Thermoplastic · Polyamide
AdvancedNylon
Polyamide · PA6 · PA12 · PA66
High-strength, wear-resistant engineering material for gears, hinges, and demanding functional parts.
Print temperatures
Nozzle 240–280 °C Bed 70–110 °C
Nylon was the original “miracle fiber” — DuPont debuted it as toothbrush bristles in 1938 and stockings at the 1939 World's Fair. As an engineering plastic it's prized for toughness, wear resistance, and self-lubrication.
In FDM it's a high-performance functional material, but it's the most hygroscopic common filament — it must be kept bone-dry or it prints poorly.
Strengths & trade-offs
- Excellent toughness and impact resistance
- High abrasion and wear resistance
- Good chemical resistance
- Low friction (self-lubricating)
- High fatigue life
- Extremely hygroscopic — must dry and print from a dry box
- Warps
- Needs high temps and an enclosure
- Weak bed adhesion
- Properties drop sharply when wet
Best for
GearsBearings and bushingsLiving hingesTool handlesHigh-wear mechanical parts
Did you know
- Nylon 66's exact birthday is documented: 28 February 1935, by Carothers at DuPont.
- Nylon is so hygroscopic it can absorb enough water in a couple of hours of humid air to ruin a print.
- Nylon debuted commercially as toothbrush bristles in 1938, before the famous stockings.
