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
metallic 0.00
hue shift +0°

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_pct40
  • fiber_tenacity_g_denier6.5
source: MakeItFrom; DuPont Zytel data

thermal

  • melting_point_c265
  • glass_transition_c50
  • thermal_conductivity_w_mk0.25

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon kg co2e per kg7.5
  • sourceEditorial 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.
  • 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
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

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere glossy finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material.

# 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)

Citations