| HS Code | 223309 |
| Material | Polyamide 12 (PA12) Nylon |
| Filler | 15% Carbon Fiber |
| Additive | Antistatic / Electrically Conductive |
| Color | Black |
| Density | 1.12 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 178 °C |
| Tensile Modulus | 6500 MPa |
| Tensile Strength | 105 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 3% |
| Flexural Modulus | 6300 MPa |
| Notched Charpy Impact | 4 kJ/m² |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 1 8 Mpa | 115 °C |
| Surface Resistivity | <10^5 ohm/sq |
| Volume Resistivity | <10^4 ohm·cm |
As an accredited Evonik Vestamid L-CF15 sw 15% Carbon Fiber Reinforced, Antistatic, Black, Electrically Conductive Nylon 12 factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Vestamid L-CF15 sw, black, antistatic, electrically conductive Nylon 12 with 15% carbon fiber, supplied in sealed 25 kg bags. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loading of Evonik Vestamid L-CF15: carbon fiber reinforced, antistatic, black, electrically conductive Nylon 12 pellets. |
| Shipping | Evonik Vestamid L-CF15 is shipped as sealed, moisture-resistant bags or drums to prevent nylon degradation. Product is non-hazardous under normal transport, but electrical conductivity requires grounding during handling to avoid static discharge. Store dry, away from high heat and direct sunlight. Standard freight, with proper labeling and material safety documentation provided. |
| Storage | Store in original, unopened packaging in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and moisture. Keep containers tightly sealed, as nylon 12 absorbs humidity, which can affect processing and conductivity. Ideal storage temperature is below 30°C. Use within one year to ensure consistent performance. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 2 years from delivery if stored unopened, cool, and dry, protected from moisture and direct sunlight. |
Fuel dispensing and vapour recovery equipment installed in hazardous zones requires polymer components that do not accumulate sufficient electrostatic charge to ignite gasoline or solvent vapour. Vestamid L-CF15 sw is processed as a ready-to-mould compound at 100 wt%; the 15% carbon fibre reinforcement is already dispersed during compounding, so no carbon black masterbatch or post-moulding conductive coating is required. Qualification of the finished article follows ATEX 2014/34/EU, EN 60079-0:2018, IEC TS 60079-32-1:2013 clause 8, and charge decay testing under IEC 61340-2-3:2016. Injection moulding is performed on an all-electric machine with wear-protected screw, barrel, and check ring; screw L/D ratio is maintained between 20:1 and 25:1, melt temperature between 250 °C and 280 °C, and mould temperature between 60 °C and 90 °C. Pre-drying at 80 °C for 4 h to 6 h to residual moisture below 0.1% is mandatory because hydrolytic degradation at melt temperature creates voids and localised conductivity loss. Fibre orientation at weld lines and thin ribs produces high-resistance domains that cannot be detected from plaque tests alone; batch validation therefore includes measurement at the furthest point from the gate. Terminal components include fuel pump nozzle bodies, filter heads, tank gauge flanges, vapour recovery adapters, and electrical enclosure brackets. Published resistivity values for these exact geometries are limited, so part-specific charge decay data must be generated before release.
Electronic assembly operations handling ESD-sensitive devices with human body model sensitivity below 100 V require handling media with controlled charge generation and drainage at low humidity. Moulded trays, rails, and fixtures produced from Vestamid L-CF15 sw are run at 100 wt% as-supplied compound; dilution with unreinforced Vestamid L raises surface resistivity non-linearly because the carbon fibre volume fraction falls below the percolation threshold more rapidly than a linear mixing rule would predict, so no universal let-down ratio is available. Compliance is assessed under ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021, IEC 61340-5-1:2016, ANSI/ESD STM11.11-2015, and ANSI/ESD STM11.12-2015, with samples conditioned at 23 °C and 12% relative humidity. Injection moulding uses hardened steel tooling, sequential valve gating to reduce fibre weld lines, and closed-loop switchover control; melt temperature is held between 250 °C and 270 °C, while mould wall temperature is set between 70 °C and 90 °C to slow skin freezing and stabilise surface conductivity. Because fibre alignment is shear-dependent, the surface resistance of a flat plaque moulded with a single edge gate is not representative of a deep-pocket tray; qualification must be performed on the worst-case formed section. Terminal products include PCB matrix trays, IC shipping tubes, connector assembly fixtures, ESD covers, and handling jigs. REACH and RoHS 2011/65/EU declarations are applied for electronics logistics applications, and the material is not intended for equipment grounding conductors.
Pneumatic conveying lines, rotary valves, filter housings, and drop chutes handling organic powders with minimum ignition energy below 30 mJ require charge-dissipative non-metallic components to prevent brush discharges across insulating surfaces. Vestamid L-CF15 sw is specified at 100 wt% in these applications; where regrind is introduced, fibre-length attrition alters the percolation network and the regrind fraction is held below 20 wt% unless charge decay testing demonstrates equivalence. Compliance follows EN 1127-1:2019 for explosion prevention and EN ISO 80079-36:2016 for non-electrical equipment in explosive atmospheres; verification of surface resistance is carried out according to IEC TS 60079-32-1:2013 and ASTM D257-14. The downstream process is injection moulding of thick-walled valve blade blanks and pipe bend segments; mould temperature is raised to 80 °C to 100 °C to reduce frozen-skin resistance, and packing pressure is held until gate freeze to avoid internal voids that would interrupt the conductive network. Post-moulding machining of sealing faces is permissible only if machined surfaces are re-tested, because removing the carbon-fibre-rich skin can expose resin-rich subsurface layers. Terminal components include rotary valve blades, pneumatic conveying bend segments, filter plate housings, inspection port frames, and dust extraction nozzle bodies. The material is not a substitute for earthing straps or bonded metal ducting; it is used where a static dissipative polymer part reduces isolated charged surface area in combination with the plant earthing network.
| Application sector | Standard or directive | Test method or clause | Verification purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel dispenser components | 2014/34/EU, EN 60079-0:2018, IEC TS 60079-32-1:2013 | Charge decay, transfer resistance | ATEX ignition risk control |
| Electronic handling media | ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021, IEC 61340-5-1:2016 | ANSI/ESD STM11.11-2015, ANSI/ESD STM11.12-2015 | ESD-safe packaging classification |
| Combustible dust equipment | EN 1127-1:2019, EN ISO 80079-36:2016 | IEC TS 60079-32-1:2013, ASTM D257-14 | Non-electrical equipment explosion prevention |
| Solvent and coating line components | 2014/34/EU, EN 1127-1:2019, EN 13463-1:2009 | IEC TS 60079-32-1:2013 | Flammable vapour zone compliance |
In solvent filtration and coating line equipment, components are exposed to flammable vapour mixtures of toluene, methanol, ketones, or esters at ambient temperature. Moulded pump adapters, filter plate handles, valve seats, and splash guards produced from Vestamid L-CF15 sw are processed from the compound as supplied at 100 wt%; no additional conductive additive is introduced, and dilution with unfilled polyamide 12 is generally avoided in solvent atmospheres because a composition-dependent step change in surface resistance occurs near the percolation limit. Compliance is established under ATEX 2014/34/EU, EN 1127-1:2019, and EN 13463-1:2009 for non-electrical equipment; conductive performance is verified according to IEC TS 60079-32-1:2013. Injection moulding of thick-walled pump components is performed with melt temperature between 250 °C and 280 °C and mould temperature between 70 °C and 90 °C; dried granulate at 80 °C for 4 h to 8 h to residual moisture below 0.1% prevents hydrolysis. Operational boundaries include incompatibility with strong acids, phenols, and hot concentrated oxidising media; the grade is suited to nonpolar solvents, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and dilute alkaline solutions, but chemical exposure tests over the intended service interval are required because fibre-matrix interfaces accelerate solvent wicking under sustained load. Terminal product types include solvent filter plate handles, pump adapters, valve seats, and agitator coupling guards. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, so part-specific immersion trials are mandated before chemical service.
Film winding and printing press operations generate triboelectric charge at nip rollers, guide bars, and doctor blade holders; non-conductive polymer parts accumulate charge that attracts dust and can ignite solvent-laden atmospheres in gravure or flexographic printing. Vestamid L-CF15 sw is run as supplied at 100 wt%; the 15% carbon fibre loading provides stiffness and low creep under bearing loads while reducing surface resistivity. Compliance is assessed with IEC TS 60079-32-1:2013 for electrostatic risks in explosive atmospheres and ISO 527-2 for tensile property verification after humidity conditioning; dimensional stability after load cycling is checked against internal bearing fit criteria rather than a single generic standard because roller bearing clearance depends on component geometry. The downstream process is extrusion of wear-plate and profile sections followed by CNC machining; melt temperature is held between 250 °C and 280 °C, die temperature between 240 °C and 260 °C, and cooling water between 60 °C and 80 °C. Machined surfaces must be re-tested for surface resistance after finishing because the carbon-fibre orientation at the profile skin differs from the core. Terminal products include idler roller end caps, nip roller guards, doctor blade holder blocks, and film guide profiles. Direct food-contact specifications are not covered by this grade, and published dynamic roller test data for this exact formulation are limited; bearing load and triboelectric charge measurements must be generated on the finished profile.
| Processing parameter | Range | Equipment note |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-drying temperature | 80 °C | Desiccant dryer, dew point -30 °C to -40 °C |
| Drying time | 4 h to 8 h | Residual moisture below 0.1% |
| Melt temperature | 250 °C to 280 °C | Wear-protected screw, barrel, check ring |
| Mould temperature | 60 °C to 100 °C | Higher range for thick walls and surface conductivity stability |
| Screw L/D ratio | 20:1 to 25:1 | Low compression to protect carbon fibre length |
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Evonik Vestamid L-CF15 sw is a black polyamide 12 compound reinforced with 15% short carbon fiber. The designation L denotes the PA12 base, CF15 denotes 15% carbon fiber reinforcement, and sw indicates black pigmentation. It is formulated for static charge dissipation in load-bearing components where electrical conductivity must persist after molding and assembly. Injection-molded plaques conditioned at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity typically show surface resistivity ≤ 1 × 10^5 Ω/sq when measured to IEC 62631-3-2, and volume resistivity ≤ 1 × 10^4 Ω·cm when measured to IEC 62631-3-1. These values place the compound below the 1 × 10^9 Ω/sq upper limit commonly applied in IEC 61340-5-1 ESD-protected areas. The material is used in fuel-line quick connectors, ESD workpiece trays, conveyor chain guides, electronics housings, and sensor brackets where charge dissipation and structural stiffness are required in a single material.
The values below are representative for injection-molded ISO multipurpose bars stored for 24 h at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity after molding. They are not supplier specification minima. Batch-to-batch variation on production-scale twin-screw compounding lines can reach ±10% on mechanical values and one decade on electrical values when carbon-fiber feeding is controlled by gravimetric feeders with tolerance ±0.5%.
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | 1.14 g/cm³ |
| Tensile modulus | ISO 527-1/-2 | 8,500 MPa |
| Tensile stress at break | ISO 527-1/-2 | 115 MPa |
| Tensile strain at break | ISO 527-1/-2 | 2.5% |
| Notched Charpy impact strength, 23 °C | ISO 179-1/1eA | 8.0 kJ/m² |
| Melting temperature | ISO 11357-1/-3 | 178 °C |
| Vicat softening temperature B50 | ISO 306/B50 | 155 °C |
| Surface resistivity | IEC 62631-3-2 | ≤ 1 × 10^5 Ω/sq |
| Volume resistivity | IEC 62631-3-1 | ≤ 1 × 10^4 Ω·cm |
Residual moisture dominates the electrical response of PA12 compounds because water molecules plasticize the amorphous phase and disrupt the carbon-fiber percolation network at the molded skin. In plants where ambient relative humidity exceeds 60%, pellets are dried in a desiccant dryer with dew point below −40 °C at 80 °C for 4–6 h. The target residual moisture by Karl Fischer titration is below 0.1%. Hot-air hopper dryers without desiccant beds do not reliably achieve this target in a single pass when inlet air dew point is above −10 °C. Processing with residual moisture above 0.15% produces surface splay and can raise surface resistivity by one to two decades because steam disrupts the carbon-fiber network at the flow front. Prolonged hopper residence above 12 h at 80 °C can oxidize pellet surfaces, darken the compound, and reduce electrical reproducibility.
Plastication of Vestamid L-CF15 sw is performed in a single-flight screw with 20:1 to 25:1 L/D and compression ratio of 2.2:1 to 2.8:1. Barrel temperatures are maintained between 250 °C and 270 °C from feed throat to nozzle. The nozzle temperature should not fall below 240 °C because the carbon-fiber-filled melt solidifies rapidly at metal walls and can plate out as a fiber-rich layer. Melt temperatures above 280 °C degrade PA12; brown streaks and an acrid odor indicate thermal damage. Mold temperature is set at 80–100 °C to allow wet-out of carbon-fiber bundles and reduce skin-layer anisotropy. At mold temperatures below 60 °C, the quenched surface layer contains highly flow-aligned carbon fibers, and surface resistivity measured normal to flow can rise by one to two decades.
Gate geometry for multi-cavity tools should be rectangular or fan type with thickness of 1.0–1.5 mm and width of 2.0–3.0 mm. Point gates smaller than 1.0 mm generate shear rates above 50,000 s⁻¹, which can break carbon-fiber bundles and increase weld-line resistance. Injection speed is set for a filling time of 0.5–1.5 s at 2.0 mm wall thickness, and hold pressure is maintained at 50–70% of peak injection pressure for 3–5 s/mm of wall thickness. Cavity pressure at transfer is held at 60–80 MPa. The carbon fiber is abrasive; mold inserts in gate and runner regions require through-hardened tool steel above 50 HRC or wear-resistant coatings. Soft aluminum tools show visible gate erosion within 50,000 cycles, and ejector pins require hardened surfaces.
Electrical conductivity in carbon-fiber-filled PA12 is dominated by the molded skin and by fiber contacts near the surface. Machining, sanding, or scraping removes this conductive layer and can raise surface resistivity above 10^9 Ω/sq; such surfaces should be re-tested to IEC 61340-2-3 before deployment. In vibration-welded assemblies, the weld seam creates a discontinuity in the fiber network. Surface resistance across a butt weld can increase from 5 × 10^4 Ω/sq on the parent material to 10^7–10^9 Ω/sq across the weld, depending on weld amplitude, melt-down depth, and contamination. Mechanical joining with metallic inserts can restore electrical continuity if the insert cuts through the skin into the fiber-rich core. Fasteners that engage only the outer 0.3 mm often produce contact resistance above 10^10 Ω. For snap-fit joints, the conductive circuit may be interrupted when the snap surfaces are formed from skin layers on both parts; a conductive adhesive or embedded metal clip is required if the joint is part of the ground path.
Compared with carbon-black-filled PA12, the 15% carbon-fiber grade provides higher stiffness and more stable surface resistivity after abrasion. A typical carbon-black antistatic PA12 has tensile modulus between 1,200 MPa and 1,800 MPa and surface resistivity between 10^5 Ω/sq and 10^9 Ω/sq, whereas Vestamid L-CF15 sw has tensile modulus near 8,500 MPa and lower surface resistivity. Compared with 20% carbon-fiber-reinforced PA66, the PA12 grade absorbs less moisture; PA12 water absorption at saturation in 23 °C water is approximately 1.4% to ISO 62, while PA66 can reach 8.0%. This reduces dimensional change in humid or splash exposure and maintains electrical values closer to dry-as-molded readings. The tradeoff is that PA66 carbon-fiber grades may offer higher tensile modulus and heat deflection temperature. Metal-fiber-filled polymers used in ATEX-type enclosures provide lower volume resistivity at equivalent filler content, but their density is typically above 1.8 g/cm³, their chemical resistance is lower, and fiber sloughing can create shorting risk. The PA12 carbon-fiber compound occupies the middle position where structural stiffness, chemical resistance, and benign failure mode are required together.
In continuous exposure to diesel fuel, lubricating oil, and road salt, PA12 shows stress-cracking resistance that supports underhood use. Strong acids and polar solvents can reduce the conductive path by swelling the amorphous phase or extracting low-molecular-weight species. Immersion in 30% sulfuric acid at 23 °C can raise surface resistivity by several decades; published data for this specific configuration is limited, so qualification should follow ISO 175 and ISO 22088-3 for the actual fluid and temperature. For underhood components, continuous use at 80 °C in hot air and at 90 °C in oil baths has been reported in component-level validation, but final conductivity must be verified after thermal aging at the maximum use temperature. The material is not a replacement for stainless steel or carbon-filled PEEK in continuous exposure to strong oxidizing acids above 60 °C.
| Restriction of hazardous substances | EU RoHS 2011/65/EU | Supplier declaration covers lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE limits |
| REACH SVHC | REGULATION (EC) No 1907/2006 | No substances above 0.1% w/w listed on current Candidate List |
| Surface resistance classification | IEC 61340-5-1 | Conductive to static-dissipative range; verify after molding |
| Flammability | UL 94 | HB at 1.6 mm thickness |
Pellet certifications report electrical values on standardized plaques with thickness of 2.0 mm or 4.0 mm. Large-format parts with wall thickness from 1.5 mm to 6.0 mm and long flow paths can exhibit local surface resistivity from 10^4 Ω/sq near the gate to 10^9 Ω/sq at the last fill point. This spread arises from fiber length attrition in the screw, orientation along flow directions, and weld lines at bosses. Production control should measure surface resistivity at three locations per cavity—gate, center, and end-of-fill—using a concentric ring electrode at 10 V per IEC 61340-2-3. For ESD-protected areas, the measured upper limit is 1 × 10^9 Ω/sq. For fuel-system components where conductivity is used for grounding, a lower upper limit of 1 × 10^6 Ω/sq is commonly applied at the component drawing level; the supplier datasheet alone does not guarantee this value without tool-specific validation.
