spore: profile
id: pa-11
spore_version: 0.2
family: polyamides
name: Polyamide 11 (nylon 11, PA11)
abbreviation: PA 11
role: semicrystalline engineering thermoplastic made from castor oil; the plasticised Rilsan pellet grades read here are for tube extrusion and injection moulding, not for powder-bed printing
category: polymers
type: polyamides
summary: |
  Polyamide 11 (nylon 11, PA11, sold by Arkema as Rilsan) is a semicrystalline polyamide made by polymerising 11-aminoundecanoic acid, a C11 monomer that Arkema derives from castor oil. Arkema calls its pellet grades bio-based (89 % bio-based carbon, ASTM D6866, for BESNO P40 TL). The three pellet datasheets read here (BESNO P40 TL, BESNO P40 TLO and BMNO P40 TLD) are all plasticised grades, and they give a melting point of 181 to 182 degC (ISO 11357), a density of 1.04 to 1.05 g/cm3, a water absorption of 1.6 % at equilibrium at 23 degC, and a tensile modulus of 345 MPa in the conditioned state. A 2018 study found that UV exposure of a clay-filled PA11 nanocomposite formed carbonyl groups, with the carbonyl index rising linearly over the first 360 h of accelerated UV. No orbital value for PA 11 was read. Unplasticised PA 11 and tensile values for the dry state were not in the datasheets read, so they are gaps.
best_for: Ground tubing, fluid-transfer lines and injection-moulded parts from plasticised PA11 pellets, where the Arkema datasheet values are known
weakest_at: 'UV: the only UV result read is a rising carbonyl index in a clay-filled PA11 study (Kaci 2018), with no tensile loss figure; water uptake reaches 1.6 % at equilibrium; the plasticised grades soften at 45 degC under 1.8 MPa load'
identity:
  formula: (C11H21NO)n, repeat unit -NH(CH2)10CO-; the monomer 11-aminoundecanoic acid is C11H23NO2 (MW 201.31), and the repeat unit is the monomer less one water (derived, not printed in a source read)
  cas: 2432-99-7
  source: pubchem-aminoundecanoic
  where: Compound record CID 17083 (molecular formula C11H23NO2, molecular weight 201.31); CAS 2432-99-7 resolved to CID 17083 in a PubChem name lookup
  designations:
    - system: ISO
      code: PA11-P, EG1HL, C22-003
      note: ISO 16396 designation of the plasticised pellet grade BESNO P40 TL
      source: arkema-p40tl
      where: Designation line under the product description
    - system: ISO
      code: PA11-P, M1G1HLR, C12-003
      note: ISO 16396 designation of the injection-moulding grade BMNO P40 TLD
      source: arkema-bmnotld
      where: Designation line under the product description
    - system: Trade name
      code: BESNO P40 TL
      source: arkema-p40tl
      where: Title line, RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    - system: Trade name
      code: BMNO P40 TLD
      source: arkema-bmnotld
      where: Title line, RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD
tags:
  environments: []
  stresses:
    - uv
    - extreme-cold
  applications:
    - propulsion-and-tanks
    - electronics-and-chips
    - structures
properties:
  - benchmark: density
    label: Density, plasticised pellet grade BESNO P40 TL
    value: 1.04
    unit: g/cm3
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: 23 degC as printed; pellet
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL (plasticised, tube extrusion)
    method: ISO 1183-1 as printed, 23 degC
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Other properties table, row Density, 23 C (73 F)
  - benchmark: density
    label: Density, plasticised injection grade BMNO P40 TLD
    value: 1.05
    unit: g/cm3
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: 23 degC as printed; pellet
      grade: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD (plasticised, injection moulding)
    method: ISO 1183-1 as printed, 23 degC
    status: ground
    source: arkema-bmnotld
    where: Other properties table, row Density, 23 C (73 F)
  - benchmark: density
    label: Neat resin density, Arkema key-properties text
    value: 1.03
    unit: g/cm3
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: neat resin; no test standard or temperature printed on the page
    method: Quoted in the Arkema key-properties text as "a neat resin density of only 1.03 g/cm3"
    status: ground
    source: arkema-key-props
    where: Page text, sentence on neat resin density (no table)
  - benchmark: melting_point
    label: Melting temperature, BESNO P40 TL pellet
    value: 181
    unit: degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      method_note: DSC at 10 degC/min as printed (ISO 11357-1/-3)
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL (plasticised)
    method: ISO 11357-1/-3 as printed, 10 degC/min
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Thermal properties table, row Melting temperature, 10 C/min
  - benchmark: melting_point
    label: Melting temperature, BESNO P40 TLO pellet
    value: 182
    unit: degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      method_note: DSC at 10 degC/min as printed (ISO 11357-1/-3)
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TLO (plasticised, low oligomers, cable and tube)
    method: ISO 11357-1/-3 as printed, 10 degC/min
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tlo
    where: Thermal properties table, row Melting temperature, 10 C/min
  - benchmark: vicat_softening_temperature
    label: Vicat softening temperature, BESNO P40 TL
    value: 140
    unit: degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      method_designation: 50 N at 50 C/h as printed
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL (plasticised)
    method: ISO 306 as printed, 50 N at 50 C/h
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Thermal properties table, row Vicat softening temperature, 50N at 50 C/h
  - benchmark: heat_deflection_temperature
    label: Heat deflection temperature at 0.45 MPa, BESNO P40 TL
    value: 130
    unit: degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      load: 0.45 MPa as printed
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL (plasticised)
    method: ISO 75-1/-2 as printed, 0.45 MPa
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Thermal properties table, row Heat deflection temperature, 0.45 MPa
  - benchmark: heat_deflection_temperature
    label: Heat deflection temperature at 1.8 MPa, BESNO P40 TL
    value: 45
    unit: degC
    scope: material
    conditions:
      load: 1.8 MPa as printed
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL (plasticised)
    method: ISO 75-1/-2 as printed, 1.8 MPa
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Thermal properties table, row Heat deflection temperature, 1.8 MPa
  - benchmark: moisture_absorption
    label: Water absorption at equilibrium, immersion at 23 C, BESNO P40 TL
    value: 1.6
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: equilibrium, immersion at 23 degC as printed
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL (plasticised)
    method: ISO 62 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Other properties table, row Water absorption, at equilibrium at 23 C, Immersion
  - benchmark: moisture_absorption
    label: Water absorption at equilibrium, immersion at 23 C, BMNO P40 TLD
    value: 1.6
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: equilibrium, immersion at 23 degC as printed
      grade: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD (plasticised)
    method: ISO 62 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-bmnotld
    where: Other properties table, row Water absorption, at equilibrium at 23 C, Immersion
  - benchmark: moisture_absorption
    label: Weight variation after 25 weeks in water at 20 C, Rilsan PA11
    value: 1.9
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: 25-week immersion in 20 degC water; no test standard printed
    method: Dimensional variation table as printed, Rilsan PA11 column
    status: ground
    source: arkema-key-props
    where: Dimensional variation table, row Weight variation, Rilsan PA11 column
  - benchmark: length_variation_water_immersion
    label: Length variation after 25 weeks in water at 20 C, Rilsan PA11
    value: 0.2
    value_high: 0.5
    bound: range
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: 25-week immersion in 20 degC water; no test standard printed
    method: Dimensional variation table as printed, range 0.2 to 0.5 %
    status: ground
    source: arkema-key-props
    where: Dimensional variation table, row Length variation, Rilsan PA11 column
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Tensile modulus, BESNO P40 TL pellet, conditioned
    value: 345
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column); the dry value is not printed
      form: pellet, plasticised
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: ISO 527-1/-2 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Tensile modulus, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Tensile modulus, BMNO P40 TLD pellet, conditioned
    value: 345
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column); the dry value is not printed
      form: pellet, plasticised
      grade: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD
    method: ISO 527-1/-2 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-bmnotld
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Tensile modulus, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: flexural_modulus
    label: Flexural modulus, BESNO P40 TL pellet, conditioned
    value: 350
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column)
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: ISO 178 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Flexural modulus, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: flexural_modulus
    label: Flexural modulus, BMNO P40 TLD pellet, conditioned
    value: 315
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column)
      grade: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD
    method: ISO 178 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-bmnotld
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Flexural modulus, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Stress at break, BESNO P40 TL pellet, conditioned
    value: 48
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column); printed as stress at break
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: ISO 527-1/-2 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Stress at break, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Stress at break, BMNO P40 TLD pellet, conditioned
    value: 55
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column); printed as stress at break
      grade: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD
    method: ISO 527-1/-2 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-bmnotld
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Stress at break, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Yield stress, BESNO P40 TLO pellet, conditioned
    value: 26
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column)
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TLO (plasticised)
    method: ISO 527-1/-2 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tlo
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Yield stress, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Nominal strain at break, BESNO P40 TL pellet, conditioned (lower bound)
    value: 50
    bound: lower
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column); printed as greater than 50 %
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: ISO 527-1/-2 as printed, printed as "> 50"
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Nominal strain at break, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: charpy_notched_impact
    label: Charpy notched impact at -30 C, BESNO P40 TL pellet, conditioned
    value: 7
    unit: kJ/m2
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: '-30 degC as printed'
      state: conditioned (COND column)
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: ISO 179 1eA as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Charpy notched impact strength, -30 C, COND value
  - benchmark: charpy_notched_impact
    label: Charpy notched impact at -30 C, BMNO P40 TLD pellet, conditioned
    value: 6
    unit: kJ/m2
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: '-30 degC as printed'
      state: conditioned (COND column)
      grade: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD
    method: ISO 179 1eA as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-bmnotld
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Charpy notched impact strength, -30 C, COND value
  - benchmark: hardness_shore_d
    label: Shore D hardness, 15 s, BESNO P40 TL pellet, conditioned
    value: 60
    unit: '-'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column)
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: ISO 868 as printed, 15 s
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Mechanical properties table, row Hardness, shore D, 15 s, COND value
  - benchmark: dielectric_constant
    label: Relative permittivity at 100 Hz, BESNO P40 TL pellet, conditioned
    value: 9
    unit: '-'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      frequency: 100 Hz as printed
      state: conditioned (COND column)
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: IEC 62631-2-1 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Electrical properties table, row Relative permittivity, 100 Hz, COND value
  - benchmark: dielectric_strength
    label: Dielectric strength, BESNO P40 TL pellet, conditioned
    value: 23
    unit: kV/mm
    scope: material
    conditions:
      state: conditioned (COND column); 23 degC
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: IEC 60243-1 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Electrical properties table, row Dielectric strength, 23 C, COND value
  - benchmark: moulding_shrinkage
    label: Moulding shrinkage, normal and parallel, BMNO P40 TLD
    value: 1.4
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: t+24h after moulding as printed
      grade: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD (injection grade)
    method: ISO 294-4 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-bmnotld
    where: Rheological properties table, rows Shrinkage, normal and parallel (t+24h)
  - benchmark: melt_volume_rate
    label: Melt volume flow rate, BMNO P40 TLD
    value: 35
    unit: cm3/10min
    scope: material
    conditions:
      load: 235 degC, 2.16 kg as printed
      grade: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD
    method: ISO 1133 as printed, 235 C / 2.16 kg
    status: ground
    source: arkema-bmnotld
    where: Rheological properties table, row Melt volume flow rate (MVR), 235 C / 2.16 kg
  - benchmark: bio_based_carbon_content
    label: Bio-based carbon content, BESNO P40 TL
    value: 89
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: measured carbon content as printed
      grade: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL
    method: ASTM D6866 as printed
    status: ground
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Other properties table, row Bio-based carbon content, measured
corrosion:
  - environment: UV exposure of PA11 (accelerated lab UV, photo-oxidation)
    headline: UV exposure forms carbonyl groups in PA11, with the carbonyl index rising linearly over the first 360 h.
    effect: Kaci et al. (2018) ran accelerated UV on PA11 nanocomposites with unmodified vermiculite for up to 600 h. Photo-oxidation produced imides and carboxylic acids, and the carbonyl index rose linearly in the first 360 h. The record gives no tensile or elongation figure for PA11, so mechanical loss from UV is not quantified here. The Arkema pellet grades are sold with a light stabiliser (additive list).
    rating: moderate
    conditions:
      basis: accelerated UV on clay-filled PA11, not neat resin; mechanical change not read
    source: kaci2018
    where: Abstract
  - environment: Immersion in water and humid air (moisture uptake)
    headline: PA11 takes up 1.6 % water at equilibrium at 23 degC, and changes length by 0.2 to 0.5 % after 25 weeks in 20 degC water.
    effect: Arkema gives 1.6 % water absorption at equilibrium at 23 degC by immersion (ISO 62) for both plasticised pellet grades. Its key-properties page gives 0.2 to 0.5 % length variation and 1.9 % weight variation after 25 weeks in 20 degC water, against 2.2 to 2.7 % and 9.5 % for PA6 on the same page. The sources read do not give the stiffness change caused by this uptake.
    rating: low
    conditions:
      basis: equilibrium immersion at 23 degC (ISO 62); 25-week immersion at 20 degC (no standard printed)
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Other properties table, row Water absorption, at equilibrium at 23 C, Immersion
  - environment: Continuous heat (short-term thermal properties)
    headline: The plasticised pellet grade has a Vicat of 140 degC and a heat deflection temperature of 45 degC at 1.8 MPa.
    effect: Arkema's thermal table for BESNO P40 TL gives a Vicat softening temperature of 140 degC (ISO 306, 50 N, 50 C/h) and heat deflection temperatures of 130 degC at 0.45 MPa and 45 degC at 1.8 MPa (ISO 75). These are short-time test temperatures. No oven-ageing time series for PA11 was read.
    rating: unknown
    conditions:
      basis: short-time thermal tests as printed; no time-at-temperature ageing data read
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Thermal properties table, rows Vicat softening temperature and Heat deflection temperature
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: '11-aminoundecanoic acid (monomer, EC 219-417-6): PubChem reports GHS Not Classified in 191 of 191 company reports. The same record also lists H402 (harmful to aquatic life), with precautionary codes P273 and P501, in an ECHA notification entry. The two entries conflict, and the record does not show how many notifications carry H402.'
      ghs:
        - H402
      source: pubchem-aminoundecanoic
      where: Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification and Precautionary Statement Codes (CID 17083)
    - text: The Arkema pellet datasheets read here (BESNO P40 TL, BESNO P40 TLO, BMNO P40 TLD) carry no hazard classification. No PA11 polymer SDS was read, so the polymer itself is not classified in this file.
      ghs: []
      source: arkema-p40tl
      where: Whole document; the datasheet has no hazard section
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Photo-oxidation under UV
      trigger: UV in service or accelerated UV testing
      consequence: Carbonyl index rose linearly over the first 360 h of accelerated UV in a clay-filled PA11 study (Kaci 2018). Tensile or elongation loss from UV was not read, and outdoor exposure was not tested.
      severity: moderate
      source: kaci2018
      where: Abstract
    - mode: Dimensional and mass change when wet
      trigger: Immersion in water or humid air
      consequence: Length variation of 0.2 to 0.5 % and weight variation of 1.9 % after 25 weeks in 20 degC water (Arkema). The stiffness change with water uptake is not quantified in the sources read.
      severity: moderate
      source: arkema-key-props
      where: Dimensional variation table
    - mode: Deformation under load above about 45 degC
      trigger: Sustained load at temperatures above about 45 degC (heat deflection at 1.8 MPa)
      consequence: The plasticised pellet grade BESNO P40 TL has a heat deflection temperature of 45 degC at 1.8 MPa and 130 degC at 0.45 MPa (ISO 75). Load-bearing parts may deform above these temperatures, and no creep data were read.
      severity: moderate
      source: arkema-p40tl
      where: Thermal properties table, rows Heat deflection temperature
  side_effects: []
  handling:
    - text: Dry the pellets at 80 to 90 degC for 4 to 6 h if the bag has been open for more than 2 hours (Arkema processing recommendation).
      source: arkema-p40tl
      where: Processing recommendations, Drying Conditions
    - text: Test specimen injection moulding melt temperature is 250 degC for BESNO P40 TL, with mould temperature 40 degC (Arkema).
      source: arkema-p40tl
      where: Test specimen processing, injection moulding rows
    - text: Test specimen injection moulding melt temperature is 230 degC for BMNO P40 TLD, with mould temperature 40 degC (Arkema).
      source: arkema-bmnotld
      where: Test specimen processing, injection moulding rows
    - text: Keep sealed bags with UV protection and appropriate moisture control; the stated shelf life is two years from delivery (Arkema).
      source: arkema-p40tl
      where: Shelf life paragraph
  mitigations:
    - text: Arkema lists heat-stabilised and light-stabilised additives for the BESNO P40 TL and BMNO P40 TLD grades. The sources do not quantify how much these additives slow UV or heat ageing.
      source: arkema-p40tl
      where: Transformation processes and additives table
uses:
  - application: propulsion-and-tanks
    device: Automotive fluid-transfer and air-brake tubing
    example: Arkema calls BESNO P40 TL a market reference in air brake (PHL) and automotive fluid transfer line applications. Arkema also lists PA11 tubing and fittings for fuel management.
    source: arkema-p40tl
    where: Product description paragraph and potential applications list (Light vehicle)
  - application: electronics-and-chips
    device: Cable sheathing
    example: The BESNO P40 TLO datasheet lists cable among its potential applications. The BESNO P40 TL electrical table gives a conditioned volume resistivity of 1.0E+9 ohm.m for the same polymer family. This is ground product use, not an in-space use.
    source: arkema-p40tlo
    where: Potential applications list and product description
  - application: structures
    device: Ground 3D-printed parts from PA11 fine powder
    example: Arkema's page lists Rilsan Fine Powders for high-performance 3D-printed parts. This is ground manufacturing; the pellet grades read here are not powder grades.
    source: arkema-bio-based
    where: Other applications list
supply:
  - subject: Castor oil and the C11 fraction (feedstock for the PA11 monomer)
    demand: No demand or tonnage figure was read.
    routes: Arkema says castor oil's 18-carbon chain is split into an 11-carbon fraction and a 7-carbon fraction, and the C11 fraction is converted into the amino-11 monomer. Wikipedia says ricinoleic acid makes up 85 to 90 % of castor oil.
    producers: []
    critical_lists: []
    substitutes: []
    source: arkema-bio-based
    where: Feedstock paragraph; Wikipedia Nylon 11 (ricinoleic acid share) is cited in the story recipe
  - subject: PA11 polymer production sites
    demand: No demand or capacity figure in tonnes per year was read.
    routes: Wikipedia names Arkema sites that polymerise PA11 at Birdsboro (Pennsylvania, USA), Changshu (China) and Serquigny (France). Arkema says PA11 is produced in Europe, the USA and Asia, and it mentions an announced Asian monomer and PA11 investment with no location or date.
    producers: []
    critical_lists: []
    substitutes: []
    source: wikipedia-nylon11
    where: Synthesis and production paragraphs
media: []
documents:
  - title: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL, Arkema technical data sheet (English, HPP 2026-10-21)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/assets/arkema/TDS_RILSAN%C2%AE%20BESNO%20P40%20TL_en_WW.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD, Arkema technical data sheet (English, HPP 2026-09-28)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/assets/arkema/TDS_RILSAN%C2%AE%20BMNO%20P40%20TLD_en_WW.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: RILSAN BESNO P40 TLO, Arkema technical data sheet (English, HPP 2026-09-28)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/assets/arkema/TDS_RILSAN%C2%AE%20BESNO%20P40%20TLO_en_WW.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: Kaci, Focke and Van der Merwe (2018), The effects of unmodified vermiculite on photooxidation of polyamide 11 nanocomposites under accelerated UV test, AIP Conference Proceedings 1981
    type: paper
    url: https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/65774
    year: 2018
  - title: 'PubChem CID 17083, 11-Aminoundecanoic acid: safety and hazards, GHS classification'
    type: database
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/17083
    year: 2026
  - title: Arkema Rilsan PA11 key properties page (Arkema High Performance Polymers)
    type: report
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/en/product-families/rilsan-polyamide-11-resins/key-properties/
    year: 2026
  - title: Arkema Rilsan PA11 bio-based and renewable solutions page
    type: report
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/en/product-families/rilsan-polyamide-11-resins/bio-based-renewable-solutions/
    year: 2026
  - title: Nylon 11, Wikipedia (composition, synthesis, production sites and history only)
    type: report
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon_11
    year: 2026
gaps:
  - 'Unplasticised PA11: all three pellet datasheets read (BESNO P40 TL, BESNO P40 TLO, BMNO P40 TLD) are plasticised grades, and the values in this file are for those grades. Unplasticised PA11 values are not in this file.'
  - 'Dry-state mechanical values: the Arkema datasheets print a DRY column that is blank for these grades, so every tensile, flexural and impact value here is conditioned. No dry-state value was found.'
  - Yield stress for BESNO P40 TL is not printed on its datasheet (only BESNO P40 TLO prints 26 MPa). The BMNO P40 TLD yield values are printed without a dry or conditioned marker, so they are left out.
  - 'UV mechanical loss: only the Kaci 2018 abstract was read (carbonyl index, 360 h). The MDPI Polymers 12(5) 1034 photo-oxidation paper (Carroccio et al.) could not be opened (expired TLS certificate and HTTP 403), and the Kaci full text was not available. Tensile and elongation change under UV is not sourced.'
  - 'Heat ageing: no oven-ageing time series for PA11 was read. The HAL paper on PA11 hydrolysis and thermal ageing (hal-ifp) returned an access block, and the Ocampo-Martinez 2017 and Raquez 2010 thermal-ageing papers were named in search results only and not opened.'
  - 'Hydrolysis and chemical resistance: no PA11-specific hydrolysis number and no chemical-resistance data were read.'
  - 'Flight data: the NASA MISSE 2 PEACE listing (NTRS 20090011780) was checked for PA 11, but the page returned only the abstract, so no atomic-oxygen erosion value for PA 11 was read. PA 11 orbital use is not sourced.'
  - 'Hazards: PubChem gives the monomer 11-aminoundecanoic acid as Not Classified in 191 of 191 reports but also lists H402 in one entry, and the two cannot be reconciled from the page. No PA11 polymer SDS was read, so the polymer itself is not classified here.'
  - 'Supply: country shares of castor-seed production and of PA11 capacity were not read. The ICEX castor review timed out, and search-result snippets were not used as values. No critical-mineral list was checked against USGS or the EU list, because castor oil is an agricultural feedstock.'
  - 'Designations: no UNS, EN, DIN, ASTM or AISI code for PA11 was read. Only ISO 16396 designations and Arkema grade names are listed.'
  - Repeat-unit formula C11H21NO is derived from the monomer formula less one water. No source read prints the repeat unit.
  - 'Impact: the Arkema key-properties page says PA11 is twice as resilient as PA 12 at -30 degC, but it gives no absolute number, so that comparison is not in the values.'
  - 'Property names not in spores/property-canon.yaml and used as short names: charpy_notched_impact, hardness_shore_d, length_variation_water_immersion, moulding_shrinkage, melt_volume_rate, bio_based_carbon_content.'
  - 'Gas permeability (H2, CO2, H2O and others) on the Arkema key-properties page is not included: the page gives no test standard or temperature for it.'
  - The Arkema key-properties page shows flexural modulus and abrasion only in charts that the page text does not quantify.
  - Atomic weights and mass shares of C, H, N and O in the monomer were not computed.
  - 'Electrical resistivity: the BESNO P40 TL datasheet prints volume resistivity as 1.0E+9 ohm.m and surface resistivity as 5.0E+11 ohm/sq. The value check cannot match E-notation exponents, so both rows were removed here. Re-add them as 1.0e9 and 5.0e11 once the printed values are checked by hand.'
sources:
  arkema-p40tl:
    title: RILSAN BESNO P40 TL, Arkema technical data sheet (English, polyamide 11 pellet)
    id: Arkema HPP datasheet, printed 2026-10-21 (HPP - 2026-10-21, page 4 of 4)
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/assets/arkema/TDS_RILSAN%C2%AE%20BESNO%20P40%20TL_en_WW.pdf
    kind: datasheet
    year: 2026
    license: supplier datasheet, cited
  arkema-bmnotld:
    title: RILSAN BMNO P40 TLD, Arkema technical data sheet (English, polyamide 11 pellet, injection moulding)
    id: Arkema HPP datasheet, printed 2026-09-28 (HPP - 2026-09-28, page 3 of 3)
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/assets/arkema/TDS_RILSAN%C2%AE%20BMNO%20P40%20TLD_en_WW.pdf
    kind: datasheet
    year: 2026
    license: supplier datasheet, cited
  arkema-p40tlo:
    title: RILSAN BESNO P40 TLO, Arkema technical data sheet (English, polyamide 11 pellet, tube extrusion)
    id: Arkema HPP datasheet, printed 2026-09-28 (HPP - 2026-09-28, page 2 of 2)
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/assets/arkema/TDS_RILSAN%C2%AE%20BESNO%20P40%20TLO_en_WW.pdf
    kind: datasheet
    year: 2026
    license: supplier datasheet, cited
  arkema-key-props:
    title: Arkema High Performance Polymers, Rilsan polyamide 11 key properties
    id: Arkema product-family page, key-properties
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/en/product-families/rilsan-polyamide-11-resins/key-properties/
    kind: web
    year: 2026
    license: supplier web page, cited
  arkema-bio-based:
    title: Arkema High Performance Polymers, Rilsan polyamide 11 bio-based and renewable solutions
    id: Arkema product-family page, bio-based-renewable-solutions
    url: https://hpp.arkema.com/en/product-families/rilsan-polyamide-11-resins/bio-based-renewable-solutions/
    kind: web
    year: 2026
    license: supplier web page, cited
  kaci2018:
    title: The effects of unmodified vermiculite on photooxidation of polyamide 11 nanocomposites under accelerated UV test
    id: Kaci M, Focke WW, Van der Merwe EM, AIP Conference Proceedings vol. 1981 (2018); University of Pretoria repository record 2263/65774
    url: https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/65774
    kind: paper
    year: 2018
    license: repository record, cited
  pubchem-aminoundecanoic:
    title: 'PubChem CID 17083, 11-Aminoundecanoic acid: molecular formula and GHS classification'
    id: PubChem CID 17083 (EC 219-417-6, CAS 2432-99-7)
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/17083
    kind: database
    year: 2026
    license: public domain (NIH PubChem)
  wikipedia-nylon11:
    title: Nylon 11, Wikipedia (composition, synthesis, production sites and history only)
    id: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon_11
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon_11
    kind: web
    year: 2026
    license: CC BY-SA 4.0
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-26'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 28
  unreachable: 4
  caveats: 9
  note: Written by an AI assistant on 2026-10-26. Values come from three Arkema pellet datasheets (plasticised grades, conditioned columns), the Arkema key-properties page, the Kaci 2018 abstract and the PubChem record for the monomer. The MDPI UV paper, the HAL thermal-ageing paper, the ICEX castor review and the NASA MISSE listing could not be read, and the file says so in gaps.
story:
  recipe:
    line: PA11 is made by polymerising 11-aminoundecanoic acid (C11H23NO2), which Arkema derives from castor oil through its C11 fraction. Wikipedia says ricinoleic acid is 85 to 90 % of castor oil and is the starting point of the monomer route. Ring-opening of the amino acid with loss of water gives the repeat unit -NH(CH2)10CO-.
    parts:
      - name: Carbon
        symbol: C
        role: Eleven carbons in the repeat unit, ten CH2 groups and the carbonyl carbon.
      - name: Hydrogen
        symbol: H
        role: Methylene and amide hydrogens of the repeat unit.
      - name: Nitrogen
        symbol: 'N'
        role: Amide nitrogen; hydrogen bonds between chains give the crystalline structure.
      - name: Oxygen
        symbol: O
        role: Carbonyl oxygen of the amide group.
      - name: 11-aminoundecanoic acid
        symbol: C11H23NO2
        role: Monomer (CID 17083). Polymerisation removes water, so the repeat unit is C11H21NO.
  risk_groups:
    - title: All readers
      level: 0
      verdict: Partly verified
      lead: The monomer 11-aminoundecanoic acid is Not Classified in 191 of 191 PubChem reports, but one entry lists H402. The polymer has no classification in any record read here, and no PA11 SDS was read.
  why: PA11 is in this file because it is a castor-oil-based engineering polyamide with datasheet values from Arkema, and because it is a different chain-length polyamide from PA 12 (11 carbons per repeat unit against 12 for PA 12). No orbital value was found.
  uses:
    - where: Automotive fluid-transfer and air-brake tubing
      line: Arkema calls BESNO P40 TL a market reference in air brake and automotive fluid transfer lines, and lists fuel-management tubing and fittings.
    - where: Cable sheathing
      line: The BESNO P40 TLO datasheet lists cable among its potential applications. Its electrical values are for the same polymer family, not for a specific cable spec.
    - where: Ground 3D-printed parts
      line: Arkema lists Rilsan Fine Powders for high-performance 3D-printed parts. This is ground manufacturing, and the pellet data here do not apply to powder.
  can_do:
    - label: Stiffness of a conditioned pellet part
      benchmark: elastic_modulus
      line: Arkema gives a conditioned tensile modulus of 345 MPa (ISO 527) for BESNO P40 TL and BMNO P40 TLD, and a flexural modulus of 350 MPa and 315 MPa (ISO 178).
    - label: Heat
      benchmark: heat_deflection_temperature
      line: The plasticised pellet grade has a melting point of 181 degC and a Vicat of 140 degC, with a heat deflection temperature of 45 degC at 1.8 MPa.
    - label: Low-temperature toughness
      benchmark: charpy_notched_impact
      line: Arkema gives a notched Charpy impact of 7 kJ/m2 (BESNO P40 TL) and 6 kJ/m2 (BMNO P40 TLD) at -30 degC, both conditioned, with no break in the unnotched test at -30 degC.
  compare: 'PA 11 and PA 12 differ mainly in stiffness and water. The PA11 values here are for plasticised pellets, which are much softer than the laser-sintered PA 12 powder parts in the PA 12 profile, so the two sets of stiffness values are not comparable. Water uptake for PA11 is 1.6 % at equilibrium at 23 degC by immersion, while the PA 12 profile gives its water figures under different conditions, so the two are not directly comparable either. The UV comparison is weaker for PA11: the PA 12 profile has a measured tensile-loss result after accelerated weathering, but for PA11 only a carbonyl index result (Kaci 2018) was read. PA11 has a bio-based carbon content of 89 % for BESNO P40 TL, a property the PA 12 profile does not give.'
  compare_rows:
    - scope: material
      label: Melting point
      benchmark: melting_point
    - scope: material
      label: Water uptake at equilibrium
      benchmark: moisture_absorption
    - scope: material
      label: Tensile modulus
      benchmark: elastic_modulus
  handling:
    - Dry the pellets at 80 to 90 degC for 4 to 6 h if the bag has been open for more than 2 hours, as Arkema advises.
    - Keep sealed bags out of UV and in controlled moisture; the stated shelf life is two years from delivery.
    - Test specimens of BESNO P40 TL are moulded at 250 degC melt and 40 degC mould temperature; BMNO P40 TLD at 230 degC melt and 40 degC mould temperature (Arkema).
  good_for:
    - Ground tubing, fluid-transfer lines and injection-moulded parts from plasticised PA11 pellets, where the Arkema datasheet values are known.
    - Parts that stay below about 45 degC under sustained load, or that are shielded from UV.
    - Projects that need a bio-based polyamide with 89 % bio-based carbon (BESNO P40 TL).
  watch_out:
    - 'UV: the only UV result read is a rising carbonyl index over the first 360 h of accelerated UV in a clay-filled PA11 study. No tensile loss figure was read.'
    - 'Heat under load: the heat deflection temperature is 45 degC at 1.8 MPa for BESNO P40 TL, so parts under load may deform well below the Vicat of 140 degC.'
    - 'Plasticised grades: the values here are for plasticised pellets. Unplasticised PA11 values are not in this file.'
    - 'Water: 1.6 % uptake at equilibrium, with 0.2 to 0.5 % length change after 25 weeks in 20 degC water. The stiffness change with water is not quantified.'
    - No PA11 flight or orbital erosion value was read.
  verdict: PA11 is a well-documented plasticised pellet polyamide, with sourced density, melting, water, heat and conditioned mechanical values from Arkema's datasheets and a bio-based feedstock. Its main limits in this file are UV, where no tensile loss figure was read, and heat under load, where the plasticised grades soften at 45 degC under 1.8 MPa. It has no sourced orbital value, its hazard data covers only the monomer, and its unplasticised values are still missing.