Nylon (PA6, PA66)

Polyamides PA6 and PA66 for textile yarn, tyre cord, airbags and car parts; China's capacity surge has ended a long PA66 shortage.

Pseudo-commodities · Engineering plastics · No. 53

• Single chemical
• Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
• about 9-10 Mt a year: PA6 about 7 Mt and PA66 about 2.5-3 Mt (2025, indicative)
• 6.0 t CO₂e per t
• HS 390810

A long shortage of the nylon used in airbags ended when China built more capacity than Europe and North America combined.

Chart: Illustration: Nylon (PA6, PA66)

Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

PA6 is made by opening the caprolactam ring. PA66 joins adipic acid with HMDA, which comes from adiponitrile, a technology long held by very few firms.

Three things to know

1. China's PA66 capacity reached nearly 1.5 Mt a year by end-2025, while Chinese use was only 0.90-0.95 Mt.
2. Unabated adipic acid plants can emit about 0.3 t of nitrous oxide per tonne, roughly 80 t CO2e.
3. PA66 melts at about 260 C, around 40 C higher than PA6, which is why it goes under car bonnets and into airbags.

The journey

1. 1 BenzeneAbout 0.9 t per tonne caprolactam
2. 2 MonomersCaprolactam for PA6; adipic acid, HMDA for PA66
3. 3 PolymerisationRing-opening or melt polycondensation
4. 4 ChipsSpun into yarn or glass-filled
5. 5 End usesSportswear, tyre cord, airbags, engine parts

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