| HS Code | 880937 |
| Density | 1.04 g/cm³ |
| Water Absorption At Saturation | 1.5 % |
| Linear Mold Shrinkage | 0.012 cm/cm |
| Melt Temperature | 186 °C |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 46 °C |
| Tensile Strength At Break | 55.0 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 300 % |
| Flexural Modulus | 1.20 GPa |
| Izod Impact Notched | 9.0 kJ/m² |
| Hardness Shore D | 60 |
| Dielectric Strength | 16.0 kV/mm |
| Volume Resistivity | 1.0e12 ohm-cm |
As an accredited Overview of materials for Nylon 11, Flexible Tubing Grade factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied in sealed, moisture-proof bags with desiccant, protecting Nylon 11 flexible tubing grade pellets. Net weight: 25 kg per bag. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Nylon 11 flexible tubing grade shipped in 20′ FCL, palletized, moisture-protected, and secured for safe transport. |
| Shipping | Nylon 11 flexible tubing grade ships as non-hazardous plastic resin or finished tubing, protected in moisture-resistant packaging to prevent degradation. Avoid extreme heat and direct UV exposure during transit. Standard ground or air freight is acceptable; keep dry and store away from sources of ignition. No special hazmat classification required. |
| Storage | Store Nylon 11 flexible tubing grade material in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, UV exposure, and heat sources. Keep containers sealed to prevent moisture absorption, which can affect performance. Avoid contact with strong oxidizers. Support coiled tubing to maintain shape and prevent kinking or deformation during storage. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically indefinite when stored in original packaging, away from moisture, heat, and UV light. |
Fuel vapor return lines in gasoline direct-injection and flex-fuel powertrains require a tubular material that resists sour fuel permeation and retains burst strength after sustained exposure to ASTM Reference Fuel C at 60 °C. Nylon 11 flexible tubing grade is processed as a monolayer or coextruded inner liner where the acceptance threshold under SAE J2260 is typically set below 5.0 g/m²·day at the specified test temperature. Formulation for a monolayer vapor return line uses 100 parts base PA11, 6–9 wt% non-migrating sulfonamide plasticizer masterbatch, 0.3–0.6 wt% copper iodide/potassium halide heat stabilizer package, and 0.1–0.3 wt% fluoroelastomer processing aid. Downstream processing is performed on a 50 mm single-screw extruder with 30:1 L/D ratio, a gear pump, and a spiral mandrel die; melt temperature is maintained at 235 °C ± 5 °C, and the tube enters a 0.05 MPa vacuum calibration tank charged with water at 25 °C ± 5 °C. A laser diameter gauge controls outer diameter to ± 0.05 mm, and a demand puller with wire belt caterpillar controls line speed between 20 m/min and 80 m/min depending on wall thickness. Terminal parts include 8 mm outside diameter by 1 mm wall fuel vapor return lines and 6 mm evaporative emission purge line segments that are clipped into engine bay routing channels. Batch release data includes tensile elongation at break above 250% measured to ASTM D638, volume swell below 10% after 168 h in Reference Fuel C under ASTM D471, and cold impact at −40 °C with no cracks per SAE J2260 conditioning.
Truck and trailer pneumatic brake systems convert PA11 flexible tubing grade to coiled tubing conforming to SAE J844 and ISO 7628-1; compliance under FMVSS 571.106 is also commonly listed because the tubing serves as a brake system pressure conduit. The compound formulation for black air brake tubing contains 100 parts PA11, 2.0–3.0 wt% carbon black at 40% pigment loading, 4–7 wt% plasticizer, 0.3–0.8 wt% hindered phenolic antioxidant, and 0.05–0.2 wt% amide processing lubricant. The primary process bottleneck is moisture control; undried resin above 0.02 wt% moisture exhibits hydrolytic molecular weight reduction during extrusion, shifting melt flow rate by more than 15% under ISO 1133-1 at 235 °C with 2.16 kg load. Production runs on a 60 mm barrier screw extruder with 30:1 L/D maintain barrel zone temperatures from 220 °C in feed to 245 °C at head; die diameter is set to 1.4 times the finished outside diameter to compensate die swell. Vacuum sizing is performed at −0.04 to −0.06 MPa, and water temperature is held at 15 °C ± 2 °C to set crystallinity before winding. A critical threshold is that cooling water above 20 °C produces under-cooled tubing with residual shrinkage exceeding 2% after 24 h at 23 °C; therefore post-extrusion conditioning for 4 h at 90 °C is used when ambient plant humidity exceeds 60% RH. Finished product examples are 6.4 mm OD × 1.2 mm wall and 9.5 mm OD × 1.6 mm wall coiled air brake lines. Working pressure on production test stands is verified at 3.0 times the rated truck system pressure, and cold flexibility is checked by bending a specimen to 2.5 times outside diameter at −40 °C without visible cracking or whitening.
Subsea umbilicals use small-bore PA11 tubing for methanol injection, hydrate inhibitor delivery, and low-pressure hydraulic control lines where the governing verification documents are API 17E, ISO 13628-5, and NORSOK M-506. The hydrolysis-resistant compound for this segment uses 100 parts PA11 flexible tubing grade, 0.4–0.8 wt% hindered phenol/phosphite stabilizer package, 2.5 wt% carbon black for UV and oxidative protection, and 0.1–0.3 wt% external mold release processing aid. The tube is extruded on a 45 mm single-screw line with 25:1 L/D, melt temperature 230–250 °C, and a vacuum calibration tank that holds outside diameter to ± 0.1 mm. After extrusion, the tube is annealed at 120 °C for 4 h under nitrogen to stabilize crystal content at 42–48% by differential scanning calorimetry. Hydrostatic pressure testing at 1.5 times design pressure for 24 h is mandatory before bundling into the umbilical core. Finished product is a 12 mm OD × 2.0 mm wall thermoplastic inner liner core for steel-armoured subsea umbilical lines. On production lines, a shift in melt flow rate of ±2 g/10 min at 235 °C is used as a rejection criterion because it correlates with inconsistent ovality above 0.15 mm in vacuum calibration and subsequent failure during spooling tension.
Industrial automation and food-processing machine builders use PA11 flexible tubing grade for push-fit control lines where flow capacity is verified according to ISO 6358 and dimensional tolerance follows ISO 14743 for pneumatic fluid power push-in fittings. The compound uses 100 parts PA11, 2.0–3.0 wt% antistatic carbon black, 0.1–0.2 wt% processing lubricant, and 0.2–0.4 wt% heat stabilizer; no plasticizer is added when the tube must retain hardness above 70 Shore D under ISO 868. Production uses a 45 mm single-screw extruder with 30:1 L/D, melt temperature 245 °C ± 5 °C, and a closed-loop laser system that holds outside diameter at ±0.03 mm for 10 mm OD × 8 mm ID tube. Finished product is a straight or bundled polyamide tube cut into 20 m lengths, and is used in automated valve island distribution blocks with 1.0 MPa maximum working pressure at 23 °C.
Catheter shaft extrusion shifts from PA12 to PA11 flexible tubing grade when supply chain qualification requires a polyamide with lower equilibrium water absorption under ISO 62 and comparable flexural modulus after conditioning at 37 °C in buffered saline. The applicable biological evaluation program is ISO 10993-1 with test selection per ISO 10993-5 for cytotoxicity and USP Class VI for systemic injection and intracutaneous reactivity. Formulations use 100 parts plasticizer-free PA11 medical grade and 10–20 wt% barium sulfate radiopacifier masterbatch; the absence of plasticizer is specified because extractable concentration must remain below 0.1 mg/dm² in chemical characterization according to ISO 10993-18. Downstream extrusion occurs on a 19 mm low-shear single-screw line with 24:1 L/D, melt temperature 225 °C ± 5 °C, and a gear pump; a combination of ultrasonic wall measurement and laser outside diameter closed-loop control maintains wall thickness at ±0.01 mm on a 1.6 mm OD × 0.15 mm wall shaft. Post-extrusion annealing at 80 °C for 2 h in a clean room reduces residual stress. Finished product is a reinforced or unreinforced intravascular catheter shaft segment that is later overmolded with a soft tip material and fitted with a hub.
Low-temperature hydraulic return and lubrication line applications in off-highway equipment use plasticized PA11 flexible tubing grade where mineral oil resistance under ISO 1817 and cold flexibility at −50 °C are specified. The compound incorporates 100 parts PA11, 8–12 wt% plasticizer masterbatch, 0.3–0.5 wt% copper-based heat stabilizer, and 0.1–0.3 wt% processing aid. Extrusion is performed on a 50 mm single-screw line with 28:1 L/D, melt temperature 240 °C, and a vacuum calibration tank held at 10 °C ± 2 °C to reduce post-crystallinity shrinkage. The tube is printed with batch code and cut into 5 m lengths. Terminal products include 10 mm OD × 7 mm ID hydraulic return lines and 12 mm OD × 9 mm ID oil cooler bypass tubing; maximum continuous service temperature is limited to 80 °C because plasticizer migration and oxidative embrittlement accelerate above that threshold, as evidenced by retained elongation below 150% after 1000 h at 100 °C in ASTM D638 testing.
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Flexible tubing grade Nylon 11 is a plasticized polyamide 11 (PA11) compound formulated for precision small-diameter tube extrusion in pneumatic, hydraulic, fuel-vapour, and industrial fluid-transfer circuits. The base polymer is synthesized from 11-aminoundecanoic acid obtained from castor oil; flexible tubing grades are distinguished from semi-rigid PA11 by deliberate reduction of flexural modulus through monomeric plasticizer incorporation, typically targeting a Shore D hardness of 60–70 as measured by ISO 868. Representative commercial designations in this class include Rilsan BESNO P40 TL and Rilsan BESNO P20 TL, though equivalent plasticized PA11 extrusion compounds are available from multiple suppliers. Published supplier datasheets list density in the range 1.03–1.06 g/cm³ by ISO 1183-1:2019, melting point 184–190°C by ISO 11357-3, tensile modulus 350–600 MPa by ISO 527-1/-2, and equilibrium water absorption at 23°C saturation of 1.6–2.0% by ISO 62. The melt viscosity of extrusion grades is controlled by molecular weight and plasticizer content; many tubing compounds exhibit a melt volume-flow rate between 5 and 20 cm³/10 min at 235°C under 2.16 kg load as measured by ISO 1133-1:2022. This range allows the tube profile to maintain concentricity during vacuum sizing while limiting die swell and draw resonance.
The primary distinction from semi-rigid PA11 is the intentional reduction of modulus and low-temperature stiffening through plasticizer addition. Unplasticized or lightly plasticized PA11 grades for semi-rigid tube can exhibit flexural modulus above 900 MPa, whereas flexible tubing grades are commonly formulated below 600 MPa and may fall below 350 MPa at ambient temperature after moisture conditioning. The plasticizer alters hydrogen-bond density in the amorphous phase, reducing the effective glass transition temperature and increasing elongation at break; however, it also reduces tensile strength at yield and provides a leachable species in aggressive solvents. Compared with PA12 extrusion grades, flexible PA11 exhibits a higher melting point, typically 184–190°C versus 175–180°C for PA12, and often displays slightly higher tensile strength at equivalent hardness. PA12 may offer marginally lower equilibrium moisture uptake and lower density in some formulations, but PA11 is often selected when a higher melt temperature or specific chemical resistance profile is required.
Compared with PA6 flexible compounds, the dominant difference is moisture uptake. The higher amide-group density in PA6 produces saturation water absorption values near 9–10% by ISO 62, whereas flexible PA11 absorbs less than 2.0%. This differential controls dimensional stability, electrical insulation properties, and hydrolytic ageing. PA6 flexible tubing grades may require higher plasticizer content to achieve sub-zero impact performance and may still be less dimensionally stable in humid service. Conversely, PA6 may be selected where higher continuous temperature resistance and lower cost are required; for the flexible tubing grade PA11, the operating envelope generally favors humid, hydrocarbon-containing, and low-temperature environments.
Published tensile properties are sensitive to conditioning. Dry-as-moulded specimens tested immediately after injection moulding typically show higher tensile stress at yield and lower elongation than specimens conditioned to equilibrium at 23°C and 50% RH according to ISO 1110. For flexible PA11 tubing grades, conditioning to a moisture content of approximately 0.7–1.0% plasticizes the amide phase and reduces tensile modulus. The use of dry values without moisture state is a common source of disagreement between incoming resin certificate of analysis and tube performance.
After conditioning to equilibrium at 23°C and 50% RH, published property ranges for flexible PA11 tubing grades include tensile stress at yield of 28–38 MPa, elongation at break of 200–350%, flexural modulus of 300–600 MPa, and notched Charpy impact at 23°C of 15–30 kJ/m² by ISO 179-1/1eA. At −40°C, notched impact retention for flexible PA11 is reported in supplier literature to exceed 50% of the 23°C value in some formulations; the exact retention ratio is formulation-dependent and published data for the specific plasticizer package is limited. Heat deflection temperature under 0.45 MPa by ISO 75-2/B is generally below 70°C for highly flexible grades; therefore load-bearing use is limited to ambient or moderately elevated temperatures. Published service recommendations frequently cite a continuous-use interval from −40°C to 90°C for air or non-aggressive fluid, with excursions to 120°C only at zero or intermittent pressure. These limits depend on wall thickness, plasticizer level, and oxygen access.
Flexible PA11 tubing is commonly substituted for plasticized or unplasticized PA6 in coiled air tube and pneumatic control lines because PA11 absorbs roughly one-fifth the saturation moisture of PA6 by ISO 62. A PA6 tube conditioned to equilibrium at 50% RH can shift outer diameter by 0.6–1.0%; the corresponding shift for flexible PA11 is generally below 0.3%. The lower moisture uptake reduces fitting loosening and maintains leak-tightness in push-to-connect circuits. At sub-zero temperatures, PA6 tubular grades may exhibit brittle failure at −30°C unless heavily plasticized, while flexible PA11 retains measurable elongation at break below −40°C. The minimum installation bend radius for a given tube outer diameter is controlled principally by hardness and wall ratio. Supplier datasheets often state a static minimum bend radius of 3–5 times OD, with larger dynamic flexing radii; the exact value must be derived from the selected tube dimensions and fitting insertion depth.
Flexible PA11 tubing exhibits resistance to aliphatic hydrocarbons, diesel, lubricating oils, zinc chloride solutions, and some phosphate ester hydraulic fluids when tested by ISO 175 or ASTM D543-21. It is not recommended for continuous immersion in strong acids, phenols, cresols, formic acid, or concentrated sulfuric acid; these agents attack the amide bond or induce environmental stress cracking. Aromatic and oxygenated solvents, especially hot ethanol and methanol-containing gasoline blends, can extract monomeric plasticizer and raise hardness while reducing elongation. Published extraction studies on plasticized PA11 indicate that mass loss in aggressive solvent blends may exceed 5% after prolonged immersion; the actual value is specific to plasticizer type and exposure temperature. Unplasticized PA12 may show lower extraction mass loss in some alcohol-containing fuels because less plasticizer is present, while PA6 may be more resistant to aromatic hydrocarbon swelling but suffers greater dimensional instability in humid service. Compatibility must be validated by immersion testing of the finished tube at the actual temperature and with the actual fitting material; antioxidant and plasticizer packages vary by supplier and can dominate the result.
Production-scale extrusion of flexible PA11 tubing is performed on single-screw extruders with L/D 24:1 to 30:1, barrier screws, and vacuum venting at −0.08 MPa or lower; grooved-feed sections are used to stabilize high-viscosity grades. The barrel temperature profile is typically ramped from 210°C in the feed zone to 230–240°C at the metering zone, with a head/adapter temperature of 235–245°C and a melt temperature not exceeding 250°C. Residence time above 255°C produces thermo-oxidative branching that appears as gel particles and lumen surface roughness; thermal stabilizers delay but do not eliminate this degradation. Moisture control is critical: resin exposed to relative humidity above 60% should be pre-dried in a desiccant dryer at 80°C for 4–6 h to achieve a moisture content below 0.15%. Inadequate drying causes surface splay, microbubble formation, and reduced burst strength due to hydrolytic chain scission. Tube extrusion requires a spiral or crosshead die with a land length sufficient to relax melt memory; typical draw-down ratios of 2:1 to 4:1 are used between die and sizing sleeve. Vacuum tank water should be held at 20–40°C to prevent surface quenching stress, and haul-off tension should be controlled to less than 10% of tube yield force to avoid residual orientation that distorts thermal recovery. Post-extrusion conditioning at ambient humidity for several days allows moisture uptake and stabilizes tube dimension before fitting assembly.
The table below summarizes representative published property ranges; these are not specification limits because plasticizer content, molecular weight, and conditioning state differ by grade. Data should be replaced with supplier certificate values for lot acceptance.
| Property | Test method | Flexible PA11 | Flexible PA12 | Flexible PA6 compound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1:2019 | 1.03–1.06 g/cm³ | 1.01–1.04 g/cm³ | 1.12–1.15 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | ISO 11357-3 | 184–190°C | 175–180°C | 220–225°C |
| Tensile modulus | ISO 527-1/-2 | 350–600 MPa | 300–500 MPa | 800–1200 MPa |
| Elongation at break | ISO 527-1/-2 | 200–350% | 250–400% | 150–300% |
| Shore D hardness | ISO 868 | 60–70 | 55–65 | 70–80 |
| Saturation water absorption at 23°C | ISO 62 | 1.6–2.0% | 1.2–1.6% | 9.0–10.5% |
The comparison demonstrates that flexible PA11 occupies a middle position in softness and thermal resistance while offering distinctly lower water absorption than PA6. Flexible PA12 may provide lower density and lower water uptake at the cost of a reduced melting point; flexible PA6 may provide higher stiffness but at the expense of dimensional stability under humidity.
Multi-purpose industrial circuits may require a single flexible PA11 tube to carry both automotive air brake certification under SAE J844 and food-contact clearance under FDA 21 CFR 177.1500 for nylon resins. EU food-contact status is assessed under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, with migration testing dictated by final tube wall thickness and temperature profile. Not all flexible PA11 grades satisfy both sets of requirements; plasticizer selection is restricted, and certain flame-retardant or UV-stabilized variants are excluded from food-contact use. Verification requires the supplier’s certificate of compliance for the specific lot, because reprocessed or offline regrind above the allowed level may invalidate migration testing. For drinking-water service, specific NSF/ANSI 61 listed grades should be selected; unlisted flexible PA11 tubing should not be assumed potable.
| Application class | Representative standard | Common requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Air brake tubing | SAE J844 | Burst strength, cold impact, oil resistance |
| Fuel and vapour tubing | SAE J2260 | Low permeation, oxidative ageing |
| Food contact | FDA 21 CFR 177.1500 | Resin composition and extractives limits |
| EU food contact | EU 10/2011 | Overall migration 10 mg/dm² |
| Drinking water | NSF/ANSI 61 | Leachate and health effects evaluation |
Long-term service in hydrocarbon or humid environments must account for plasticizer migration, oxidative embrittlement, and fitting creep. In hot dry air above 90°C, antioxidant depletion can reduce elongation at break below 100% after extended exposure; published ageing data for plasticized PA11 demonstrate time-to-embrittlement that is strongly dependent on antioxidant package, tube wall thickness, and airflow. In service below 60°C and in the absence of strong acids or aggressive oxygenated solvents, flexible PA11 tubing has demonstrated field performance in pneumatic lines, fuel-vapour return lines, and hydraulic pilot circuits. Incoming resin acceptance testing should include melt volume-flow rate by ISO 1133-1:2022, tensile yield stress on dry-as-moulded specimens by ISO 527-1/-2, and Shore D hardness by ISO 868, with each lot compared against the supplier’s certified reference range. Because the product is compounded, material substitution at the flexible tubing grade level requires revalidation of burst pressure by ASTM D1599 or ISO 1402, dimensional change by ISO 13000 or tube-specific standards, and low-temperature impact by SAE J844 or ISO 7628 as applicable.
