⁻⁴ K⁻¹ | — |
Pre-drying is mandatory because residual moisture above 0.10% hydrolyses amide linkages during extrusion and produces surface splay, torpedo streaks, melt fracture, and loss of tube burst pressure. Desiccant drying at 80°C for 4–6 h at a dew point of −30°C or lower is sufficient when incoming moisture is below 0.20%. Regrind streams above 25% by weight require drying extension to 8 h and melt filtration at 100–150 µm to remove crosslinked gel particles and paper fibres from packaging. Machine configuration for tubing and hose lines should use single-screw extruders with grooved feed bushes, barrier flights, and L/D ratios of 25–30. A three-zone screw with compression ratio 2.5:1 to 3.0:1 and a Maddock or pineapple mixing section provides sufficient homogenisation without excessive shear heating. Die-head pressure should be maintained between 100 bar and 250 bar for uniform output, and a gear pump may be inserted between screw tip and die to damp pressure oscillations. Melt temperature measured at the die entrance should be 230–250°C; die body temperature should be 220–240°C. On 45 mm extruders, screw speed below 80 min⁻¹ is usually required to keep melt temperature below 250°C, though published data for this specific configuration is limited.
Production-scale extrusion of air-brake tubing and pneumatic hose with XE 3841 nat has shown that wall-thickness eccentricity is more strongly influenced by calibrator vacuum and cooling-water temperature than by die swell. In corrugator lines, an inner air pressure of 0.1–0.3 bar and cooling-water inlet temperature below 18°C typically stabilize corrugation pitch; higher cooling-water temperatures cause sticking and flattening. The high melt strength of the grade reduces draw-down at line speeds up to 60 m/min, but line speed limits are determined by vacuum-tank length and by the glass transition at approximately 55°C. Surface defects such as shark-skin can be eliminated by raising die temperature to 240°C or by adding 0.02–0.05 wt% fluoropolymer processing aid; the latter also lowers die build-up during multi-day campaigns.
Against PA6 and PA66, the PA12 platform displays lower water uptake, lower density, and better retention of impact strength at sub-zero temperatures. XE 3841 nat differs within the PA12 portfolio by its high viscosity and extrusion-oriented additive package; it should not be substituted into thin-wall injection moulding tools designed for medium-viscosity PA12 because the high molecular weight reduces melt flow length at the same temperature. The grade contains no plasticizer, which lowers extractables and provides more stable modulus at elevated temperature than plasticized PA12, but it also limits flexibility at temperatures below −20°C. Applications requiring cold-impact flexibility in coiled tubing may require a plasticized PA12 or a PA11 grade.
| Criterion | XE 3841 nat | PA12 injection grade | PA6 dry | PA66 conditioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary processing | Extrusion of tubes, hoses, profiles | Injection moulding of clips, connectors | Injection moulding, extrusion | Injection moulding, extrusion |
| Moisture uptake at saturation | 1.5% | 1.5% | 2.8% | 2.3% |
| Melt viscosity class | High | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Low-temperature impact | High | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Density | 1.01 g/cm³ | 1.01 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ |
| Typical melt temperature | 230–250°C | 240–260°C | 240–270°C | 270–290°C |
Chemical resistance follows the general PA12 resistance spectrum. Resistance to aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic-free petroleum fractions, diesel, mineral oils, and greases is documented under ISO 175 immersion tests at 23°C and 60°C. The resin is attacked by strong mineral acids, phenols, and formic acid, with mass increase and tensile strength reduction measurable under ISO 175 after immersion. Stress cracking resistance in zinc chloride and calcium chloride solutions is lower than in polyolefins and must be evaluated under ISO 22088-2 using notched constant-strain specimens at the expected service temperature. For compressed air and hot-water systems, continuous contact with wet air at 80°C or above can cause progressive hydrolytic chain scission; long-term hydrostatic design should be based on ISO 9080, not on short-term burst tests. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, so each fluid-contact application requires soak testing in the actual fluid.
In cable sheathing, the natural grade is compounded by the converter with flame-retardant masterbatches, carbon black, or UV stabilizers. Because nat lacks carbon black, outdoor exposure requires an ultraviolet stabilizer package validated under ISO 4892-2; unstabilized natural PA12 can lose surface gloss and tensile elongation after 500 h of accelerated weathering. Flame-retardant compounds based on halogen-free intumescent systems can raise melt viscosity and require die-head pressure increases of 20–40 bar; mixing uniformity should be verified by melt filtration and by measuring tensile modulus retention after accelerated weathering.
Regulatory status is application-specific. Natural PA12 may be evaluated for food-contact use under FDA 21 CFR 177.1500 and EU Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, but the final article must be tested for migration limits under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 where applicable. The polymer is generally compatible with RoHS 2011/65/EU and REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 for lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, and PBDE; supplier confirmation of SVHC status is required for each lot.
Release inspection for XE 3841 nat should include moisture content by ISO 15512, melt-volume rate by ISO 1133-1:2022, tensile yield stress and modulus by ISO 527-1/-2, Charpy notched impact by ISO 179-1/1eA, and melting peak by ISO 11357-3. Batch-to-batch variation in melt viscosity is typically controlled within ±5% of the nominal MVR; excursions beyond this band alter die-head pressure and tube wall consistency in lines without gear pumps.
