| HS Code | 256149 |
| Density | 1.01 g/cm³ |
| Melting Temperature | 178 °C |
| Vicat Softening Temperature | 145 °C |
| Tensile Modulus | 1400 MPa |
| Tensile Yield Stress | 45 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | >200 % |
| Charpy Impact Strength Notched 23 C | 9 kJ/m² |
| Charpy Impact Strength Unnotched 23 C | No break |
| Shore Hardness D | 75 |
| Water Absorption Saturation At 23 C | 1.5 % |
| Viscosity Number | 220 cm³/g |
| Melt Volume Rate 230 C 5 Kg | 3 cm³/10 min |
As an accredited Evonik VESTAMID® LX9002 | PA12 Nylon 12 factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Evonik VESTAMID LX9002 PA12 Nylon 12 is supplied as dry pellets in sealed 25 kg bags, packaged on pallets for safe handling and storage. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: palletized PA12 granules loaded in a 20-foot container, secured with dunnage, kept dry and ventilated to prevent moisture damage. |
| Shipping | VESTAMID® LX9002 PA12 Nylon 12 ships as sealed, moisture-proof bags or drums on pallets to prevent moisture uptake and contamination. Keep away from heat, sparks, and direct sunlight during transport. Not classified as dangerous goods under standard regulations. Use dry, ventilated storage; handle with industrial hygiene precautions. |
| Storage | Store VESTAMID® LX9002 in its original, unopened packaging in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Protect from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture, as PA12 absorbs humidity. Keep away from oxidizers and incompatible materials. Under proper conditions, shelf life is typically two years from delivery. Ensure containers are sealed after use. |
| Shelf Life | Store unopened in a cool, dry place, shielded from sunlight and moisture; shelf life is typically two years. |
For SAE J844 air brake tubing in heavy trucks and trailers, VESTAMID LX9002 is processed as a plasticizer-free PA 12 extrusion grade. Typical extruded dimensions are 1/4 in, 3/8 in, and 1/2 in outside diameter with nominal wall thickness of 1.0–1.5 mm, depending on working pressure class. The grade is dried in a desiccant dryer with dew point below -30 °C at 80 °C for 4–6 h to reduce residual moisture below 0.05 wt%. A single-screw extruder with L/D ratio 25–30, compression ratio 2.5–3.5, and a grooved feed section is used. Barrel temperature settings are from 210 °C in the feed zone to 230 °C in the metering zone, with adaptor and head held at 220–235 °C. Vacuum sizing and closed-loop ultrasonic wall-thickness measurement are employed because air brake tubing is subject to dimensional requirements under SAE J844 and FMVSS 571.106. In production-scale lots, melt-pressure variation at the breaker plate should be controlled within ±10 bar to avoid ovality drift. The absence of plasticizer is functionally relevant: tube stiffness retention after heat ageing at 100 °C per SAE J844 and after contact with compressed air compressor oil condensate is more consistent than plasticized PA 12, because no plasticizer migrates to the surface. Failure-mode records from line audits show that non-compliant lots typically exhibit short-term burst values below 4× the rated working pressure at 85 °C or uncontrolled dimensional growth after 24 h immersion in distilled water at 23 °C. For end fittings, cold insertion force and pull-out retention are tailored by controlling outer diameter tolerance to ±0.05 mm and ovality below 0.15 mm. The finished product is coiled and tested for leakage at 10 bar air pressure under water.
| Process parameter | Tube extrusion range | Injection moulding range |
|---|---|---|
| Desiccant drying | 80 °C, 4–6 h, dew point ≤ -30 °C | 80 °C, 4–8 h, dew point ≤ -30 °C |
| Melt temperature | 210–240 °C | 220–250 °C |
| Barrel settings | 210–230 °C feed to metering | 220–240 °C feed to nozzle |
| Mould or sizer temperature | 20–60 °C vacuum sizer | 40–80 °C mould |
| Screw L/D | 25–30 | 18–22 |
| Compression ratio | 2.5–3.5 | 2.0–2.5 |
Coextruded fuel lines for gasoline direct-injection engines and ethanol-containing petrol blends require a low-permeation stack. VESTAMID LX9002 may serve as the outer layer or inner layer in a five-layer construction. The layer architecture is designed to meet SAE J2260 permeation limits for ethanol-containing fuels at 60 °C. In a standard configuration, inner conductive PA 12, tie resin, EVOH with 27–32 mol% ethylene, second tie resin, and VESTAMID LX9002 outer layer are coextruded through a spiral mandrel die at 230–245 °C. Layer allocation is not arbitrary: the PA 12 outer layer is maintained at 40–50% of total wall thickness to provide zinc chloride resistance and impact protection, while EVOH is held at 5–10% to prevent cracking under flex fatigue. The inner PA 12 layer at 20–30% of total thickness controls fuel extractables and provides a heat-seal surface for connector fittings. One production observation is that if the EVOH layer falls below 0.05 mm, permeation control becomes dependent on die gap uniformity and melt-pump stability. Therefore, each extruder is equipped with a gravimetric dosing unit and a gear pump to maintain layer-thickness variation below ±0.02 mm. The use of VESTAMID LX9002 without plasticizer prevents low-molecular-weight plasticizer migration into the tie resin, which is known to reduce interlayer adhesion after 1,000 h heat ageing at 120 °C. End products include fuel feed lines and vapour return lines with outer diameters of 6–10 mm and wall thickness of 2.0–3.5 mm. The finished tube is tested for layer adhesion by peel force at 23 °C, with acceptance based on cohesive failure in the tie layer.
| Layer | Function | Thickness allocation | Material family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inner | Fuel contact, electrostatic dissipation | 20–30% | Conductive PA 12 or VESTAMID LX9002 with carbon black concentrate |
| Tie 1 | Adhesion to EVOH | 8–12% | Maleic-anhydride grafted polyolefin |
| Barrier | Hydrocarbon and ethanol permeation reduction | 5–10% | EVOH, 27–32 mol% ethylene |
| Tie 2 | Adhesion to outer layer | 8–12% | Maleic-anhydride grafted polyolefin |
| Outer | Impact, chloride salt, abrasion resistance | 40–50% | VESTAMID LX9002 or PA 12/PE alloy |
Unbonded flexible pipe under API 17J uses PA 12 as the internal pressure sheath extruded over a stainless steel carcass or directly over the flexible pipe structure. VESTAMID LX9002 is selected for this layer when a plasticizer-free grade is required to reduce plasticizer extraction into transmitted gas condensate and to maintain tensile properties after ageing. The sheath is processed on a large single-screw extruder with L/D of 30–34 and a barrier screw geometry to achieve homogeneous melt at output rates of 200–600 kg/h depending on pipe diameter. Cylinder temperature settings are 220–240 °C, with adaptor and crosshead die at 235–250 °C. Moisture content before melting must be below 0.05 wt%, typically achieved by 80 °C desiccant drying with a dew point of -30 °C or lower. Layer thickness for pressure sheaths ranges from 5 mm to 20 mm in production practice, depending on design pressure, bore diameter, and water-depth de-rating. The extruded sheath is cooled slowly in a water spray chamber and wound under controlled tension to avoid residual stress that accelerates stress cracking in contact with methanol injection. API 17J qualification demands sustained pressure testing at 1.5× design pressure for at least 100 h and cyclic fatigue testing on full-bore samples. An operational boundary is that continuous exposure to wet CO₂ at high partial pressure and temperatures above 65 °C may require stabiliser packages beyond the standard compound, and published data for this specific VESTAMID LX9002 configuration under high-H₂S partial pressure is limited. End products include static flowlines and dynamic risers where PA 12 internal sheaths are covered with pressure armour and tensile armour over thermoplastic anti-wear tapes.
Industrial pneumatic control tube made from VESTAMID LX9002 is extruded in 4–12 mm OD and 1.0–1.5 mm wall dimensions for push-in fittings. The tube is dried before processing and extruded on a single-screw line with L/D 24–28 at melt temperature 210–230 °C, then vacuum-calibrated to maintain internal diameter tolerance of ±0.05 mm. The relevant performance criteria include burst pressure at 23 °C and after 1,000 h in air at 100 °C, dimensional stability after water absorption, and kink resistance at minimum bending radius. PA 12 absorbs water at saturation of about 1.5–2.0% by ISO 62:2008; this bound absorption causes a reversible diameter increase, so retention of burst pressure after hot-moisture conditioning at 60 °C and 95% relative humidity is monitored. On production lines, burst-pressure scatter is reduced by controlling the extrusion draw ratio so that the ratio of die land length to wall thickness remains above 8:1. When the draw ratio is increased to raise output, hoop orientation can decrease below the level needed to maintain a 3× minimum burst factor over working pressure. Typical acceptance for 8 mm × 1 mm tube is a burst pressure of 30–35 bar at 23 °C after 48 h conditioning at 40 °C and 100% relative humidity. End products are labelled with maximum working pressure at 23 °C, and temperature de-rating follows published PA 12 pressure/temperature factors. The material has no external plasticizer, so fitting retention does not decline due to surface plasticizer film accumulation after cyclic temperature testing.
Thin-wall automotive cable jackets extruded from VESTAMID LX9002 are used in engine-compartment and chassis harnesses where abrasion resistance and resistance to fuels, coolants, and battery acid are required. The extrusion process for a 0.20–0.40 mm jacket over a copper or aluminium conductor insulation is carried out with a 25 mm or 30 mm single-screw extruder, pressure die or tube die with vacuum drawdown, and melt temperature of 215–235 °C. A key processing limit is that the screw speed should be set to avoid exceeding 250 °C melt temperature, because PA 12 can begin thermo-oxidative degradation at higher residence temperatures. Thin-wall consistency is driven by ISO 6722-1:2011 abrasion test methods: scrape abrasion with a 0.45 mm needle at 23 °C and sandpaper abrasion under 2 N load. Plasticizer-free PA 12 is specified to avoid plasticizer migration that can decrease scrape resistance after thermal ageing at 125 °C for 3,000 h. Cable end products include CAN bus twisted-pair jackets, sensor cables, and high-voltage harness sheathing with wall thickness from 0.4 mm to 1.0 mm. The finished jacket is tested for cold impact at -40 °C and resistance to 85 °C engine oil. The aliphatic chain structure of PA 12 provides low specific gravity of about 1.01 g/cm³ by ISO 1183-1:2019, which reduces cable mass per length relative to halogenated jacket compounds at equivalent wall.
Steel-reinforced or fibre-reinforced thermoplastic pipe for oil and gas gathering lines uses a PA 12 inner liner extruded from VESTAMID LX9002. The liner is produced as a continuous cylinder with wall thickness between 2 mm and 10 mm, depending on pipe diameter and design pressure class, and is subsequently wrapped with glass, aramid, or steel reinforcement. Liner extrusion is carried out on a single-screw extruder with L/D 28–32, melt temperature 220–240 °C, and a spiral die with adjustable wall thickness control. During liner production, online vacuum sizing and downstream ultrasonic wall measurement maintain thickness variation below ±0.15 mm, because thin spots are critical in spoolable composite pipe under cyclic pressure. The relevant qualification framework includes API RP 15S and ASTM D2992 Method B for long-term hydrostatic strength. In gas service with up to 5% H₂S and 3% CO₂ at 60 °C, published data for this specific PA 12 liner configuration is limited; therefore, each production campaign requires testing of extruded liner rings in sour medium under ISO 23936-1:2009 or equivalent. The end product is a high-pressure composite line pipe for dewatering, production water, and hydrocarbon transfer where the PA 12 liner provides sealing and resistance to gas permeation, while the reinforcement carries hoop stress. Liner fusion joining is performed by heated tool butt welding at 220–230 °C, and welds are inspected by visual bead width control and proof tested at 1.25× design pressure.
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Evonik VESTAMID LX9002 is a polyamide 12 (PA12) grade supplied by Evonik Operations GmbH as a thermoplastic granulate for precision extrusion and injection moulding. The material is a semicrystalline aliphatic polyamide whose twelve-carbon backbone introduces a relatively low density of amide linkages, reducing the equilibrium moisture uptake in comparison with PA6 and PA66. This molecular structure is relevant in applications where dimensional change after hygroscopic equilibration and solvent-mediated stress cracking are process-limiting variables. The grade is used predominantly in thin-wall tubing, medical device shafts, and fluid-handling components where a balance of low-temperature impact resistance, chemical compatibility, and surface friction is required. Since VESTAMID LX9002 is part of a controlled-production portfolio, batch-specific values for melt volume-flow rate, tensile properties, and residual moisture are recorded in the certificate of analysis; these values should be used for lot acceptance. The grade-specific data sheet is the authoritative source for property values, while general ISO test designations provide comparability across polyamide materials. Before using the resin, the manufacturer’s storage and drying recommendations must be observed. When the granulate is stored in sealed, moisture-proof containers at 23 °C and 50 % RH, residual moisture typically remains below 0.10 % by mass. In humid facilities with relative humidity above 60 %, pre-drying is necessary because excess moisture in the melt causes hydrolytic chain scission, surface splay, and loss of mechanical continuity in extruded tube walls. The grade is frequently designated as a plasticizer-free flexible PA12; this characteristic, where confirmed on the batch certificate, differentiates it from flexible PA12 compounds that rely on monomeric or oligomeric plasticizers for hardness reduction.
Under humid service conditions, the semicrystalline morphology of PA12 imposes an equilibrium water uptake that is lower than that of short-chain aliphatic polyamides. For general unreinforced PA12, water absorption at saturation in immersion at 23 °C is approximately 1.5 % when measured according to ISO 62:2008. Equivalent general PA6 and PA66 values are approximately 9.5 % and 8.5 %, respectively. The lower uptake arises from the lower frequency of hydrogen-bonding sites in the polymer backbone; water molecules are preferentially accommodated in the amorphous phase, while the crystalline lamellae resist swelling. Consequently, a PA12 tube exposed to humid air or liquid media undergoes smaller dimensional excursion than a PA6 tube of the same initial diameter, provided the crystallinity and orientation states are equivalent. However, crystallinity is not an intrinsic constant; it is a processing outcome. Rapid cooling in a chilled water bath reduces the crystalline fraction and produces a higher amorphous-phase capacity for moisture uptake and greater post-extrusion shrinkage. Slow cooling or in-line annealing increases the crystalline fraction and reduces equilibrium moisture uptake while increasing tensile modulus and dimensional stability. For VESTAMID LX9002, these morphological changes should be characterised by differential scanning calorimetry according to ISO 11357-3:2018 to determine peak melting temperature and crystalline enthalpy. The peak melting temperature for general PA12 is commonly reported near 176 °C; grade-specific values must be verified on the certificate of analysis. Tensile modulus values measured according to ISO 527-2:2012 on dry-as-moulded specimens are therefore not sufficient to predict end-use dimensions. A conditioning step at 23 °C and 50 % RH followed by tensile and dimensional testing is required to compare design iterations with statistical confidence.
Before melt processing, the granulate is pre-dried in a dehumidifying desiccant dryer at 80 °C until the residual moisture measured by ISO 15512:2016 is below 0.10 %. Drying time depends on initial moisture content, airflow, and dew point; typical times for PA12 are 4 h to 8 h, but high initial moisture may extend this to 12 h. In extrusion, single-screw machines of 20 mm to 60 mm diameter with grooved feed sections and barrier screws are suitable. Barrel temperature profiles from 210 °C at the feed throat to 250 °C at the die are commonly used for unreinforced PA12; the melt temperature should not exceed 270 °C for prolonged residence times. A melt pump between the screw and die reduces surging and improves outer diameter capability; closed-loop melt pressure control upstream of the screen pack should alarm at pressures above 300 bar on laboratory-scale extruders. The die land ratio and draw-down ratio control molecular orientation, residual stress, and wall-thickness uniformity. For thin-wall single-lumen tubing, a draw-down ratio of 2:1 to 5:1 is common, but process development must establish the specific relationship between line speed, screw speed, and final diameter. Vacuum sizing in water at 15 °C to 30 °C is appropriate for many PA12 tube geometries. If the tube is quenched too aggressively, surface microcracks and dimensional instability can occur; subsequent annealing at 130 °C to 150 °C for 20 s to 60 s may be used to stabilise the crystal network. In injection moulding, a general-purpose three-zone screw with a compression ratio of 2.0:1 to 2.5:1 and back pressure below 50 bar is suitable for many PA12 grades. Mould temperatures between 20 °C and 60 °C reduce cycle time but produce lower crystallinity and lower stiffness, while temperatures near 80 °C increase crystallinity and hardness. Batch-to-batch variance in melt viscosity should be monitored with ISO 1133-1:2022 melt volume-flow rate measurement; variations of more than ±10 % in MVR can produce measurable changes in extruder head pressure and draw-down behaviour.
In multi-lumen extrusion, substituting PA6 or PA66 with VESTAMID LX9002 changes the processing-structure-property relationship in three ways: equilibrium moisture uptake, melt viscosity, and surface hardness. PA6 and PA66 possess higher amide-group density, which produces higher dry tensile modulus but also higher water absorption and greater modulus loss after conditioning. General unreinforced PA6 can lose up to 60 % of its dry tensile modulus after saturation at 23 °C, whereas PA12 retains a larger fraction of dry stiffness because its equilibrium water content is lower. This means that dimensional settings optimised for PA6 are not directly transferable to PA12. The lower melt viscosity of PA12 may reduce extruder torque and die pressure; therefore the screw speed, die gap, and melt pump set-point require re-validation. Die swell calibration differs because PA12 exhibits a different molecular weight distribution and elongational response. Multi-lumen tooling with small cross-sections is particularly sensitive to viscosity differences because wall-thickness distribution is determined by uneven melt flow in the spider lines. The outer diameter may recover after cooling, but the ratio of lumen cross-sectional area to outer diameter can shift if the draw-down ratio is not adjusted.
| Property | PA12 | PA6 | PA66 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density, dry (ISO 1183-1:2019) | 1.01 g/cm³ | 1.13 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ |
| Water absorption, saturation in water at 23 °C (ISO 62:2008) | 1.5 % | 9.5 % | 8.5 % |
| Tensile modulus, dry (ISO 527-2:2012) | 1400 MPa | 3000 MPa | 3200 MPa |
| Tensile stress at yield, dry (ISO 527-2:2012) | 45 MPa | 80 MPa | 85 MPa |
| Peak melting temperature by DSC (ISO 11357-3:2018) | 176 °C | 220 °C | 260 °C |
For injection moulding conversion of VESTAMID LX9002, cavity filling simulations are only as accurate as the input shear-viscosity data. Capillary rheometry according to ISO 11443:2021 should be performed at multiple shear rates and melt temperatures, because PA12 exhibits shear-thinning behaviour that cannot be captured by a single MVR value. The resulting viscosity curve should be fitted to a Cross-WLF or Carreau-Yasuda model and used in simulation software. Typical gate dimensions, runner sizes, and venting depths must be designed to accommodate the lower viscosity of PA12 relative to short-chain polyamides. Published grade-specific thermal conductivity and specific heat data for VESTAMID LX9002 is limited; therefore calorimetric measurement according to ISO 22007-2:2022 and differential scanning calorimetry should be used to complete the simulation input set. In high-speed lines reaching 30 m/min, the main process failure modes with thin-wall PA12 tubing are outer-diameter oscillation, lumen closure, wall-thickness asymmetry, and gel specks from insufficient drying. Melt-filtration screens with mesh sizes from 150 µm to 250 µm are used to protect the die but do not compensate for moisture-induced hydrolytic degradation. A vacuum-sizing tank with closed-loop water-temperature control limits transverse orientation and residual stress. If the tube is post-processed by adhesive bonding, the surface should be cleaned and plasma-treated, because PA12 has a low polar surface energy and unmodified adhesive peel strength can be poor. For RF welding or heat sealing, the narrow melting range of PA12 requires tighter temperature control than amorphous thermoplastics; local overheating above 260 °C can cause oxidation and yellowing.
In an extruded catheter shaft produced from VESTAMID LX9002, the finished device, not the raw material, carries the functional safety burden. Tensile testing of the shaft may follow ISO 527-2:2012 Type 5A specimens or ISO 10555-1:2013 for intravascular catheters; however, the specific test method is selected by the device manufacturer according to the device classification. Dimensional inspection uses optical micrometry calibrated to ISO 463:2006 or equivalent in-house programmes. A wall-thickness tolerance of ±0.05 mm is frequently applied to single-lumen tubing, but this is a manufacturing decision rather than a raw-material property. Burst pressure testing on catheter shafts is performed with an open-ring burst tester, and acceptance criteria are defined in the device technical file. Moisture conditioning before mechanical testing should follow ISO 291:2008, because dry-as-moulded PA12 specimens overstate stiffness and yield stress relative to clinical-use equilibrium moisture states.
Chemical compatibility is governed by the semicrystalline aliphatic structure of PA12. The material exhibits good resistance to many dilute aqueous salt solutions, aliphatic hydrocarbons, hydraulic fluids, and non-polar process media at ambient temperature. Strong acids, concentrated oxidising agents, phenolic compounds, and some chlorinated solvents at elevated temperature cause degradation or stress cracking. Compatibility with polar organic solvents is generally lower than with non-polar solvents, and the specific service temperature determines whether swelling is reversible. In medical device applications, sterilisation method compatibility must be established on the finished component. Ethylene oxide processing, if followed by adequate aeration to remove residual sterilant, is commonly used for PA12-based devices, but cycle parameters must be validated under ISO 11135:2014. Gamma irradiation can alter polymer molecular weight through chain scission and free-radical oxidation; the effect depends on dose, dose rate, and packaging atmosphere. Steam sterilisation at 121 °C is not routinely recommended for unreinforced PA12 tubing because the combination of heat and moisture accelerates hydrolysis and can reduce tensile strength; repeated autoclave cycles are especially severe. If steam exposure is unavoidable, the device manufacturer must verify mechanical performance after the maximum number of cycles specified in the instructions for use. Biological evaluation of a finished device made from VESTAMID LX9002 is performed according to ISO 10993-1:2018 and applicable endpoint-specific parts. Raw-material certification from the polymer supplier is not a substitute for final device biocompatibility testing, because processing aids, colorants, adhesives, and sterilisation residues also contribute to the toxicological profile. Under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, specific migration limits may be applicable if the material is intended for repeated food-contact use, but the converter must determine the appropriate test conditions with food simulants. The manufacturer’s regulatory documentation, including REACH and RoHS conformity statements, should be obtained for the exact grade and batch used.
The differentiation between VESTAMID LX9002 and plasticizer-flexibilised PA12 compounds becomes measurable in extraction and hardness stability tests. Plasticizer-modified systems can lose flexibility over time through surface migration, volatilisation, or extraction by contact media, whereas a plasticizer-free PA12 grade, when processed without flexibilising additives, does not have this depletion mechanism. The absence of intentionally added plasticizer can be verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of solvent extracts, and thermogravimetric analysis. In extraction tests, a plasticizer-free PA12 typically shows lower total organic carbon in aqueous contact media than a plasticized compound of equivalent shore hardness; however, published data for VESTAMID LX9002 in this specific configuration is limited. The hardness of the as-moulded part is controlled by crystalline fraction, orientation, and absorbed water rather than by plasticizer content. This means that hardness measured on dry-as-moulded specimens will decrease after conditioning at 23 °C and 50 % RH and after immersion in water at 37 °C. Comparative batches should therefore be conditioned according to ISO 291:2008 before Shore D testing according to ISO 868:2003. In contrast to polyether block amide elastomers, which derive flexibility from distinct polyether soft segments, VESTAMID LX9002 remains within the aliphatic polyamide class and therefore retains the solvent-resistance profile of PA12 rather than the lower oxidative stability of polyether blocks. Compared with polyamide 11, another low-moisture aliphatic polyamide, PA12 offers a similar moisture-uptake range but differs in feedstock source and tends to have a slightly lower melting temperature. The selection of VESTAMID LX9002 over PA11, PA612, or flexible copolyamide grades should be based on a matrix of burst strength after sterilisation, coefficient of friction, extraction profile, and lot-to-lot melt viscosity rather than on a single design parameter.
