INFINAM® PA12

INFINAM® PA12 is a polyamide 12-based 3D-printable powder designed for the most demanding industrial applications.

Polyamide 12, commonly known as PA12, is a long-chain semicrystalline thermoplastic material exhibiting excellent material properties. These high-performing polymers absorb little water, are resistant to polar and nonpolar solvents, have a low tendency to creep and have high impact strength. Additionally, it is highly robust and can be used over a wide temperature range between extremely cold and high temperatures. This combination of material properties makes polyamide 12 suitable for various demanding applications like lightweight automotive or aerospace parts, medical devices for temporary body contact, or metal-free solutions for the oil & gas industry. 

PA12 can be processed using different manufacturing technologies like injection molding and extrusion. Evonik’s INFINAM® PA12 is especially suitable for additive manufacturing to be post-processed by mechanical surface finish, coating, bonding, over molding, or welding.

Key material properties of PA12

• Excellent mechanical resistance
• Excellent chemical resistance
• Lower water intake
• High impact strength
• High processability

In 1996, we introduced the first polyamide 12 (PA12) powder for powder bed fusion, setting the current standard for polymer-based 3D printing materials. Today, we continue this pioneering spirit as leading manufacturers of innovative, high-performance 3D printable powders and filaments. 

Evonik’s INFINAM® PA12 is designed as a ready-to-use material in selective laser sintering (SLS), high speed sintering (HSS) and multi jet fusion (MJF) technologies. Continued development and improvements by Evonik are rapidly turning INFINAM® PA12 into a versatile and cost-effective material for use in both prototyping and serial production.

3D printed parts made from INFINAM® PA12 have a smooth surface finish and can be used in a variety of applications. Overall, 3D printed parts made from PA12 are strong, durable, and versatile. They can be used in a variety of applications, including automotive, aerospace, and medical industries.

Another advantage of using INFINAM® PA12 in 3D printing is its high resistance to many chemicals – including oils, greases, and solvents – making it ideal for use in industrial applications. Additionally, our PA12 is resistant to UV radiation, which means that it can be used in outdoor applications without degrading over time.

Evonik’s INFINAM® PA 6013 P and INFINAM® PA 6014 P powders feature a particle core of carbon black. Created through Evonik’s specially engineered precipitation process, a relatively high amount of carbon black is encapsulated by PA12, resulting in a powder that has excellent processability in SLS (selective laser sintering), and a true color without the additional step of dyeing.

Like all of Evonik’s PA12 powders for 3D printing, INFINAM® PA 6013 P and INFINAM® PA 6014 P feature high mechanical and chemical resistance, great impact strength, and excellent surface resolution. These carbon black polymer powders are designed to excel in aerospace and automotive applications. 

Precipitation is a purely physical process that Evonik uses on a large scale for polyamide 12 powder production. PA12 granules are dissolved in a suitable solvent under defined pressure and temperature, and the resulting solution is then subjected to an equally controlled cooling process. During this process, the solvent separates again from the polymer, which precipitates to form a fine powder of INFINAM® PA12 3D printing material.

INFINAM® PA12 is manufactured at the world's largest fully integrated production for polyamide 12 in Chemical Park in Marl, Germany. They are prepared by a special physical process and thus distinguished by an almost perfectly spherical particle shape, which makes them especially suitable for powder bed fusion 3D printing.