Synthetic Brush Fibers & Filaments

Carolina Brush offers a variety of different synthetic brush fiber options for our brushes, including Nylon, Polypropylene and Polyester. Synthetic brush fibers as a whole offer a number of advantages over natural fibers, including higher durability, chemical resistance, and excellent bend recovery. Synthetic fibers also have the advantage of a high absorption rate and high wet stiffness that make synthetic fibers a good choice for wet conditions. In addition, synthetic fibers are also antimicrobial and usually more economical than natural fibers, making them a popular choice. It is because of these particular features that synthetic fiber brushes have found use in applications like wet scrubbing, dentistry, cleaning, artwork, painting and forensics.

Nylon

With a variety of nylon types each offering their own set of qualities, Carolina Brush is sure to have the right Nylon for your specific application. We offer Type 6, 6.6 and 6.12, as well as abrasive options under the "abrasive" category on this site.

Polyester

With excellent bend recovery, solvent resistance and oxidation resistance, Polyester acts as a good substitute for Nylon in certain applications.

Polypropylene

The high quality polypropylene we use is versatile, with excellent wet stiffness, flex fatigue resistance, and chemical resistance, among other properties.

Abrasive

For rugged applications requiring a more coarse touch, we offer a long wearing abrasive filament impregnated with silicone carbide particles.

Fiber Property Comparisons

Filament	*Melting Point (F)**	Tensile Modulus (kpsi)	Tensile Strength (kpsi)	Flicking Action	% Bend Recovery	Relative Abrasion Resistance
Nylon 6	410	480	53	Excellent	97	Excellent
Nylon 6.6	495	520	48	Excellent	97	Excellent
Nylon 6.12	410	480	42	Excellent	93	Excellent
Polypropylene	320	740	53	Good	75	Fair
Polyester	430	445	31	Excellent	92	Good

Filament	Set Resistance	Relative Flex Fatigue Resistance	Water Absorption % Max	Retention of Stiffness in Water	Sunlight & UV Light Resistance	General Solvent Resistance
Nylon 6	Good	Excellent	9	Poor	Fair	Excellent
Nylon 6.6	Good	Excellent	9	Poor	Fair	Excellent
Nylon 6.12	Good	Excellent	3	Good	Fair	Excellent
Polypropylene	Fair	Best	<0.1	Excellent	Poor	Excellent
Polyester	Good	Good	0.5	Excellent	Fair	Excellent

The above compares in a general way some of the properties of the synthetic filaments we most commonly use to aid in distinguishing between them when selecting the filament best suited for a particular application.