PAPolyamide (nylon)
Polyamide (nylon) offers excellent compressive strength, heat resistance and impact resistance, and comes in many grades. Five extruded Ertalon® grades and nine cast Ertalon® and Nylatron® grades let you choose a formulation for the job: MoS₂, glass fiber, oil, solid lubricants or a metal-detectable additive.
- Extruded nylon grades
- 5
- Cast nylon grades
- 9

Features
Food-grade options
Ertalon® 6SA and 66SA and Nylatron® MD can be used as food grades, and Nylatron® LFG is formulated to comply with FDA food contact regulations.
Self-lubricating grades
Ertalon® LFX and Nylatron® LFG (oil), Nylatron® NSM (solid lubricants) and Nylatron® 703XL (internal lubricants) are made for parts running without lubrication.
Grades for higher temperatures
Ertalon® 4.6 is used in the 80~150℃ range, and Ertalon® 6XAU+ suits parts running in air above 60℃ for long periods.
Metal-detectable grade
Nylatron® MD contains a metal-detectable additive so that metal detectors used to find food contamination can pick it up.
Properties
| Property | Unit | Test method | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | g/cm³ | — | Pending |
| Tensile strength | MPa | — | Pending |
| Flexural modulus | MPa | — | Pending |
| Heat deflection temperature | ℃ | — | Pending |
| Water absorption | % | — | Pending |
Typical values; they vary by grade and form. Rows marked “Pending” are still being verified — ask for them with your quote request if you need them.
Grades
Extruded nylon grades
Ertalon® GS
PA66 + MoS₂ · dark gray
Adding MoS₂ (molybdenum disulfide) gives higher stiffness, hardness and dimensional stability than Ertalon® 66SA, with somewhat lower impact strength.
The nucleating effect of MoS₂ improves the crystalline structure, enhancing bearing properties and wear resistance.
Ertalon® 6SA
PA6 · natural (white)/black · food grade
Combines mechanical strength, stiffness, toughness, mechanical damping and wear resistance in an optimal balance.
Good electrical insulation and chemical resistance make it a multipurpose grade for machine building and maintenance.
Ertalon® 66SA
PA66 · natural (cream)/black · food grade
Higher mechanical strength, stiffness, heat resistance and wear resistance than Ertalon® 6SA, with excellent creep resistance; impact strength and damping are somewhat lower.
Very well suited to machining on automatic lathes. Natural rods of 150 mm diameter and above are made from a specific PA66 resin.
Ertalon® 4.6
PA4.6 · reddish brown
Retains stiffness and creep resistance over a wider temperature range than other nylon grades, with excellent resistance to heat aging.
It is mainly used in the 80~150℃ range, where PA6, PA66, POM and PET fall short in stiffness, creep resistance, heat aging resistance, fatigue strength and wear resistance.
Ertalon® 66-GF30
PA66-GF30 · black
30% glass fiber reinforced, heat-stabilized PA66 with higher strength, stiffness, creep resistance and dimensional stability than unfilled PA66 and excellent wear resistance. Its maximum service temperature is also higher.
Cast nylon grades
Nylatron® MD
PA6 · navy · food grade
Contains a metal-detectable additive and was developed for the food processing and packaging industries. It is designed to be picked up by metal detectors used to find food contamination; results depend on detector sensitivity.
Better wear and fatigue resistance and lower moisture absorption than standard PA6. Suitable up to 80℃ and compliant with food contact regulations.
Ertalon® 6PLA
PA · natural (ivory)/black/blue
A cast nylon 6 with properties very similar to Ertalon® 66SA: high strength, stiffness and hardness, with excellent creep resistance, wear resistance, heat aging resistance and machinability.
Ertalon® 6XAU+
PA6 · black
A heat-stabilized cast nylon with very high density and crystallinity. It resists heat aging from thermal oxidation in air better than conventional extruded or cast nylons, and its continuous allowable service temperature is 15~30℃ higher.
Very well suited to bearings and other mechanical parts running in air above 60℃ for long periods.
Ertalon® LFX
PA6 + oil · green
An internally lubricated cast nylon 6 that is literally self-lubricating. Developed for heavily loaded, slow-moving parts running without lubrication, it covers a wider range of applications than standard cast nylon.
Its coefficient of friction is up to 50% lower, its pressure-velocity (PV) limit is much higher and its wear resistance is up to 10 times better.
Nylatron® MC901
PA · blue
The blue basic cast nylon 6 grade, with better toughness, flexibility and fatigue resistance than Ertalon® 6PLA. It has proven itself in gears, supports (guides) and pinion gears.
Nylatron® GSM
PA6 + MoS₂ · dark gray
Fine molybdenum disulfide particles improve the bearing and wear performance of basic cast nylon without affecting its inherent impact and fatigue resistance.
A very common grade for gears, bearings, chain sprockets and pulley wheels.
Nylatron® NSM
PA6 + solid lubricants · gray
A special cast nylon 6 formulation developed by Quadrant. Solid lubricants improve self-lubrication, giving excellent friction and wear performance and pressure-velocity (PV) capability up to 5 times that of standard cast nylon.
Especially suited to fast-moving, unlubricated parts, and a complement to the oil-filled Ertalon® LFX.
Nylatron® LFG
PA6 + oil · natural (ivory)/blue
Nylatron® LFG (Lubricated "Food Grade") is self-lubricating and formulated to comply with FDA food contact regulations.
Developed for food contact parts under high load and slow motion without lubrication, it needs less maintenance and lasts longer than standard cast nylon.
Nylatron® 703XL
PA6 + internal lubricants · purple
A high-performance cast nylon 6 bearing grade with wear resistance far better than Nylatron® NSM and outstanding pressure-velocity (PV) capability.
The first in the industry developed to reduce stick-slip to near zero. By eliminating jerky movement and noise, it enables precise motion control in high-precision applications.
Applications
- General parts for machine building and maintenance
- Gears, pinion gears and supports (guides)
- Bearings, chain sprockets and pulley wheels
- Heavily loaded, slow-moving unlubricated parts
- Fast-moving unlubricated parts
- Parts working at 80~150℃
- Food processing and packaging equipment parts
- High-precision motion control parts
Compare with other materials
Side-by-side comparison guides are in preparation. See each material page for sizes and properties.
Frequently asked questions
Which nylon grades can be used for food contact parts?
Ertalon® 6SA, Ertalon® 66SA and Nylatron® MD can be used as food grades. For unlubricated food contact parts there is Nylatron® LFG, a self-lubricating grade formulated to comply with FDA food contact regulations.
Is there a nylon that metal detectors can find?
Nylatron® MD (navy) contains a metal-detectable additive so that food contamination metal detectors can find it. Results depend on detector sensitivity, and it is suitable up to 80℃.
Which grade suits parts that run without lubrication?
For heavy loads at low speed, oil-filled Ertalon® LFX (up to 50% lower friction, up to 10 times the wear resistance); for high speed, Nylatron® NSM with solid lubricants (up to 5 times the PV capability). For high-precision parts where stick-slip must be eliminated, use Nylatron® 703XL.
Which nylon grades work at higher temperatures?
Ertalon® 4.6 is mainly used at 80~150℃, where PA6, PA66, POM and PET struggle. Ertalon® 6XAU+ has a continuous allowable service temperature 15~30℃ higher than conventional nylons and suits parts running in air above 60℃ for long periods.




