German speciality chemicals producer Evonik (Essen; www.evonik.com) and Chinese monofilament specialist Nantong ntec Monofilament Technology (Nantong; www.ntecmonofil.com) have jointly developed a new monofilament for musical instrument strings using Evonik’s “Vestamid” D18, a high-performance polyamide. The environmentally stable, durable and easy to use monofilament made from PA 612 has outstanding transparency and a smooth surface, giving musicians better dexterity when playing, while the high level of transparency enhances the clarity and tone of the strings, Evonik says.

Strings made of the polyamide have balanced mechanical properties and low hygroscopicity, allowing them to maintain stable frequency and pitch in moist or humid environments, the German company notes, while also stressing the polymer’s excellent processing stability, which guarantees the same length of string diametre, resilience and scalability. The new filament with a diametre range of 0.5-0.7 mm was originally developed for harp strings but with different diametres and winding methods can equally be used in other string instruments.