--- type: "Article" title: "How did FILAB help one of its clients distinguish between the polymer materials polyamide PA 6 and PA 6.6? – Case study" description: "Case study Distinguishing between the polymer materials polyamide PA 6 and PA 6.6 Our client called on FILAB to address a production discrepancy. One of its machines had been mistakenly fed with the wrong raw material. Accueil • Blog •..." resource: "https://filab.fr/en/blog/2025/12/how-did-filab-help-one-of-its-clients-distinguish-between-the-polymer-materials-polyamide-pa-6-and-pa-6-6-case-study/" tags: ["Case study", "Characterization of Materials", "Polymer", "EN", "pll_69202bc7408e0"] timestamp: "2026-01-22T13:00:29Z" published: "2025-12-02T07:05:19Z" language: "en" author: "bwa" --- # How did FILAB help one of its clients distinguish between the polymer materials polyamide PA 6 and PA 6.6? – Case study Case study # Distinguishing between the polymer materials polyamide PA 6 and PA 6.6 Our client called on FILAB to address a production discrepancy. One of its machines had been mistakenly fed with the wrong raw material. [Home](https://filab.fr) • [News](https://filab.fr/?post_type=post) • Distinguishing between the polymer materials polyamide PA 6 and PA 6.6 ## How did FILAB help a customer distinguish between the polymer materials polyamide PA 6 and PA 6.6? Polyamide polymers, more commonly known as nylons, are widely used in many industries. PA 6 and PA 6.6 polyamide polymers are the most commonly used. Although they have many similarities, they differ in certain characteristics (mechanical properties, chemical structures, water absorption, and thermal resistance) that make them suitable for specific applications. This case study focuses on the method and technical means used to determine whether a polyamide is PA6 or PA6.6. ## Summary 01 Context [](#cont-01) 02 Determination of the chemical nature of parts [](#cont-02) 03 Conclusion of the study [](#cont-03) 01 ## Context Our client called on FILAB to help with a production discrepancy. One of their machines had been mistakenly fed with the wrong raw material. They wanted to take samples from 130,000 parts throughout the production process to determine whether they were made of PA 6.6 (compliant) or PA 6 (non-compliant). The client commissioned FILAB, a laboratory specializing in material characterization and chemical analysis, to first identify the polymers and then restart production. 02 ## Determination of the chemical nature of parts What analysis techniques did the laboratory decide to use to distinguish between the two polyamide polymers? **DSC analysis** DSC is a thermal analysis technique that measures the differences in heat exchange between a sample to be analyzed and a control (a reference). In this case, it made it possible to identify the characteristic temperatures of each polymer. The analysis revealed that the sample analyzed was indeed PA 6.6, consistent with normal production. Pyrolysis GC-MS analysis This technique confirmed the nature of the polymer found. Pyrolysis coupled with mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) is a pyrolysis technique followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) that identifies the organic compounds in a sample and determines its chemical composition by breaking it down into its volatile components. The nature of the polymer was thus confirmed. ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pyroprobe.png) 04 ## Conclusion of the study FILAB's in-depth analysis made it possible to determine with precision that the parts manufactured and analyzed complied with our client's specifications. This information was essential for successfully restarting production.  Need help? Contact our team [](#filab-contact-form) ## Other case studies you may be interested in ### Racket coverings Indeed, the intensive use of table tennis rackets has revealed problems related to the durability of this equipment. 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