Engineering Plastics
Nylon or polyamide engineering thermoplastics (ETPs) are compounded products of neat nylon resin with a broad range of additives, including glass fibres, minerals, flame retardants, pigments, lubricants and processing aids. Compounded nylon ETPs can contain typically 5-40% (w/w) of non-nylon material.
Nylon ETPs are valued as they offer high tensile strength, good creep resistance, excellent abrasion and chemical resistance and low coefficients of friction. The combination of high strength, low weight and flexibility make nylon ETPs ideal replacement materials for metal. Accordingly the major market sectors for nylon plastics globally are automotive (39%), electrical & electronic (24%), general industrial applications (13%) and non-film extrusion applications (11%). The remainder is used in a broad range of other sectors including construction and consumer products.
Nylon ETPs were originally introduced shortly after nylon fibres went into large scale industrial production in the 1950s and the industries have been closely entwined ever since. Nylon ETPs compete with nylon fibres for raw materials and waste fibre is utilised heavily as an ETP feedstock.
In 2010 2486ktes of nylon ETPs were produced (on a compounded basis) of which nylon 6 represented 57% and nylon 66 43%. ETP markets now represent 32% and 48% of polymer demand for nylon 6 and 66 respectively. These shares are expected to increase as nylon ETPs are forecast to continue growing at 4.4% CAGR (2000-2020).