Material guide
Gluing Nylon
A tough engineering plastic used for gears, cable ties, fixings and printed functional parts.
Also called PA, PA12, PA6, polyamide.
How Nylon behaves when you bond it
Nylon absorbs moisture from the air, and that surface moisture interferes with several adhesive chemistries. Drying the part before bonding measurably changes the result, which is unusual among plastics.
Nylon/polyamide is a tough semi-rigid thermoplastic that absorbs atmospheric moisture and may contain lubricants or glass fibre. Moisture cycling, additive migration and flexibility can undermine bonds that look strong immediately after cure.
Material properties
- Surface energy
- Medium
- Porosity
- Semi-porous
- Rigidity
- Semi-rigid
- Maximum service temperature
- 100C
- Normally needs abrading
- No
- Normally needs a primer
- No
- Requires surface treatment
- (Permabond TA4550 is documented for named nylon grades without primer or additional treatment; the scope is product-specific.) Manufacturer verified
Surface preparation
Clean and dry the actual grade; remove processing lubricant with isopropanol if compatible. Drying may improve repeatability for moisture-sensitive systems. Permabond TA4550 is documented for several nylon grades without primer or additional treatment, but other products may need abrasion, treatment or a different moisture condition.
Which adhesives work on Nylon
Excellent
Structural acrylic
Structural acrylic is rated excellent for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Good
Polyurethane adhesive
Polyurethane adhesive is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Conditional
Cyanoacrylate
Cyanoacrylate is rated conditional for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. Use only after a product-specific test on the actual grade and joint.
Bonding Nylon to something else
Nylon to Glass
Nylon to Glazed ceramic
Nylon to Painted metal
Nylon to Aluminium
Nylon to Mild steel
Nylon to Stainless steel
Last reviewed 8 October 2026.