PA12 (Polyamide 12, Nylon 12) is a semi-crystalline high-performance engineering plastic belonging to the long-carbon-chain nylon family. Compared with short-carbon-chain nylons (PA6, PA66), its core advantages include extremely low water absorption, excellent dimensional stability, and good low-temperature toughness, along with decent chemical resistance and wear self-lubrication. The base density of PA12 is relatively low, making it an ideal choice for lightweight precision component design. Its overall density fluctuation range is small, mainly affected by the base grade, modification process, and added components. Different types and modified versions of PA12 have slight density variations, which are directly related to product weight control, mold design, assembly gap matching, and injection molding process parameter setting, serving as core data support for high-precision structural component design.
General-purpose pure PA12: 1.01–1.03 g/cm³, typical value 1.02 g/cm³. It is the lowest-density base grade among long-carbon-chain nylons, providing a core advantage for lightweight design, suitable for basic components sensitive to weight and requiring high dimensional accuracy.
Glass fiber reinforced PA12 (10–30%): 1.08–1.25 g/cm³. The higher the glass fiber content, the more obvious the density increase. While maintaining PA12's original toughness, it significantly improves the material's strength and rigidity, suitable for high-load working conditions.
Mineral-filled PA12: 1.05–1.20 g/cm³. Filling content is positively correlated with density. It mainly improves dimensional stability, reduces warpage, and effectively controls production costs by adding minerals such as talc and calcium carbonate.
Flame-retardant PA12: 1.03–1.10 g/cm³. Most adopt halogen-free flame-retardant systems, with density slightly higher than pure PA12, meeting flame-retardant safety standards in electronics, automotive, and other fields, while retaining the material's core mechanical properties.
Toughened PA12: 1.01–1.05 g/cm³. Modified by adding toughening agents, its density is basically the same as pure PA12 with minor fluctuations. The core function is to improve the material's low-temperature toughness and impact resistance, suitable for high-low temperature cycle working conditions.
Glass fiber + mineral composite PA12: 1.10–1.28 g/cm³. It combines the high strength and rigidity of glass fiber with the low warpage and dimensional stability of minerals, with density between single reinforcement systems, balanced comprehensive performance, suitable for complex precision structural components.
This density parameter is widely used in the design of high-precision components such as automotive fuel lines, pneumatic hoses, precision gears, bearing cages, medical catheters, and sports equipment. The low water absorption and stable density ensure excellent dimensional accuracy in humid, chemically corrosive, and high-low temperature cycle conditions. Density calculation is not only the key to product lightweight design but also the core basis for mold runner balance, assembly gap matching, and injection molding process optimization, while supporting the full play of its core characteristics of low friction, high toughness, and fuel resistance.
