Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder (PA11, SLS)
Formlabs · SLS powder
A bio-based, highly ductile PA11 powder for flexible, impact-resistant functional and medical parts.
Formlabs datasheet values, printed parts
Other PA11 grades and fills
Compare the PA11 products and conditions in the library; see the grade overview at PA11.
- COND
- FR
- ESD
- GF
- Arkema Rilsan Invent Natural
- EOS PA 1102 black
- EOS PA 1101 ClimateNeutral
- Formlabs Nylon 11
- EOS PA 1101
- Forward AM Ultrasint PA11
- HP PA 11
- HP PA 11 Gen2
- Sinterit PA11 Onyx
- CF
- Formlabs Nylon 11 CF
- Sinterit PA11 CF
- Forward AM Ultrasint PA11 Black CF
Compare all 17 grades and fillsHide
| Grade · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conditioned | PA11 moisture-conditioned to equilibrium at 50% RH: water plasticizes the amide phase, lowering modulus and strength while raising ductility and impact toughness. | 36 | 45 | 120 | 72 Shore D |
Flame-retardant PA11 powder | Specify for aircraft interior, rail and electrical enclosure parts needing V-0 / FAR 25.853 compliance. | 36 | 40 | 15 | 76 Shore D |
Static-dissipative / conductive-filled PA11 powder | For electronics handling trays, fuel-system components and fixtures requiring controlled surface resistivity. | 38 | 44 | 15 | 77 Shore D |
Glass-bead / glass-fiber filled PA11 powder | Use when stiffness, dimensional stability and elevated-temperature rigidity matter more than ductility. | — | 42 | 6 | 82 Shore D |
SLS powder | — | — | 45 | 45 | 77 Shore D |
SLS powder | — | — | 48 | 30 | — |
SLS powder | — | — | 48 | 45 | — |
Formlabs Nylon 11This page Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder · SLS powder | A bio-based, highly ductile PA11 powder for flexible, impact-resistant functional and medical parts. | — | 49 | 40 | — |
SLS powder | — | — | 50 | 30 | 75 Shore D |
SLS powder | — | — | 52 | 28 | — |
HP 3D High Reusability PA 11 · MJF powder | A ductile bio-based PA 11 for impact-resistant functional parts, living hinges, and flexible production geometries. | — | 52 | 50 | 80 Shore D |
HP 3D High Reusability PA 11 Gen2 · MJF powder | A second-generation ductile bio-based PA 11 for repeatable final-use production with improved powder efficiency. | — | 52 | 35 | — |
SLS powder | — | — | 55 | 31.6 | 76 Shore D |
Carbon-fiber reinforced PA11 powder | Highest stiffness-to-weight printed PA11; for jigs, brackets and motorsport parts where deflection must be minimized. | 60 | 65 | 5 | 82 Shore D |
Formlabs Nylon 11 CF Powder · SLS powder | A carbon-fiber-filled PA11 powder for strong, lightweight, impact-resistant parts that remain stable at elevated temperatures. | — | 69 | 9 | — |
SLS powder | — | — | 81 | 24.5 | 81 Shore D |
SLS powder | — | — | 82 | 7 | — |
What is Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder?
Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder is Formlabs' PA11 powder for Selective Laser Sintering on Fuse 1+ 30W, Fuse 1 — a bio-based, highly ductile PA11 powder for flexible, impact-resistant functional and medical parts. Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder has a tensile strength of 49 MPa (7.11 ksi), stronger than 53% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 1.6 GPa (0.232 Msi). Pick Formlabs in the Powder row when quoting PA11 and the part is printed from this powder.
Advantages
- Low moisture uptake — 0.07%, better than 81% of polymer grades
About this powder
“Nylon 11 Powder is a strong and highly ductile bio-based material. It is ideal for robust biocompatible parts, functional prototyping, and producing custom or low volume end-use parts that need to bend or take impact.” — Formlabs, product description
- Manufacturer
- Formlabs
- Product
- Nylon 11 Powder
- Base polymer
- PA11
- Process
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
- Printers
- Fuse 1+ 30W, Fuse 1
- As-printed colour
- Dark Gray / Black — Sold as Nylon 11 Powder Black (Formlabs SKU PD-FS-P11B-01); parts print a deep charcoal between dark gray and black
- Build envelope
- 165 × 165 × 300 mm. Usable part size depends on orientation, spacing and process allowances.
- Build atmosphere
- Inert atmosphere specified; confirm the gas and settings for the printer/material profile.
- Powder refresh
- 30 % fresh powder in the recorded recipe. Follow the manufacturer’s build and powder-management conditions.
- Formlabs categories
- Impact Resistant · Temperature Resistant · Medical
- Reported material classifications
- Skin Contact · Mucosal Membrane Contact · ISO 10993-5 · ISO 10993-10 · UL 94 HB. Scope and test conditions apply; these do not certify the finished part or assembly.
- Manufacturer data source
- Formlabs source reference (Rev 02 2021-06-05)
- FabDigit material reference
- Download reference PDF — FabDigit layout with Formlabs data and source attribution.
- Ordering
- Select it in the Powder row when quoting PA11. The quote confirms the selected material and process.
Formlabs positions it for manufacturing aids, rapid tooling, end-use parts, rapid prototyping, parts that bend or take impact and small-batch production.
Choosing Nylon 11 Powder
A ductile, bio-based Formlabs PA11 for SLS parts that must bend, absorb impact or survive a compliant feature.
- Consider it for
- Impact-resistant covers and guards · Clips, buckles and compliant mechanisms · Custom or low-volume functional parts
- Tradeoffs
- It is more compliant than rigid PA12 choices, and the published high-load heat-deflection result is modest. Formlabs warns that printing in air degrades powder and material properties faster than the recommended nitrogen workflow.
- Design and validation
- Prototype the actual flex radius, wall and orientation rather than treating coupon elongation as hinge life. Confirm conditioning and service temperature for critical fits.
- Finishing
- Dark Gray / Black is the powder's as-printed colour, not a dye selection. A blast or smoothing step can change gloss and texture, so approve appearance on a sample.
- Before choosing
- Does the geometry need PA11 ductility rather than PA12 dimensional rigidity? Can the production route use the recommended nitrogen atmosphere?
Selection notes based on Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder product page · Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder TDS, Rev 02. Published test results depend on the stated printer, orientation and conditioning. Compare material families · Choose a finishing route.
Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder properties
Typical values for Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder (Rev 02 2021-06-05); review each property’s test condition. Only this product’s reported properties are shown; unreported properties are omitted. Bars are the position among polymer grades.
Mechanical6
Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder has a tensile strength of 49 MPa (7.11 ksi), stronger than 53% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 1.6 GPa (0.232 Msi).
per ASTM D638-14 Type 1
per ASTM D638-14 Type 1
per ASTM D638-14 Type 1; X/Y 40
per ASTM D790-15
per ASTM D790-15
per ASTM D256-10
Thermal4
per ASTM D648-16
per ASTM D648-16
per ASTM D1525
3.00 mm
Physical1
per ASTM D570; printed part
Manufacturability1
per ISO 15512 Method D
Use published values for design screening. Confirm the grade, build direction, conditioning and available lot documentation when quoting.
Test basis and additional results
Read the values with the specimen preparation and test conditions that produced them.
- Manufacturer document
- 2101560-TDS-ENUS-0 · Rev 01 · 2021-06-05
- Specimen preparation
- Fuse 1; specimens conditioned at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity for 7 days before testing.
- Build direction
- Elongation is reported for X/Y only (40%); the TDS provides no Z elongation result. The other table values do not state an orientation.
The reviewed reference copy is labeled Rev 02 with the same 2021-06-05 date, while the current live official PDF is labeled Rev 01. The checked property values are unchanged.
Solvent compatibility screen
24 h immersion mass change reported by the manufacturer
| Solvent | 24 h weight gain |
|---|---|
| Acetic acid 5% | 0.1% |
| Acetone | 0.1% |
| Bleach (~5% NaOCl) | 0.1% |
| Butyl acetate | 0.1% |
| Diesel fuel | 0.2% |
| Diethyl glycol monomethyl ether | 0.4% |
| Hydraulic oil | 0.5% |
| Hydrogen peroxide (3%) | <0.1% |
| Isooctane (gasoline) | <0.1% |
| Isopropyl alcohol | 0.1% |
| Mineral oil (light) | 0.4% |
| Mineral oil (heavy) | 0.4% |
| Salt water (3.5% NaCl) | 0.1% |
| Skydrol 5 | 0.2% |
| Sodium hydroxide solution (0.025%, pH 10) | 0.1% |
| Strong acid (concentrated HCl) | 1.0% |
| Tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether | 0.3% |
| Water | 0.1% |
| Xylene | 0.1% |
TDS test article: 1 × 1 × 1 cm cube described as printed and post-cured. No SLS post-cure procedure is defined. This wording does not establish an SLS post-cure requirement. Weight change alone does not establish sealing, retained strength, or long-term chemical life.
Biocompatibility endpoint results
ISO 10993 endpoints listed in the manufacturer TDS
| Standard / endpoint | Result |
|---|---|
| ISO 10993-5:2009 | Not cytotoxic |
| ISO 10993-10:2010/(R)2014 — irritation | Not an irritant |
| ISO 10993-10:2010/(R)2014 — sensitization | Not a sensitizer |
Manufacturer material-sample result. It does not qualify a finished part or device for its intended use.
How to interpret this data
The TDS says properties may vary with part geometry, print orientation, and temperature.
The ASTM D570 water-absorption row does not state a 24-hour duration.
The reviewed reference PDF describes the solvent test article as printed and post-cured but gives no SLS post-cure procedure. This wording does not establish an SLS post-cure requirement.
Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder — frequently asked
What is Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder used for?
A ductile, bio-based Formlabs PA11 for SLS parts that must bend, absorb impact or survive a compliant feature. Consider it for impact-resistant covers and guards, clips, buckles and compliant mechanisms and custom or low-volume functional parts. It is more compliant than rigid PA12 choices, and the published high-load heat-deflection result is modest. Formlabs warns that printing in air degrades powder and material properties faster than the recommended nitrogen workflow.
What should I validate before using Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder?
Prototype the actual flex radius, wall and orientation rather than treating coupon elongation as hinge life. Confirm conditioning and service temperature for critical fits. Does the geometry need PA11 ductility rather than PA12 dimensional rigidity? Can the production route use the recommended nitrogen atmosphere?
How can Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder be finished?
Dark Gray / Black is the powder's as-printed colour, not a dye selection. A blast or smoothing step can change gloss and texture, so approve appearance on a sample.
How should I interpret the published values for Formlabs Nylon 11 Powder?
Fuse 1; specimens conditioned at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity for 7 days before testing. Elongation is reported for X/Y only (40%); the TDS provides no Z elongation result. The other table values do not state an orientation. Read each value with the stated method, specimen preparation and conditioning.
Sources
Product values come from the selected manufacturer source and are normalised for comparison. Confirm the quoted process, build direction, conditioning and available lot documentation for the finished part.