Glass-filled polyamides

Glass-filled polyamides (PA GF) are engineering thermoplastics based on the polyamides PA6, PA66, PA610, PA612 and PA12, reinforced with 10–50% glass fibre. Adding glass fibre increases the modulus of elasticity by a factor of 3–4, raises tensile strength by 80–120%, lifts the HDT/A heat resistance from 60 °C to 200–250 °C, and lowers linear moulding shrinkage from 1,4–1,8% to 0,3–0,6%. This makes PA-GF the material of choice for metal replacement in the automotive industry, thermal insulation of aluminium profiles, power-tool housings and load-bearing furniture-fitting components.

Material Wizard manufactures and supplies the Examid® line of glass-filled polyamides (PA6 GF10–GF50, PA66 GF30/GF50, specialised HI / LM / FR / cold-resistant / LGF modifications) and Armamid, and also imports BASF Ultramid, DuPont Zytel, Lanxess Durethan, DSM Akulon, Solvay Technyl, EMS-Grivory, Evonik Vestamid, Akro-Plastic Akromid and RadiciGroup Radilon grades. We select the material to match your drawing, the part's temperature regime and the parameters of your injection-moulding machine.

Key technical properties of PA6-GF30 and PA66-GF30

The figures are given for standard compounds in the dry-as-moulded (DAM) state. Actual lot values are stated in the material's technical data sheet.

How to choose a glass-filled polyamide — methodology

Step 1. Part operating temperature

Step 2. Level of mechanical load

Step 3. Special requirements

Analogs of imported grades

Fields of application

Automotive. Intake manifolds, thermostat housings, levers, engine-mount brackets, fan shrouds, pedal assemblies, junction-box housings, air-filter housings. The standard is PA66-GF30 with HSL stabilisation for the under-hood area, and PA6-GF30 for interior brackets.

Aluminium building systems. Thermal breaks (thermal-insulating strips) in the profiles of warm windows and façade systems. The standard is PA66 GF25 for thermal breaks: low thermal conductivity (about 0,30 W/m·K), high dimensional stability under -40…+80 °C temperature swings, resistance to creep under installation load.

Furniture fittings. Five-star bases for office chairs (static load up to 1200 kg per EN 1335-3), load-bearing frames for convertible furniture, fastening elements. The standard is PA6-GF30 (Examid® PA6 GF30, Armamid PA6 GF30-1T), in black with 2% carbon black for UV stability.

Electrical engineering and power tools. Housings for rotary hammers, angle grinders, drills and jigsaws; terminal blocks, connector housings, dielectric bushings. The standard is PA6-GF30 for load-bearing elements, and PA6-GF20 FR / GF25-FR for parts requiring UL 94 V-0. Laser marking of serial numbers uses the LM modification.

Rail transport and heavy machinery. Bearing cages, insulating bushings, housings for contact-network connections. The standard is PA610 KS (weather resistance, low moisture absorption); for cold-resistant applications — Examid® PA6 GF30 62100i (serviceable at -50 °C).

Aerospace and defence. Structural elements made of PA12-GF, PA610-GF, PA612-GF — low moisture absorption is critical for dimensional stability in humid operating conditions. For tender supplies — grades to OST/GOST.

Sporting firearms, agricultural and mining equipment. Housings, stocks, guides — Examid® PA6 GF modifications for two-component moulding with elastomer (soft grips); gearbox brackets — Examid® PA6 GF30, PA66 GF30 with UV stabilisers.

Processing technology for glass-filled polyamides

Drying before moulding is mandatory. Residual moisture in the granulate above 0,2% causes hydrolysis during processing → a loss of 30–60% of mechanical properties, surface defects and bubbles. Regime: 80 °C, 4–6 hours for PA6-GF; 80 °C, 4–8 hours for PA66-GF.

Typical injection-moulding machine zone temperatures:

Exceeding a melt temperature of 300 °C for PA6 and 320 °C for PA66 leads to thermal degradation of the matrix and brittleness of the part.

Mould. Mould steels should be nitrided or have a hardness of at least HRC 52: glass fibre is abrasive, and soft steels such as P20 wear out within 50 000–200 000 cycles. Hot runners require bushings with carbide or titanium-nitride coatings. Sprues and runners should be of full cross-section, with no sharp corners (to preserve glass-fibre length).

Shrinkage and fibre orientation. Glass fibre orients along the melt flow, so shrinkage along and across the flow differs by a factor of 2–3. This is the main cause of warpage in flat parts. Solutions: balanced mould cooling, gating-system optimisation, symmetrical gates; where necessary — adding a mineral filler (GFGB grades) to reduce shrinkage anisotropy.

Glossary of abbreviations

Historical background

Before 1991, Ukraine held a leading position in the production and consumption of glass-filled polyamides (including the automotive sector): the republic was home to the monopolist compounding plant "Skloplastyk" and specialised research institutes. The disruption of logistics chains in the chemical industry and mechanical engineering in the 1990s dealt a fatal blow to the giant, but it also gave impetus to new participants in the polyamide-compound market. This same shift opened the CIS market to international chemical concerns — BASF, DuPont, DSM, Lanxess. Material Wizard continues the Ukrainian engineering tradition of producing glass-filled polyamides of its own formulation under the Examid® brand, combining this technological heritage with modern international quality standards.