Product Intelligence In the polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) market, PA12 is king. It accounts for over 90% of all SLS/MJF consumption because it is the only material that perfectly balances mechanical strength with process stability. Layrr Materials PA12 is a premium, high-performance nylon optimised for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). While generic nylons suffer from inconsistent particle shapes that lead to "orange peel" surface textures, our powder is chemically precipitated to achieve a semi-spherical morphology. This ensures high bulk density and smooth flow during recoating, delivering parts with injection-moulded quality surfaces. Material Behaviour & Microstructure Why is PA12 superior to PA6 for 3D printing? It comes down to carbon counting. The "12" Advantage: PA12 has a longer hydrocarbon chain (12 carbons) between amide groups compared to PA6 (6 carbons). This lower concentration of amide groups reduces the material's hydrogen bonding density, making it significantly less hygroscopic. Moisture Stability: Unlike PA6, which can absorb up to 3% moisture (ruining print accuracy), PA12 absorbs negligible moisture. This ensures that your parts remain dimensionally stable and do not swell in humid environments. Ductile Failure Mode: The material exhibits excellent elongation at break (>15%), meaning parts will stretch and yield before snapping—critical for snap-fit enclosures and living hinges. Processing Advantage: The Thermal Window The secret to printing nylon is the "Sintering Window"—the temperature gap between melting (Tm) and crystallisation (Tc). Layrr PA12 is engineered with a wide thermal window to prevent curl and warpage: Supercooling Effect: Our powder stays liquid for longer after the laser passes. This delayed crystallization allows layers to fuse thoroughly without building up residual stress, enabling the printing of large, flat geometries without anchors. Refresh Rate Efficiency: Designed for high recyclability. You can run stable production with a refresh rate of just 20-30% Virgin Material, significantly lowering your cost-per-part compared to PA11. Critical Applications PA12 bridges the gap between prototyping and end-use production: Automotive: Air intake ducts and cooling pipes that require resistance to fuels and oils. Aerospace: Drone fuselages and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wings (high stiffness-to-weight ratio). Electronics: Connectors and housings with complex snap-fit assemblies. Medical: Prosthetics and orthotics that require skin contact compliance (biocompatible grades available). Layrr Technical Note: While PA12 is chemically resistant, "as-printed" parts are porous. For watertight or airtight applications (like fuel tanks), the parts must be post-processed via Vapour Smoothing or vacuum impregnation to seal the surface microporosity.
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