Nylon Plastic Shrinkage: Understanding The Science Behind It

Nylon is a popular flexible filament known for its strength, durability, and flexibility. However, its flexibility comes from its semi-crystalline structure, which is highly prone to shrinking. Nylon shrinks substantially as it cools, typically around 0.5-1.5%. This is 3-4 times greater than the shrinkage seen in PLA or ABS. While pure 100% nylon will not shrink in your washer, blended nylon fabrics containing rayon or cotton fibres can.

Nylon shrinks substantially as it cools, typically around 0.5-1.5%

Nylon is a popular flexible filament known for its strength, durability and flexibility. Its flexibility comes from its semi-crystalline structure, which is highly prone to shrinking. Nylon shrinks substantially as it cools, typically around 0.5-1.5%. This is 3-4 times greater than the shrinkage seen in PLA or ABS.

Nylon's shrinkage rate is typically between 0.7-0.8%, which is higher than the 0.3% rate of materials like PLA and the 0.4-0.9% rate of ABS. This is because nylon is a flexible material, and flexible materials tend to have higher shrinkage rates.

To reduce nylon's shrinkage, you can use a heated chamber to control the cooling process. This is one of the best ways to reduce nylon's shrinkage. You can also print very slowly, at 15-25 mm/s, for even cooling. Increasing the number of perimeters to 8-10 solid shells will also help to reduce shrinkage and improve rigidity.

It's important to account for the specific shrinkage rate of your material to get accurately sized prints that match your digital designs. For example, if you are printing a model that needs to be 100 mm tall, and you are using a material with a 0.5% shrinkage rate, you would need to scale your model up to 100.5 mm tall to account for the shrinkage.

Nylon is a popular flexible filament known for its strength and durability

Nylon's flexibility comes from its semi-crystalline structure. To reduce nylon's shrinkage, you can control the cooling process by using a heated chamber, printing very slowly (15-25 mm/s), increasing the number of perimeters to 8-10 solid shells for rigidity, and using large layer heights like 0.28 mm to speed crystallization.

It's worth noting that while pure 100% nylon will not shrink in your washer, blended nylon fabrics containing rayon or cotton fibres can. These fibres absorb water better than nylon, causing them to expand as the fabric shrinks.

Nylon's shrinkage can be reduced by using a heated chamber to control the cooling process

Nylon is a popular flexible filament known for its strength, durability and flexibility. Its flexibility comes from its semi-crystalline structure which is highly prone to shrinking. Nylon shrinks substantially as it cools, typically around 0.5-1.5%. This is 3-4 times greater than the shrinkage seen in PLA or ABS.

It is important to account for the specific shrinkage rate of your material to get accurately sized prints that match your digital designs. For example, when printing with ABS, it is recommended to print more slowly to prevent defects and improve accuracy. 40 mm/s is ideal for ABS. An enclosure can also be used to control cooling if printing large ABS objects. Adding extra perimeters is one of the most effective ways to reduce ABS shrinkage, as it strengthens edges and corners.

When it comes to nylon, it is important to note that while pure 100% nylon will not shrink in your washer, blended nylon fabrics containing rayon or cotton fibres can. These fibres absorb water better than nylon, causing them to expand as the fabric shrinks.

Nylon's shrinkage rate is higher than that of PLA or ABS

Nylon is a popular flexible filament known for its strength, durability, and flexibility. This flexibility comes from its semi-crystalline structure, which is highly prone to shrinking. Nylon shrinks substantially as it cools, typically around 0.5-1.5%. This is 3-4 times greater than the shrinkage seen in PLA or ABS. For example, the typical shrinkage rate for PLA is 0.3%, while for flexible materials like Nylon it can be up to 0.7-0.8%. ABS has a shrinkage rate of 0.4-0.9%.

Nylon's high shrinkage rate is due to its semi-crystalline structure, which causes it to contract as it cools. This is a common issue with 3D printing materials, as they expand when heated to high temperatures during the printing process and then shrink as they cool down. To reduce nylon's shrinkage, it is recommended to use a heated chamber to control the cooling process and print slowly (15-25 mm/s) for even cooling. Increasing the number of perimeters to 8-10 solid shells can also help add rigidity and reduce warping.

It's important to note that pure 100% nylon will not shrink in a washer, but blended nylon fabrics containing rayon or cotton fibres can. These fibres absorb water better than nylon, causing them to expand as the fabric shrinks.

Blended nylon fabrics containing rayon or cotton fibres can shrink in the wash

Nylon is a popular flexible filament known for its strength, durability and flexibility. Its flexibility comes from its semi-crystalline structure which is highly prone to shrinking. Nylon shrinks substantially as it cools, typically around 0.5-1.5%. This is 3-4 times greater than the shrinkage seen in PLA or ABS. The amount of shrinkage depends on factors such as the specific shrinkage rate of your material, and the temperature of the cooling process.

To reduce nylon's shrinkage, it is recommended to use a heated chamber to control the cooling process. Printing very slowly, at 15-25 mm/s, will also help to ensure even cooling. Increasing the number of perimeters to 8-10 solid shells will add rigidity to the structure. Large layer heights, such as 0.28 mm, can also speed up crystallisation and reduce shrinkage.

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