Delrin and Nylon are widely used engineering plastics for gears, bushings, rollers, and other mechanical parts. While they share many applications, differences in their material properties and machining performance affect how parts perform in service. Understanding these differences helps engineers select the right material for their projects.
What Are Delrin and Nylon?
Delrin is a brand of acetal homopolymer, also known as POM-H (polyoxymethylene homopolymer). It offers high stiffness, low friction, excellent fatigue resistance, and good dimensional stability. These properties make Delrin a common material for precision gears, bushings, valve components, and moving mechanical parts.
Delrin belongs to the broader polyoxymethylene (POM) family, which also includes acetal copolymer (POM-C). POM-H generally offers higher stiffness and strength, while POM-C provides better resistance to certain chemicals and improved processing stability. Delrin is a specific brand of POM-H rather than a general name for all acetal plastics.
Nylon is a family of polyamide (PA) thermoplastics known for toughness, wear resistance, mechanical strength, and versatility. Unlike Delrin, Nylon includes several grades with different properties and manufacturing characteristics.