With the rise of independent brands, domestic manufacturers have mastered more and more core automotive technologies, such as independent mass production engines, transmissions, etc. While lamenting the rise of independent brands, most people may not have thought that some "big" core technologies can be made domestically, but some "small" parts, such as automotive pipe materials, rely on imports for a long time.

Nylon 12, as an automobile pipe material, has been monopolized by foreign countries (Evonik, Arcoma, EMS and UBE). Although it seems simple, its production process is very complex, which is why it has always relied on imports.

Importance of localization

According to the statistics of QY Research, the global market size of nylon 12 will be about 1.23 billion dollars in 2019, and it is expected to reach 1.77 billion dollars in 2026. China is the world's third largest nylon 12 consumer market, but the demand for finished products is completely dependent on imports, which will make the cost more expensive.

Although it is not a core technology, it is also an indispensable part of automobile manufacturing. Nylon 12 has a great demand for output in the automobile field, especially in the field of fuel vehicles. Automobile materials are required to have low water absorption and high melting point. Nylon 12 is mostly used in automobile pipe materials. In addition, the field of new energy vehicles is also needed. Although the fuel pipe has withdrawn from the historical stage and water absorption is no longer an important factor, the lighter nylon 12 also meets the requirements of vehicle lightweight design.

Scope of application

Nylon 12 can be used in automobile manufacturing, 3D printing, oil and gas exploitation, medical technology, electronic appliances and other fields. In the automotive field, it is not only the automotive pipeline material, but also the automotive fuel delivery pipe, automotive brake pipe, air conditioning pipe, and can be used in the spiral shaft of the automotive anti lock system, the sliding part of precision gears, cams and bearings. It is reported that the modified nylon 12 of Wanhua Chemical can also be used for three-layer and single-layer automobile cooling pipes, including new energy automobile copper bar and flame retardant cooling pipes, pipe quick connectors, etc.

Detailed explanation of nylon 12

Nylon 12 is commonly known as polydodecalactam, PA12. The Chinese name is also called polylauryl lactam. Because of its small density; Low water absorption, good dimensional stability; Excellent low temperature resistance, up to - 70 ℃; The melting point is low, and the melting point is 170~180 ℃. The forming process is easy and the forming temperature range is wide; It has good softness, chemical stability, oil resistance and abrasion resistance, and belongs to self extinguishing material; The long-term service temperature is 80 ℃ (up to 90 ℃ after heat treatment), which can be used for a long time under 100 ℃ in oil and 110 ℃ in inert gas;

It can be processed into monofilament, film, plate, bar and profile by injection molding, extrusion and other methods, and the powder can be processed by flowing bed immersion method, electrostatic coating method, rotary molding and other methods, especially suitable for coating and spraying on the metal surface;

Nylon 12 is a good electrical insulator and, like other polyamides, will not affect the insulation performance due to moisture. It has good impact resistance, mechanical and chemical stability;

It has good liquidity. Shrinkage is between 0.5% and 2%, which mainly depends on material type, wall thickness and other process conditions; Nylon 12 has many improved varieties in plasticizing and reinforcing properties.

Domestic nylon 12

In the 1990s, the Shanghai Institute of Synthetic Materials, Jiangsu Huaiyin Institute of Chemical Industry and other national teams began to carry out nylon 12 synthesis experiments. Due to the complexity of oxidative oximation process, the mainstream production process of nylon 12, domestic related enterprises have been unable to form large-scale mass production.

Until October 24, 2022, Wanhua Chemical announced that the nylon 12 project with a design capacity of 40000 tons/year was officially put into production recently and qualified products were produced. That is to say, it can not only break the technical barriers, but also achieve mass production

Now, according to a new project production announcement released by Wanhua Chemical recently, Wanhua Chemical has invested in the construction of nylon 12 production line. Finally, Chinese manufacturers are expected to break the long-term monopoly of foreign enterprises such as Evonik in Germany, although they will also face fierce competition.

Write at the end:

Due to factors left over by history, in the automobile manufacturing industry, China is at least 20 years behind in technology, 30 years behind in materials and 40 years behind in processing technology compared with foreign countries; However, as China has been catching up in recent years, the gap has gradually narrowed. Those relying on imports are gradually localized, and independent brands are also rising.