| HS Code | 494998 |
| Material | Amorphous Nylon (PA) |
| Glass Fiber Content | 20% |
| Ptfe Content | 15% |
| Specific Gravity | 1.35 |
| Water Absorption | 0.20% |
| Tensile Strength | 11,000 psi |
| Tensile Elongation | 2.0% |
| Flexural Modulus | 700,000 psi |
| Flexural Strength | 16,000 psi |
| Izod Impact Notched | 0.5 ft-lb/in |
| Deflection Temperature 264 Psi | 240°F |
| Coefficient Of Friction | 0.14 |
| Flammability | UL94 HB |
As an accredited RTP Company RTP 203E TFE 15 Amorphous Nylon (Am. PA) Glass Fiber 20% - PTFE 15% factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied in 25 kg (55 lb) moisture-resistant bags as uniform amber pellets, containing 20% glass fiber and 15% PTFE, ready for injection molding. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: palletized bags of RTP 203E TFE 15 Amorphous Nylon compound, securely loaded, dry, and protected from damage during transit. |
| Shipping | RTP Company RTP 203E TFE 15 is a non-hazardous plastic compound containing amorphous nylon, 20% glass fiber, and 15% PTFE. It is not regulated as dangerous goods under IMDG, IATA, or ADR. Ship in sturdy, sealed packaging to prevent moisture and contamination. Standard ground or air freight is acceptable; no special labels required. |
| Storage | Store in original sealed container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and moisture. Keep tightly closed to prevent water absorption by the amorphous nylon. Avoid contact with strong oxidizers. Use appropriate PPE when handling. Ensure proper labeling and segregation from incompatible materials. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically two years from shipment when stored sealed in a cool, dry area to prevent moisture absorption. |
For injection-moulded sector gears and lever arms produced from the 20 wt% glass fibre and 15 wt% PTFE amorphous polyamide compound, the dominant wear mechanism in thin-wall geometry is abrasive micro-cutting at the root fillet combined with adhesive transfer on the tooth flank. The glass reinforcement aligns in the flow direction during cavity filling, producing anisotropic mould shrinkage that is quantified on production cavities using ISO 294-4:2018 rather than laboratory plaques. PTFE migrates to the solidified surface during filling and packing; migration kinetics are governed by local shear rate and cooling time, so gate number and filling pattern change the surface concentration available for transfer film formation. Sliding performance against PBT and acetal counterfaces is screened by ASTM D1894-14 and ASTM G99-17, while the final wear acceptance band is derived from component-level stall testing under the actuator OEM load specification. Published data for this specific formulation is limited; wear rate values from generic amorphous PA/PTFE literature must not be used for bearing life calculations.
Processing on production injection moulding lines uses a multi-drop hot runner with the gate positioned at the hub so that the weld line does not pass through the dedendum. In multi-cavity tooling, regrind addition is limited to the percentage at which melt flow stability under ISO 1133-1:2022 remains within the supplier tolerance band. Desiccant drying to a moisture content below 0.15% by ISO 15512:2019 is mandatory when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60% because residual moisture hydrolyses the amorphous polyamide during plastication. After ejection, components are conditioned at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity according to ISO 291 before dimensional audit. Terminal parts include HVAC blend-door actuator sector gears, mirror fold lever arms, and seat lumbar adjuster gear housings. Automotive compliance is controlled through IATF 16949:2016 PPAP documentation; material compliance must be verified against the current REACH candidate list, RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II, and OEM volatile organic compound requirements where applicable.
Machined guide rails for bottling and packaging lines are produced from extruded profiles of the 20 wt% glass fibre and 15 wt% PTFE amorphous polyamide grade because the glass phase resists creep under steady chain tension while the PTFE lowers breakaway friction against stainless steel guide faces after emergency stops. Square and rectangular profiles are extruded on a single-screw extruder with controlled melt temperature, slow-cooled, annealed to relieve frozen-in stress, and then machined to width and thickness tolerances for modular conveyor track. The machining sequence is configured so that the final bearing surface cuts across the extrusion direction, exposing dispersed PTFE domains that form a low-shear transfer film. Compressive creep is evaluated by ISO 899-1:2017 at the maximum continuous service temperature stated by the line builder; water absorption is measured to ISO 62:2008 for equilibrium moisture in high-humidity bottling halls. Because the part is an indirect food-contact component, migration testing under EU Regulation 10/2011 and FDA 21 CFR 177.1500 conditions must be obtained from the compound manufacturer for the exact grade and pigmentation. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; users should not treat generic polyamide food-contact statements as sufficient. Terminal components include wear strips, bottle guide rails, star wheel inserts, and chain tensioner blocks. The operational boundary is that continuous dry sliding at line speeds above supplier-specified pressure-velocity limits will raise surface temperature and can exceed the heat distortion temperature of the amorphous matrix.
For centrifugal pump wear rings and thrust washers injection-moulded from the 20 wt% glass fibre and 15 wt% PTFE amorphous polyamide material, the first risk occurs during start-up before a hydrodynamic film develops. The PTFE phase lowers dry-run friction against the rotating metal counterpart, reducing heat generation during the interval before process fluid fills the clearance. Glass reinforcement raises compressive modulus and reduces creep under radial differential pressure, but it also increases anisotropy; therefore, rough-machined blanks are annealed before final grinding to stabilize dimensions and prevent post-machining warpage. Diametral clearance is set on the basis of thermal expansion and moisture-induced dimensional change measured by ISO 62:2008, with final inspection under ISO 286-1 tolerance classes. Wear resistance is evaluated by block-on-ring testing following ASTM G77-17 because this method permits end-point load and counterface roughness to be matched to the pump stage. If the component contacts drinking water, compliance with NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 must be confirmed for the specific lot and processing aids; no generic polymer certification is acceptable.
The wear rings are produced by injection moulding blanks with a diaphragm gate to avoid weld line concentration at the running face. After annealing, the bore and outer diameter are finish-machined with polycrystalline diamond tooling because the glass fibre causes accelerated tool wear with carbide inserts. PTFE content of 15 wt% creates surface lubrication but also lowers tensile strength relative to the same glass loading without PTFE; therefore, the part cross-section must be designed using supplier data for tensile strength from ISO 527-2:2012 and not from unreinforced amorphous PA values. Terminal components include vertical multistage pump wear rings, regenerative turbine pump bushings, and chemical metering pump thrust plates. Operational limitations include continuous exposure to water above the grade-specific glass transition region, where creep resistance and clearance retention must be revalidated under ISO 899-1:2017.
In low-insertion-force connector carriers and sliding contact guides for office imaging equipment, this compound is selected where repeated mating must not generate particulate contamination above the equipment supplier's clean-inspection threshold. The 20 wt% glass fibre prevents creep under connector normal force, while the 15 wt% PTFE forms a transfer film on the mating surface that reduces insertion force relative to unfilled amorphous PA. Multi-cavity injection moulding is configured with balanced runner geometry and a minimum gate size sufficient to avoid excessive shear heating, which can locally degrade the PTFE and create resin-rich weld lines. Electrical property acceptance includes comparative tracking index measured by IEC 60112:2020 and flammability classification from the supplier's UL Yellow Card; no claim for CTI or UL 94 rating should be transferred from a different lot or colorant package. The PTFE transfer layer is shear-sensitive, and changes in mould temperature or cooling time alter the surface concentration and therefore insertion force; process validation under IEC 60512-9-1 is required after any tooling modification. Terminal components include connector guide frames, paper path bushings, scanner carriage gears, and toner cartridge agitator bushings. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, so qualification testing on production moulded parts is mandatory before release.
| Downstream segment | Verification method | Processing constraint | Terminal product class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive actuator mechanisms | ASTM G99-17, ISO 294-4:2018 | Weld line must be kept out of tooth root | HVAC blend-door sector gears |
| Bottling line conveyor systems | ISO 899-1:2017, ISO 62:2008 | Final bearing surface must cut across extrusion direction | Guide rails, star wheel inserts |
| Centrifugal pump internal parts | ASTM G77-17, ISO 286-1 | Rough blanks annealed before finish grinding | Wear rings, thrust washers |
| Office imaging sliding components | IEC 60112:2020, IEC 60512-9-1 | Balanced runners to avoid resin-rich weld lines | Connector guides, paper path bushings |
| Linear bearing retainers | ISO 178:2019, ASTM D1894-14 | Gate location must avoid knit lines between ball pockets | Bearing retainers, cam follower cages |
| Analytical fluid handling systems | ISO 62:2008, ISO 294-4:2018 | Stress-relief annealing before final boring | Piston guides, seal back-up rings |
At traverse speeds below 10 mm/s, linear bearing retainers in automated inspection equipment experience stick-slip when the static-to-dynamic friction ratio is too high. The compound's 15 wt% PTFE content reduces the static coefficient of friction more strongly than the dynamic value, narrowing the differential that drives stick-slip. The 20 wt% glass fibre increases the flexural modulus of the retainer and prevents ball-pocket deformation under preload. Retainers are injection-moulded with a film gate along the outer edge; gate location is selected to avoid knit lines between adjacent ball pockets, which are the primary crack initiation sites in cyclic motion. Flexural properties are measured by ISO 178:2019, and coefficient of friction against hardened steel is screened by ASTM D1894-14. Because PTFE blooms to the surface over time after moulding, friction values measured immediately after moulding are not representative of aged components; conditioning for 48 h at 23 °C before testing is used to stabilize the transfer film. If the assembly is used in semiconductor wafer inspection stages, particle generation must be validated under ISO 14644-1 cleanroom protocols. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; stick-slip tests should be performed on the actual stage assembly because actuator compliance and guide rail roughness determine the motion response. Terminal components include linear bearing retainers, ball screw wiper seats, and cam follower cages in semiconductor inspection stages and medical laboratory automation.
Piston guides, seal back-up rings, and pump head inserts for analytical metering pumps are machined from injection-moulded blanks of the 20 wt% glass fibre and 15 wt% PTFE amorphous polyamide compound where solvent contact is intermittent and the lubricant must not contaminate the fluid stream. The PTFE phase provides dry-sliding capability against sapphire or ceramic pistons during priming; the glass fibre stabilizes the seal counterbore under the axial preload of the pump head. Machining sequence includes rough boring, stress-relief annealing, and final boring with a polycrystalline diamond insert to hold the bore roundness specified by the pump manufacturer. Dimensional stability in conditioned environments is checked by ISO 294-4:2018 and moisture conditioning by ISO 62:2008. If the component is in the fluid path, the exact grade must have supplier documentation for extractables under the analytical instrument manufacturer's mobile phase conditions; ISO 10993-5 testing may be requested when biological sample contact is possible. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, and generic polymer compatibility databases do not capture the effect of glass fibre and PTFE on solvent uptake. Terminal products include piston guides, seal back-up rings, and pump head housings in HPLC, flow cytometry, and in vitro diagnostic fluid handling systems. The operational boundary is continuous exposure to chlorinated solvents or strong bases, where amorphous polyamide may stress-crack and the PTFE does not provide bulk chemical resistance.
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RTP Company’s RTP 203E TFE 15 is an amorphous nylon injection-molding and extrusion grade compounded with 20% by weight glass fiber and 15% by weight polytetrafluoroethylene. The designation separates the amorphous polyamide base, the glass-fiber reinforcement for stiffness and creep resistance, and PTFE as an internal lubricant phase. Density is assessed by ISO 1183-1:2019. Tensile properties are characterized by ASTM D638-14, flexural properties by ASTM D790-17, and heat deflection temperature under 1.82 MPa by ASTM D648-18. Moisture absorption is reported according to ISO 62:2008, and ash content is verified by ISO 3451-1:2019. The product data sheet is the controlling document for lot-release values, because glass-fiber length distribution and PTFE domain size can shift mechanical and tribological results across compounding campaigns.
In a dry sliding contact, the PTFE phase reduces friction by forming a low-shear transfer film on the counterface. The glass fiber increases load-carrying capacity but can also raise abrasive wear if fiber ends protrude through the transfer film. Pin-on-disc or thrust-washer testing according to ASTM D3702-94 on hardened carbon steel can be used to compare this compound with unfilled amorphous nylon or non-PTFE glass-filled grades. For PTFE-modified amorphous nylons, dynamic coefficient of friction is commonly observed in the 0.15 to 0.25 range at contact pressures below 1.0 MPa and sliding speeds below 60 m/min, but published data for this specific configuration is limited. Prototype testing on the actual counterface is required because surface roughness, hardness, and lubrication regime control transfer-film adhesion and wear factor.
Pre-drying is required before melt processing because the amorphous polyamide matrix is hygroscopic. Typical drying conditions for RTP 200-series amorphous nylons are 80 °C for 4 hours in a desiccant dryer with a dew point of -40 °C or lower. The target residual moisture content is below 0.15% as measured by ISO 15512:2019. At ambient relative humidity above 60%, dried pellets should not remain in an open hopper for more than 15 minutes to 30 minutes without supplemental dry-air purge. Residual moisture above 0.20% can produce surface splay, reduced knit-line strength, and hydrolysis-induced viscosity loss during molding.
On a reciprocating-screw injection molding machine, barrel temperatures are profiled from 260 °C at the rear zone to 282–293 °C at the nozzle. Melt temperatures above 300 °C should be minimized because PTFE begins to decompose at elevated temperature and can generate fluorinated species. The mold temperature should be maintained between 65 °C and 95 °C to improve knit-line fusion and reduce molded-in stress. Lower mold temperatures may shorten cycle time but increase anisotropic shrinkage and the risk of warpage. Back pressure in the range of 0.3–0.7 MPa is used to homogenize glass fiber distribution without excessive shearing of the PTFE phase. Purging with a glass-filled polypropylene or low-viscosity nylon is recommended after shutdown to remove PTFE-rich residues from the barrel and screw.
| Verification parameter | Method | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Residual moisture | ISO 15512:2019 | Karl Fischer, 160 °C |
| Ash content | ISO 3451-1:2019 | 600 °C, 2 h |
| Melt viscosity | ISO 11443:2021 | 260 °C, 1000 s⁻¹ |
| Mold shrinkage | ASTM D955-21 | 60 mm × 60 mm × 2 mm plaque |
Melt viscosity measured by ISO 11443:2021 is more informative than melt flow rate for this material because the high glass-fiber content produces strongly shear-thinning behavior. The PTFE phase contributes additional slip in the melt, but it can also create pressure variations in the metering zone if the non-return valve is worn. Use of a ball-check or smear-tip non-return valve is recommended to reduce melt pressure fluctuation. In hot-runner systems, valve gates should be inspected regularly because PTFE-rich deposits can accumulate in dead spots and alter gate opening.
During compounding on a 40:1 L/D twin-screw extruder, glass fiber is introduced downstream of the melt seal, while PTFE is side-fed in the latter half of the barrel to limit its residence time. Screw elements with low-pressure forward kneading blocks and gear mixers are selected to minimize fiber attrition. The resulting pellet should be evaluated for glass fiber length distribution by ashing at 600 °C for 2 hours followed by image analysis. Typical number-average fiber lengths for glass-filled polyamides fall between 200 µm and 350 µm, depending on screw speed, throughput, and the position of the glass-fiber feed port. Batch-to-batch variance in fiber length should be monitored if the part experiences cyclic bending loads, because shorter fiber populations reduce tensile strength and fatigue resistance measured by ASTM D3479 or ISO 527-5.
Excessive shear during compounding or molding can fibrillate the PTFE phase and produce surface deposits on tooling. The PTFE domain size influences tribological performance; smaller domains may improve transfer-film uniformity but can also migrate to the surface during molding and create deposit-rich lips. Production-scale experience with similar compounds indicates that screw speed should be lowered when melt temperature approaches the upper processing limit, and that residence time should be held below 5 minutes at melt temperatures above 290 °C. The barrel should be purged before and after processing with a low-viscosity carrier to reduce PTFE accumulation in screw channels.
Amorphous nylon backbones generally absorb less water at equilibrium than semicrystalline PA66 or PA6 under identical conditioning. The 20% glass fiber further suppresses absolute moisture uptake because the glass phase is non-hygroscopic. Dimensional change in injection-molded plaques is anisotropic because glass fibers orient along the flow direction. Flow-direction mold shrinkage for 20% glass-filled amorphous nylon is typically 0.2% to 0.4%; cross-flow shrinkage is typically 0.4% to 0.6% for a 60 mm × 60 mm × 2 mm plaque molded at 85 °C mold temperature per ASTM D955-21. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; production tool measurements should replace generic values because gate geometry, packing pressure, and fiber orientation control actual shrinkage.
Creep behavior is dominated by the glass fiber network. Creep modulus under 23 °C and 80 °C can be compared using ISO 899-2:2015; the PTFE phase does not contribute significant stiffness and may slightly reduce long-term creep strength at higher temperature. In humid environments, the compound should be tested after conditioning at 50% relative humidity and 23 °C before final snap-fit or press-fit dimensions are approved. Moisture uptake under ISO 62:2008 at 50% relative humidity is often below 1.0% for glass-filled amorphous nylon; by contrast, PA66 of similar filler loading may reach 1.5–2.0% under the same conditions. This difference reduces hygroscopic expansion in precision electric motor housings and optical-grade mounting plates.
Compared with a PA66 compound containing 20% glass fiber and 15% PTFE, the amorphous polyamide grade exhibits lower mold shrinkage and improved dimensional stability after moisture uptake, but lower resistance to hot aqueous ethylene glycol and lower fatigue endurance under high-frequency flexural loading. PA66 has a sharp melt peak near 260 °C, while amorphous nylon lacks a distinct melting transition, allowing lower melt temperatures but different solidification dynamics. The absence of crystalline lamellae reduces post-mold shrinkage anisotropy but also removes the built-in crystalline phase that contributes chemical resistance and fatigue endurance. In a PA66 gear, molded-in crystallinity and higher moisture uptake can generate dimensional growth after water absorption; the amorphous grade is selected where the design tolerance is tighter than the expected hygroscopic growth of PA66.
Compared with a non-PTFE glass-filled amorphous nylon, the 15% PTFE phase reduces dynamic coefficient of friction and lowers wear factor in dry running, but can reduce tensile strength by 5% to 15% because of weak interfacial adhesion between the low-surface-energy PTFE domains and the nylon matrix. Tensile strength is measured by ASTM D638-14 on dry-as-molded test bars. The PTFE also slightly lowers heat deflection temperature under 1.82 MPa flexural stress per ASTM D648-18 relative to an otherwise identical glass-filled grade without PTFE. The difference is small but can be significant in hot structural applications.
The compound should not be specified for continuous exposure to strong acids, strong bases, or superheated steam because the amorphous polyamide hydrolyzes and the PTFE phase can degrade. In applications requiring food-contact status, the final part should be evaluated for extractables under 21 CFR 177.1500 for the nylon component and 21 CFR 177.1550 for the PTFE component; colorants, regrind content, and processing aids may alter the extractable profile. No claim for food-contact compliance can be made without final-part testing under the applicable condition of use.
Typical candidate parts include sliding housings, bearing retainers, wear pads, gear trains in office automation, and pump components where dimensional stability and low friction are required. The fastening and joining method should account for the lower ductility of the glass-filled matrix: welded or adhesive joints must be validated by ISO 527-3:2018 or ASTM D1002-10 on production-molded substrates. In snap-fit designs, allowable strain should be verified under ASTM D638-14 at the lowest service temperature, and stress concentration at gate vestiges or knit lines should be included in the FEA model.
