ForMatter/Materials/textile/Nylon 6,6
mat_nylon_6_6

Nylon 6,6

synthetic polyamide fiber (also bulk polymer) · nylon 66, polyamide 66, PA66
highlast updated 2026-04-26

The first fully-synthetic textile fiber (DuPont, 1935) — the material that gave the world stockings, parachute canopies, ropes that don't rot, and most of the carpet underfoot. Strong, abrasion-resistant, melts before it burns. Filament form spun continuous; staple form chopped to mimic natural fiber.

Aliphatic polyamide formed by condensation of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid. Tg ~50 °C (dry), drops with moisture; Tm ~265 °C. Excellent abrasion resistance and tensile strength. Melt-spun into filament for textile use; injection-molded as engineering polymer (gears, bushings). UV degrades it — outdoor uses require stabilization.

Mechanical

  • tensile strength · MPa75
  • elastic modulus · GPa2.8
  • elongation at break · %40
  • fiber tenacity · g/denier6.5
source: MakeItFrom; DuPont Zytel data

Thermal

  • melting point · °C265
  • glass transition · °C50
  • thermal conductivity · W/m·K0.25

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon · kg CO₂e/kg7.5
  • recyclabilitymoderate — chemical recycling depolymerizes back to monomers (Aquafil ECONYL is the showcase); mechanical recycling limited by contamination
  • biodegradableFalse
  • certificationsGRS (Global Recycled Standard) for recycled content
source: Editorial estimate from ICE / Granta CES EduPack class databases — industry mean, with cradle-to-gate boundary unless otherwise noted. Embodied carbon for any specific product depends on supplier mix, recycled content, and energy grid; verify against a primary source before using these numbers in a sustainability claim.
visual
translucent in unpigmented form, lustrous in filament, accepts dye after solution-doping or vat dyeing
tactile
smooth, slick, slightly cool, springy
weight perception
light
acoustic
rustling, faintly stiff

PBR starter values

finish · glossy — open for table, JSON, host snippets, downloads

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere glossy finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material. Or grab the whole library at once: ForMaterials library →

# finish:                   glossy
albedo                      #e0d8c8
metallic                    0.00
roughness                   0.25
ior                         1.45
transmission                0.00
clearcoat                   0.40
sheen                       0.00
anisotropic                 0.00
copy as JSON 
{
  "albedo": "#e0d8c8",
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.25,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "transmission": 0.0,
  "clearcoat": 0.4,
  "sheen": 0.0,
  "anisotropic": 0.0
}
Blender 4.x Python 
# Blender 4.x — Principled BSDF
# Nylon 6,6 · finish: glossy
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_nylon_6_6")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.7454, 0.6867, 0.5776, 1.0)
bsdf.inputs["Metallic"].default_value           = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Roughness"].default_value          = 0.250
bsdf.inputs["IOR"].default_value                = 1.450
bsdf.inputs["Transmission Weight"].default_value = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Coat Weight"].default_value        = 0.400
bsdf.inputs["Sheen Weight"].default_value       = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Anisotropic"].default_value        = 0.000
KeyShot Python (lux) 
# KeyShot 11+ — lux Python API, Generic material
# Nylon 6,6 · finish: glossy
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_nylon_6_6", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (224, 216, 200))   # 8-bit sRGB
mat.setProperty("metallic",     0.000)
mat.setProperty("roughness",    0.250)
mat.setProperty("indexOfRefraction", 1.450)
mat.setProperty("transparency", 0.000)
mat.setProperty("coatingWeight", 0.400)
Substance pbrMetalRough 
{
  "_format": "Substance Designer / Painter \u2014 pbrMetalRough constants",
  "_about": "Nylon 6,6 \u00b7 finish: glossy",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.7454,
    "g": 0.6867,
    "b": 0.5776
  },
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.25,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "opacity": 1.0,
  "anisotropyLevel": 0.0,
  "_notes": "Channels listed are the standard Substance pbrMetalRough output. Drop into a Uniform Color node per channel, or as the constant input on a layered stack."
}
glTF 2.0 Metallic-Roughness 
{
  "asset": {
    "version": "2.0",
    "generator": "ForMatter"
  },
  "materials": [
    {
      "name": "mat_nylon_6_6",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.7454,
          0.6867,
          0.5776,
          1.0
        ],
        "metallicFactor": 0.0,
        "roughnessFactor": 0.25
      },
      "extensions": {
        "KHR_materials_ior": {
          "ior": 1.45
        },
        "KHR_materials_clearcoat": {
          "clearcoatFactor": 0.4
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
USD Preview Surface 
# USD Preview Surface — UsdShade.MaterialLook prim attributes
# Nylon 6,6 · finish: glossy
def Material "mat_nylon_6_6" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_nylon_6_6/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.7454, 0.6867, 0.5776)
        float   inputs:metallic     = 0.000
        float   inputs:roughness    = 0.250
        float   inputs:ior          = 1.450
        float   inputs:opacity      = 1.000
        float   inputs:clearcoat    = 0.400
        token   outputs:surface
    }
}
↓ download glTF material
ProcessInjection Molding · Laser Cutting · Adhesive Bonding
Substitutes
Woven Cotton (Plain Weave)
Carbon Fiber (T700, in epoxy)
Finishes that suit this material
Heat-set (synthetic textile dimensional fix) · matte

Second life

repairabilitymoderate — sewn repair; nylon thread bonds well to itself.
recyclabilitymoderate — Aquafil ECONYL closed-loop for fishing-net feedstock; mainstream nylon recycling growing.
disposal pathgeneral waste; specialty programs.
typical longevity20 years (typical)
failure modes
  • UV embrittlement
  • hydrolytic degradation in hot-humid environments
  • abrasion at high-wear zones

INVISTA / Aquafil nylon technical literature; ASTM D204 nylon textile standards.

Citations

Further reading