This article will take an in-depth look at nylon tubing.
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This chapter will discuss nylon tubing, its manufacturing process, and how it functions.
Nylon tubing, also known as polyamide tubing, is a type of tubing made from polyamide resin, which has a strong resistance to abrasion. It is used in high-pressure and high-temperature applications. This type of tubing is also very versatile, and some of its varieties will not degrade when used in chemical solutions.
Nylon tubing contains UV stabilization, which can be handy when it is being used in warmer areas or where there is direct exposure to sunlight. Nylon tubing is also very flexible, and it can be used to fit into many different complex designs. Its contained elastic memory makes it capable of being flexed many times over a long period without showing any signs of fatigue or fracturing.
Even at temperatures below freezing, nylon tubing is resistant to impact and contains very low moisture absorption. These low temperatures have a common effect of diminishing size or dimensional stability. Nylon tubing is well-suited for resisting substances including solvents, alkalis, grease, oils, petroleum, and many varieties of fungus and mold.
Nylon tubing has become very useful in industries. Some of its areas of application include robotics, hydraulic hoses, fuel lines, vacuum lines, vapor lines, brake lines, air lines, oil processing lines, chemical processing lines, and tool lubricating systems. Nylon is also used in food processing, and this nylon tubing can be included in pneumatic systems that make use of compressed air so as to supply power to machinery automatically.
When compared to other nylon resins, the nylon plastic tubing has a smaller bend radius and allows for a lighter weight wall. Some of the properties obtained by the nylon tubing are because of the molecular structure of the nylon compared to other types of plastics such as polycarbonate. Some properties of this nylon include it having a melting point of about 374 °F (190 °C); this is even higher than the same contained properties for other resins.
To add on, the crystalline structure of the nylon gives it high resistance to wear and chemicals. Nylon tubing products are hollow channels that are made up of solid nylon. In most cases, this nylon is found for use in textile fibers rather than as a material for tubing in industries. However, if this nylon is contained in its solid form, it can be an excellent material for use in the fabrication of plastic tubes and other useful plastic products.
The processes required for the manufacture of nylon tubing include plastic extrusion or plastic co-extrusion, processes that are noted in detail below.
The first process employed in the production of nylon tubing is called the plastic extrusion process. In this process, the raw compound material usually first takes the form of nurdles, which are small beads also often called resin. They are gravity fed from a top-mounted hopper and then into the barrel of the extruder. Colorants and UV inhibitors in the form of pellets or liquid are placed in as additives. They can also be mixed together with the resin prior to arriving at the hopper.
The plastic extrusion process has much in common with the plastic injection molding process from the point of the extruder technology. However, it differs in the sense that extrusion is usually a continuous process. The process of pultrusion can offer many similar profiles in continuous lengths that are usually with reinforcement. This is achieved by pulling the finished product out of a die instead of extruding the polymer melts through a die.
The material then enters through the feed throat, which is an opening near the rear of the barrel, before it comes into contact with the screw. This rotating screw commonly rotates at 120rpm; its job is to force the plastic beads forward into the heated barrel. The temperature required for extrusion is rarely equal to the set temperature of the barrel due to effects such as viscous heating.
In most contained processes, a heating profile is set for the barrel. In this barrel, three or more independent PID-controlled heater zones do the job of gradually increasing the temperature of the barrel from the rear. This rear is where the plastic enters towards the front. This allows the plastic beads to melt gradually as they are pushed through the barrel, and it also helps in lowering the risk of overheating, which may result in the degradation of polymers.
More heat contained in the process is contributed by the intense pressure and friction that takes place inside the barrel.
Generally, if an extrusion line is working on certain materials fast enough, the contained heaters can be shut off, and the temperature of the melt can be maintained by the pressure and friction inside the barrel. In a large number of extruders, cooling fans are present to keep the temperature below a set value if too much heat is generated. Cast-in cooling jackets are put into use if the process of forced air cooling is insufficient.
The molten plastic leaves the screw at the front of the barrel and travels through a screen pack headed to remove any containment in the melt. The screens are made stronger by reinforcing them with a breaker plate, which is a thick metal puck drilled through with many holes. The reinforcement is performed since the pressure at this point can exceed 5000 psi or 34MPa. The breaker plate assembly or the screen pack also does the work of creating back pressure in the barrel. This back pressure is needed for the uniform melting and proper mixing of the polymer. The amount of pressure generated can be tweaked by varying the composition of the screen packs, which involves the number of screens contained, their wire weave size, and other parameters.
The rotational memory of the molten plastic is also eliminated by the combination of the screen pack and the breaker plate. This combination also further creates longitudinal memory. Molten plastic enters the die after it passes the breaker plate. This die then gives the final product its profile. It must be designed so that the molten plastic will evenly flow from a cylindrical profile to the profile shape of the product. The act of an uneven flow can result in the production of a product that has unwanted residual stresses at certain points in the profile, which can cause warping upon cooling. A high number of shapes can be created but with the restriction of the continuous profiles.
The end product is then cooled, usually by pulling the extrudate through a water bath. Because plastic is a very good thermal insulator, it is difficult to cool down quickly. Plastic conducts its heat away 200 times more slowly than steel. A sealed water bath contained in a tube or extrusion line is acted upon by a carefully controlled vacuum so as to keep the newly formed, molten tube or pipe from collapsing.
In some products, such as plastic sheeting, the process of cooling is achieved by pulling the product through a set of cooling rolls. For very thin sheeting and films, air cooling can be made very effective as an initial cooling stage, as in blown film extrusion. The plastic extruders are also used to reprocess recycled plastic waste and other raw materials after sorting, blending, and cleaning.
Nylon rods are not actually always made completely from nylon. In some situations, they can be co-extruded with other non-plastic materials like metals. Co-extrusion is thus an altered process of extrusion in which a single product is made from two or more different materials mixed together. For one to be able to achieve this, multiple extruders pointed at a single die do the work of melting the polymers that are intended to make the product.
After the materials become molten, they are forced into the die at an even volume and pace. When the materials enter the die at the same time, they fill it out in layers. The goal of co-extrusion is to produce a product that contains properties and qualities that it cannot get from just the use of one polymer.
In order to lower material costs or to strengthen the core of the rod, manufacturers often choose to co-extrude a plastic rod with a different type of plastic or other material. In applications that require little structural strength, the issue of low-cost co-extrusion materials is usually considered.
In areas where better structural support is needed, the component metal is usually used as the material that fills the rod. Aside from the noted qualities, the plastic co-extrusion process also aims to increase resistance in wear and the permeability of oxygen.
As with extrusion, pultrusion is a continuous feed process used to produce a tubing profile. The pultrusion process differs from extrusion in that it pulls reinforced fibers that have been wetted in a thermoplastic resin through a die. The process of polymerization happens as the fibers go through the die. The process of pultrusion is low-maintenance and is an efficient method for the production of plastic tubing that resists corrosion and has low thermal conductivity.
A modified pultrusion process called radius pultrusion has also been put into use. This process allows for the manufacture of two- or three-dimensional curved profiles. This process is beneficial in the linear process for a number of tasks; that is, if complex textile reinforcements are needed with a low rate of distortion.
Although this is not needed in most cases, some manufacturers choose to further fashion their plastic rods through secondary ways such as drilling, painting, deburring, coating with powder, labeling, industrial finishing, and notching. These plastic rods can be clear or can come in different colors, which also include custom-matched colors.
Many manufacturers love the idea of working with extruded nylon tubing due to the versatility of the material and the plastic extrusion process’s wealth of material choices. Nylon rods are an ideal choice for one looking for inexpensive, quick, and durable products.
Nylon and polyurethane are two common materials that are used in plastic tubing, and both of these materials feature their own set of unique characteristics. Polyurethane is naturally flexible and works well for tight bending. This is experienced through equipment such as robots, and it is used more often in applications of medium pressure. Nylon functions at increased pressures and is able to resist stress cracking while also having a higher resistance to chemicals and heat as compared to polyurethane. In addition to this, nylon and polyurethane are both great at resisting abrasion.
Nylon tubing is found in many varieties, including high-pressure nylon tubing, flexible or super soft nylon tubing, coiled nylon tubing, DOT nylon tubing, standard nylon tubing, nylon mini coils, nylon 6 tubing, and nylon 66 tubing.
The most common type is called nylon 6. This nylon 6 is resistant to moisture, and because of this, it is also more resistant to corrosion than other types of nylon tubing. Nylon 6 is made from a single monomer which is by definition a simple molecule that contains two or more sites onto which other monomers can bind. Standard nylon is made up of 6 carbon atoms, which is why it is named nylon 6.
DOT nylon tubing is a type of nylon tubing that requires compliance with the Department of Transportation, and this is why it is given such a name. It is an engineered polyester blend, and the DOT nylon tubing remains more flexible for longer periods as compared to standard nylon tubing. Due to this factor, DOT nylon tubing is then found for use in brake lines for vehicles.
DOT nylon tubing can withstand hot, oily, and cold conditions, having a temperature range that caters from -85 °F (-65 °C) to more than 200 °F (93 °C). This type of nylon tubing is flexible, lightweight, and resistant to fatigue. DOT nylon tubing is also dimensionally stable. In addition to this, it offers resistance to abrasion and vibration.
High pressure nylon tubing is designed for a wide range of uses, and in all these, it can withstand natural solvents, hydraulic fluids, alkali solutions, diluted acids, and even oils. High pressure nylon tubing is strong and stiff, and it is resistant to abrasion, especially in areas that contain high heat, high pressure, and high vibration. High pressure nylon tubing displays a higher tensile strength, and it is put to use in the chemical and transportation industries and automobiles.
Some of the areas of application for high pressure nylon tubing include brake lines, hydraulic hoses, robotics, vacuums, air, high pressure gas lines, and grease. This type of nylon tubing is also used for working pressure up to 800 psi. The high pressure nylon tubing also contains a high-temperature tubing made for temperatures that rise up to 200 °F (93 °C).
Flexible nylon tubing is made from nylon 11 resin, which includes a profound compound that significantly increases flexibility. Flexible nylon tubing is also called super soft nylon tubing. Super soft nylon tubing contains numerous properties that help in keeping it dimensionally stable and allow it to resist chemicals, abrasions, impact, heat, and moisture.
Nylon 11 is produced using castor beans, so this type of nylon tubing is fit for environments where polyurethane is impractical. These environments include fuel lines, gas detection, lubrication lines, coolant and refrigeration lines, pneumatic equipment, robotics, and suspension lines.
Nylon coils are spirals of nylon tubing. They are coiled in lengths that can be expanded, thus making them more flexible. Nylon coils are usually used to move air that is compressed or even compressed liquid over a range of shorter distances. These spirals of nylon tubing retract and extend on their own so as to be able to provide an economical and lightweight solution for supplying air to pneumatic tools.
The nylon tubing of nylon coils does not easily scratch paint, so because of this, it is fit to be used with articulated brake coils in semi-trucks. This type of nylon tubing has also found use in the feeding and watering of livestock.
Nylon mini coils are much like larger nylon tubing coils in that these nylon mini coils provide greater flexibility. Nylon mini coils have pigtails at each end, and this factor makes it easy for them to connect with other mechanisms.
Nylon mini coils can withstand high pressure well, and this property makes them uniquely useful in areas where space is limited. Nylon tubing mini coils can resist any abrasion faced and work in environments that are pressurized to as much as 298 pounds per square inch (PSI).
Nylon tubing mini coils generally benefit from having coil memory. These nylon mini coils are put to use in control circuits, robotics, smaller pneumatic tools, and other functions that involve motion.
Together with nylon 6, the most common type of nylon tubing used is nylon 66. Both of these are similar, but due to variances in their chemical structures, they each contain distinctive qualities. For example, nylon 6 is made up of one monomer with 6 carbon atoms, whereas nylon 66 is made up of 2 monomers. Other differences seen between the nylon 66 tubing and nylon 6 tubing include nylon 6 tubing being able to withstand stress and impact better than nylon 66 tubing.
Nylon 6 tubing also shrinks less in the mold, allowing for easier coloration. Having a more crystalline structure enables the nylon 66 tubing to be able to resist acids and chemicals and absorb water better. In addition, nylon 66 tubing is also more heat resistant.
Some of the qualities shared by the nylon 6 tubing and the nylon 66 tubing include the ability to be easily machined, the ability to be easy to slide, electrical insulation, high mechanical strength, resistance to fatigue, resistance to vibrations, resistance to x-rays and gamma rays, and resistance to wear from corrosion and heat. The nylon 6 tubing is used in the military, and for industrial uses, it can be found in gears, firearm components, and automotive engine compartments.
Customized nylon tubing refers to the type of nylon tubing that is made for a specific application and carries specific properties for that use. Some of the various options that may be obtained in custom nylon tubing include the ones stated below.
Nylon tubing can be made and designed in a color that is required or has been specified for a specific need. Colors can come in a wide range, which may include neon, red, blue, or orange, just to mention a few.
Nylon tubing can be cut into different precise lengths depending on the project on which it ought to be used. This process can be done in ways that reduce waste, save money, and produce accurately measured cuts.
Coiling is a prominent and effective method that is used to keep flexible plastic tubing organized while still getting the most out of the tube’s working length. When one customizes the nylon tubing diameter, they will also be customizing the retract ability of the coil as well as the length to which the nylon tubing can be stretched and still be used comfortably.
Two or more tubes of any color or size can be bonded together so as to simplify any future troubleshooting, replacement, or line tracing. In addition to this, the tubes can be separated and will leave behind no residue.
In this process, a specific material can be used to make the nylon tubing for a certain use. Some examples of these materials include nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 11, and nylon 12. Each of these materials offers some distinctive properties as compared to the others. To give an example, nylon 6 is made up of one monomer with 6 carbon atoms whereas nylon 66 is made up of 2 monomers.
Further differences between the nylon 66 tubing and nylon 6 tubing include nylon 6 tubing being able to withstand stress and impact better than nylon 66 tubing. Nylon 6 tubing also shrinks less in the mold, which allows for easier coloration. However, having a more crystalline structure enables the nylon 66 tubing to be able to better resist acids and chemicals, along with having better water absorption. In addition, nylon 66 tubing is more heat resistant.
This chapter will discuss the applications and benefits of nylon tubing.
Nylon tubing can be assembled to be lightweight and flexible. Nylon tubing is put to use in pneumatic tool applications, which include aircraft control mechanisms and others. Nylon tubing can be used for automotive fuel lines, refrigerator water lines, and other uses that require crack-resistant tubing and heat-resistant tubing. In some circumstances, nylon tubing can be used in place of metal tubing because of its contained beneficial properties. The FDA approved some types of nylon tubing, thus making them also ideal for use in the food and beverage industry.
Nylon tubing is also used in medical technology, aerospace, filtration, irrigation, refrigerants, and laboratories. Nylon tubing has become very useful in industries and some of its application areas include robotics, hydraulic hoses, and fuel lines, in different varieties of vacuum lines, vapor lines, brake lines, air lines, oil processing lines, chemical processing lines, and tool lubricating systems. Nylon tubing can be included in pneumatic systems which make use of compressed air so as to supply power to machinery automatically. Nylon tubing can also be used in printers and agricultural equipment.
Nylon tubing can be made up of nylon 12 polymers which offer great characteristics, including good resistance to abrasion, cold, and heat. In the pneumatic industry, the nylon tubing has a close tolerance, and this makes it easy to use with push-in type and compression type fittings.
Nylon tubing can be used in the brewery and beverage industry for carbon dioxide gas lines. They are also resistant to high temperatures. Nylon tubing is light and heat-stabilized to be resistant to stress cracking. Some of the benefits include nylon tubing being strong, highly flexible, lightweight, corrosion-resistant, chemical-resistant, and dimensionally stable, and also having a small bend radius.
Nylon tubing, also known as polyamide tubing, is a type of tubing made from polyamide resin that has a strong resistance to abrasion and is used in high-pressure and high-temperature applications. The processes of plastic extrusion and plastic co-extrusion are used in the production of nylon tubing. Nylon tubing products are hollow channels made up of solid nylon. This type of tubing is also very versatile, and some of its varieties will not even degrade when used in chemical solutions. Nylon tubing contains UV stabilization, which be handy when they are being used in warmer areas and where there is a direct exposure to sunlight. Nylon tubing is also very flexible and can be used to fit into many different complex designs.
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