Standards & Compliance · September 12, 2026 · Juhai R&D Center

PA6 Standards & Compliance — ISO Test Methods, FDA Food Contact, UL94, RoHS & REACH

A PA6 datasheet is a string of numbers — tensile 162 MPa, HDT 198°C, notched Izod 17 kJ/m². Those numbers are only meaningful because they were measured under a defined standard. This article maps the standards and compliance frameworks that matter for modified PA6: the ISO test methods behind every property value, FDA and EU food-contact rules, UL94 and CTI for flame and electrical safety, and RoHS/REACH for environmental compliance.

Table of Contents

1. 1. ISO Test Standards — The Language of PA6 Datasheets

2. 2. Food Contact Compliance — FDA & EU 10/2011

3. 3. Flame Retardant & Electrical Standards — UL94, CTI, Glow Wire

4. 4. Thermal Endurance — UL 746B & Continuous Use Temperature

5. 5. Environmental & Chemical Compliance — RoHS, REACH, Halogen-Free

6. 6. Quality & Automotive Management — ISO 9001 & IATF 16949

7. 7. PA6 Grade Compliance Reference Table

8. 8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. ISO Test Standards — The Language of PA6 Datasheets

Every mechanical property on a PA6 datasheet is tied to an ISO standard. Without the standard, "162 MPa" is just a number — it could be tested at 23°C or 80°C, dry or conditioned, on a 4 mm or 2 mm bar. Here are the standards that appear on every Juhai PA6 data sheet:

Conditioning note: PA6 properties change significantly with moisture content. ISO standards for PA require specimens to be tested in a defined state — either "dry as molded" (DAM, conditioned at 23°C / 50% RH for at least 88 hours per ISO 1110) or "conditioned" (saturated). Always check which state a datasheet uses. Juhai datasheets report DAM values by default, which represents the worst-case (lowest toughness) and is what molders see before parts absorb moisture.

2. Food Contact Compliance — FDA & EU 10/2011

PA6 is widely used in food processing equipment, kitchen appliances and food packaging structures. Two regulatory frameworks govern food-contact use:

FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 (United States)

This regulation lists nylon 6 (polycaproamide) as an approved resin for repeated-use food-contact articles. The compliance requirements are:

• The base PA6 resin must meet the identity and purity limits in 177.1520(c).

• Extractives limits: n-hexane extractive ≤ 0.5% (for fatty food contact), water extractive ≤ 0.5%.

• Glass fiber, lubricants and stabilizers used in the formulation must each be on the FDA's list of sanctioned indirect food additives (21 CFR 170–189).

• Final article must not exceed the specific migration limits for the intended food type and temperature.

EU 10/2011 (European Union)

The EU framework is more prescriptive. It sets specific migration limits (SML) for individual substances:

• Caprolactam monomer (the PA6 residual monomer): SML = 15 mg/kg food.

• Primary aromatic amines (PAA): SML = 0.01 mg/kg (detection limit).

• All additives must be listed in Annex I of 10/2011 with their respective SML values.

• Migration testing follows EN 1186 series standards using food simulants (A = 10% ethanol, B = 3% acetic acid, C = 20% ethanol, D1 = 50% ethanol, D2 = vegetable oil).

Juhai's food-contact grade PA6 GBC30 is formulated to comply with both FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 and EU 10/2011, using FDA-sanctioned lubricants, stabilizers and natural (non-colorable) compounding to keep extractives and migration within limits. A food-contact grade is not just "regular PA6 with a sticker" — every additive in the formulation must be food-grade.

3. Flame Retardant & Electrical Standards — UL94, CTI, Glow Wire

When PA6 is used in electrical and electronic components — connectors, circuit breaker housings, EV charging parts — flame and electrical safety standards apply.

UL94 Flammability

UL94 is the standard for flammability of plastic materials. For thin-wall electrical parts, the key ratings are:

• V-2: Burning stops within 30 seconds; flaming drips allowed.

• V-1: Burning stops within 30 seconds; no flaming drips.

• V-0 (most stringent for thin parts): Burning stops within 10 seconds; no flaming drips; total flaming time across 5 specimens ≤ 50 seconds.

PA6 is inherently V-2 at most thicknesses. To reach V-0, a flame retardant package must be added — either halogenated (brominated + antimony trioxide) or halogen-free (aluminum diethylphosphinate, melamine polyphosphate). The rating is always stated at a specific thickness; V-0 at 1.5 mm is more demanding than V-0 at 3.0 mm.

CTI — Comparative Tracking Index (IEC 60112)

CTI measures a material's resistance to electrical tracking (carbonized conductive paths) under wet conditions. Ratings are grouped into PLC (Performance Level Category):

• PLC 0: CTI ≥ 600 V (best)

• PLC 1: 400–599 V

• PLC 2: 250–399 V

Unmodified PA6 typically achieves CTI 500–600 V (PLC 1). Some flame retardants, especially brominated systems, can reduce CTI — so halogen-free FR systems are preferred for high-CTI electrical grades. A CTI ≥ 600 V (PLC 0) is often required for HV connectors and circuit breakers.

Glow Wire Test (IEC 60695-2-11 / -12)

The glow wire test simulates thermal stress that could occur in electrical equipment (e.g., a glowing wire near a plastic housing). Two values are reported:

• GWIT (Glow Wire Ignition Temperature): The temperature at which the material does not ignite. Higher is better.

• GWFI (Glow Wire Flammability Index): The temperature at which the material does not sustain flame for more than 30 seconds.

For unattended electrical equipment (IEC 60335-1), end products may require GWFI ≥ 850°C on the finished part — which generally requires a flame-retardant PA6 grade.

4. Thermal Endurance — UL 746B & Continuous Use Temperature

UL 746B determines the long-term thermal aging (thermal endurance) of plastics. It subjects specimens to elevated temperatures for up to 10,000 hours and measures when a critical property (tensile strength or impact) drops to 50% of its initial value. The result is a Relative Thermal Index (RTI) — the maximum continuous-use temperature.

RTI values for PA6 grades typically fall in these ranges:

• General-purpose PA6 GF30: RTI 105–110°C (electrical) / 110–120°C (mechanical, with impact).

• Heat-stabilized PA6 GF30 (CuI/KI): RTI 130–140°C, with validated 10,000-hour data.

• PA66 GF30 heat-stabilized: RTI 140°C long-term, 170°C short-term.

For automotive under-hood parts where continuous temperatures reach 140–150°C, a heat-stabilized grade with UL 746B RTI data is not optional — it's a customer requirement. The CuI/KI stabilizer system is what pushes PA6 from an RTI of ~110°C to ~140°C.

5. Environmental & Chemical Compliance — RoHS, REACH, Halogen-Free

RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances)

RoHS 3 (2015/863/EU) restricts 10 substances in electrical and electronic equipment. For modified PA6, the relevant restricted substances are lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and four phthalates. PA6 resins and glass fibers do not naturally contain these — the risk comes from certain color pigments (lead-based, cadmium-based) and some flame retardant synergists. Juhai PA6 grades use RoHS-compliant pigments and are certified RoHS-compliant by third-party test (XRF screening + chemical analysis).

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals)

REACH requires that substances of very high concern (SVHC) above 0.1% by weight in the article be communicated down the supply chain. As of 2026, the SVHC candidate list contains over 240 substances. For PA6 formulations, the SVHC risks are concentrated in:

• Certain brominated flame retardants (some are SVHC or restricted under Annex XVII).

• Lead and lead compounds (some pigments and heat stabilizers).

• Phthalates (some plasticizers).

A REACH-compliant PA6 grade uses SVHC-free additives — typically halogen-free flame retardants, lead-free pigments, and phthalate-free plasticizers. Juhai maintains SVHC declarations for all standard grades and updates them with each ECHA candidate list revision.

Halogen-Free

"Halogen-free" is generally defined as chlorine < 900 ppm, bromine < 900 ppm, total halogens < 1,500 ppm (per IEC 61249-2-21). This is not a legal requirement in most markets but is increasingly demanded by electronics OEMs (Apple, Dell, Samsung, etc.) for environmental reasons. Halogen-free flame retardant PA6 uses phosphorus-based systems (DEPAL, red phosphorus, MPP) instead of brominated systems. Note that halogen-free FR PA6 typically has a higher cost and slightly lower CTI than brominated equivalents.

6. Quality & Automotive Management — ISO 9001 & IATF 16949

Management system certifications don't change the PA6 material, but they define how consistently it's produced and controlled:

• ISO 9001: Quality management system. Required by most industrial customers. Covers document control, non-conforming product handling, corrective actions and internal audits. Juhai is ISO 9001 certified.

• IATF 16949: Automotive quality management system. Adds customer-specific requirements, APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), PPAP (Production Part Approval Process), FMEA and SPC. Required for direct supply to automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers. IATF 16949 certification also typically requires tighter lot-to-lot property variation (e.g., ±3% tensile control rather than ±5%).

For automotive PA6 parts (under-hood brackets, connector housings), the combination of IATF 16949 production, UL 746B RTI data, and (for electrical parts) UL94 V-0 + CTI 600V forms the complete compliance package a Tier-1 supplier needs.

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This table maps Juhai's PA6 grades to the compliance frameworks each is designed for. A checkmark means the grade is formulated and documented for that framework — it does not mean every lot is individually certified unless specified.

For flame-retardant V-0 grades, see our PA66 FR-V0 product; PA6-based V-0 formulations are available as custom compounds on request via our FTF02 custom compounding service. For the full standards and compliance overview across all product lines, visit our standards & compliance page.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are all PA6 datasheet values measured to ISO standards?
   A: Not always. Some suppliers report values measured to ASTM standards (e.g., ASTM D638 for tensile instead of ISO 527). ASTM and ISO values are not directly comparable — specimen geometry and test speed differ. Always verify the standard behind the number. Juhai datasheets report ISO values exclusively, with the standard cited for each property.

Q: Does FDA approval for PA6 resin automatically mean my filled PA6 is food-safe?
   A: No. FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 approves the base resin, but every additive in your compound — glass fiber sizing, lubricant, heat stabilizer, colorant — must also be on the FDA sanctioned list. A food-contact PA6 grade is formulated from the ground up with FDA-compliant components. Using a standard PA6 GF30 in a food application risks extractives and migration violations.

Q: What's the difference between UL94 V-0 and a glow wire pass?
   A: They test different things. UL94 V-0 tests the material's response to direct flame application — how quickly it self-extinguishes. The glow wire test (IEC 60695-2) tests the material's response to a glowing (incandescent) wire, simulating thermal ignition from an overheated component inside equipment. A material can be V-0 but fail glow wire, or vice versa. For unattended electrical appliances, both may be required by the end-product standard (IEC 60335-1).

Q: How is REACH SVHC compliance verified for PA6?
   A: In two ways: (1) a declaration from each raw material supplier that their component contains no SVHC above 0.1%, and (2) periodic third-party testing of the finished compound for the full SVHC list. Juhai issues an SVHC declaration with each lot and updates it whenever ECHA revises the candidate list. Customers with REACH obligations can rely on this declaration for their supply-chain communication.

Q: If my PA6 part operates at 130°C continuously, which standard covers this?
   A: UL 746B (RTI) is the governing standard for long-term continuous-use temperature. A general-purpose PA6 GF30 without heat stabilizer has an RTI around 110°C — meaning 130°C continuous use would cause premature property loss. A CuI/KI heat-stabilized grade like ETF02 raises the RTI to ~140°C, making 130°C continuous use safe. Always cross-check the RTI against your actual continuous operating temperature with a safety margin.

Summary: PA6 compliance is layered — ISO test methods make property values comparable, FDA/EU rules govern food contact, UL94/CTI/glow-wire address electrical safety, UL 746B defines thermal endurance, and RoHS/REACH handle environmental restrictions. No single PA6 grade covers every framework; each grade is formulated for its target compliance profile. When specifying PA6, start from the regulatory requirements of the end product and work backward to the grade that carries the right certification package.