Nylon 6/6 Tube, Extruded

Extruded nylon 6/6 tube - the tough, springy, wear-resistant one. Nylon takes abrasion and repeated flexing better than almost anything at its price, runs quietly against metal, and has enough give to absorb a shock that would crack a rigid plastic. For bushings, sleeves, rollers, spacers and guide tube it is the default.

Published figures for extruded nylon 6/6: tensile strength around 12,000 psi, flexural modulus about 450,000 psi, Rockwell R around 115, and a service ceiling near 200F dry. Specific gravity is 1.14. It has a low coefficient of friction against steel and runs without lubrication, which is why it displaces bronze in light-duty bearings.

Where it goes: wear sleeves and bushings, cable and wire guides, rollers and small sheaves, fluid and air lines in machinery, insulating spacers, and protective sheathing on moving parts.

How tube is specified, because it trips people up. We list bore, outside diameter and wall thickness for every size so you can see all three at once - the trade more often quotes ID plus wall, or OD plus wall, and the two conventions get confused in both directions. Tell us which dimension is the critical one for your part and we will quote to that one.

The honest weakness is moisture, and it is not a small effect. Nylon absorbs water from the air - typically 1.2 to 2.5 percent at equilibrium - and it GROWS as it does, by a few thousandths per inch. Strength and stiffness fall as it takes up water while toughness rises. So a nylon part machined dry to a tight bore will not stay that size in a humid room, and a part that has to hold tolerance should be moisture-conditioned before final machining. Published dry figures are a best case.

Machining notes: it cuts cleanly with sharp tools but it is tough and stringy rather than brittle, so it wants positive rake, generous clearance and a good chip break. It is not notch-sensitive the way polycarbonate is. Avoid strong acids and oxidizing agents, which attack nylon, and note that it is not suitable for sustained contact with hot water or steam.