General info

Continuously developed by Arkema for more than fifty years, Rilsan® PA11 is a reference in the world of performance polyamides.

Key properties of RILSAN® PA11:

• Low density: metal or rubber substitution
• Chemical resistance to fuels, oils, gases, water, solvents, industrial fluids
• Low moisture pick up: dimensional stability, consistency of properties (dry vs. wet)
• Mechanical resistance: good impact, elongation, abrasion resistance, pressure bearing for pipes, etc.
• Associated with flexibility, plasticity, elastic behaviour
• Excellent resistance to ageing, durability, etc.
• Wide window of operation : from -60°C up to +150°C
• Processing: grades dedicated to different processes
• Low permeation to fuels, gases, etc.

Water absorption

Rilsan® PA11 absorbs slightly more moisture than PA12

• In water at equilibrium: PA11 = 1.9% and PA12 = 1.6%
• At 23°C, 50% RH at equilibrium: PA11 = 0.9% and PA12 = 0.7%

But compared to PA6 or PA66, water absorption is very low so better dimensional stability.

Water absorption (%) of different polyamides

Thermal Stability

Rilsan® PA11 offers greater thermal stability than Rilsamid® PA12, and can be used continuously at 125°C under certain conditions. Additionally, it can withstand intermittent peaks of up to 150°C.

It can also withstand cold temperatures, and maintains its impact resistance at -40°C. For extreme climatic conditions, a special grade is available which can withstand temperatures down to -60°C. Rilsan® PA11 is the only polyamide in the world capable of performing in such harsh environments.

Tensile strength

Rilsan® PA11 exhibits excellent mechanical properties over a wide temperature range. It has high elongation at break and high tensile strength at break and at yield.

It is one of the toughest high-performance polymers and is therefore used extensively in engineering applications.

Flexural modulus

Rilsan® PA11 is available in a wide range of flexibility. The modulus varies from 1200 MPa for non-plasticised grades to around 150 MPa for plasticised grades. Adding specific fillers (glass fibre, carbon fibre, etc.) enable an increase in modulus up to 8000 MPa.

In dry conditions, PA 6 and PA 6.6 have significantly higher rigidity than Rilsan® PA11. After moisture pick-up however, the flexural properties of Rilsan® PA11 remain relatively stable.

Impact resistance

Rilsan® PA11 demonstrates very good impact resistance at room temperature as well as at very low temperatures. It offers a significantly higher safety factor than Rilsamid® PA12. In the Charpy notched impact test at -30°C, Rilsan® PA11 is twice as resilient as Rilsamid® PA12.

Chemical resistance

Rilsan® PA11 offers an ideal balance between the resistance of polyamides to grease and hydrocarbons and the resistance to acids, bases and salts of polyolefines.

The excellent chemical resistance of Rilsan® PA11 is reflected both in high dimensional stability under harsh conditions and in the non-degradation of the polymer matrix. Additionally, Rilsan® PA11 features greater resistance to hydrocarbons than Rilsamid® PA12, making it the ideal material for highly demanding applications in the oil and gas industry, such as offshore flow-lines.

Rilsan® PA11 features outstanding resistance to oils, hydraulic fluids, and fuels.

Very low permeability

As a general rule, Rilsan® PA11 offers better barrier properties to gases and liquids than other flexible thermoplastics or rubbers. In particular, it is twice as impermeable to fuels and hydrocarbons versus PA 12.

Applications

Typical Rilsan® PA11 applications:

• Transport
  • bonnet and rear box control cable
  • heating and cooling control cable
  • quick connectors
  • fuel line
  • tubes for air conditioning fluid
  • clips
• Packing, Tubes & Films
  • pneumatic and hydraulic tubes
  • alimentary films
  • beer tubes
• Medical
  • catheters
  • blood bag
  • syringes
• Electric & Electronic
  • anti-termite telephone cable sheathing
  • cable sheathing (flame retardant without halogen)
  • telephone wires sheathing
  • cable ties
• Industry
  • flexible tubes for the off-shore industry
  • mechanical fittings for gas tubes
  • gas-meter and water-meter gears
  • ski top layer
  • outsole for cycling, football and cross country ski shoes
  • tennis racquet grommet

Portfolio

Datasheets