A Brief Look at Nylon;
Industry’s Choice
The
What is Nylon?
Nylon defines the family of synthetic polymers that are used to
make various apparels and consumer products. Unlike other
organic or synthetic fibers, nylon has no organic roots. It is a
thermoplastic; materials that become moldable at high
temperatures and retain their shape upon cooling. Nylon can be
seen often being mixed with various additives and fibers to
achieve property variations.
History of Nylon
Nylon was first made in lab by the American chemist Wallace
Carothers, in 1935. He produced the modern-day Nylon 6,6,
which can be seen in brushes, surgical sutures, tennis strings,
and fishing lines. Nylon’s demand grew during World War II when
countries were running out of natural supplies like rubber, silk,
and latex.
Soon after the war ended, manufacturers ran short of supplies to
make clothing, and other textile goods. Some people began
using repurposed parachutes fabric which came from nylon; the
idea quickly gained popularity and became the norm soon.
How is Nylon Manufactured
Nylon Yarn is made from bunch of small units of chemical
compounds called monomers. These monomers are linked via
controlled reactions, which makes the material strong and
durable. The parent monomer for nylon is called
hexamethylenediamine, which comes from crude oil. The
monomer is then made to react with adipic acid, which then
yields a polymer known as PA 6,6.
PA 6,6 exists as a solid crystal and must be melted to be
processed further. Molten PA 6,6 is then processed and passed
through a device called spinneret, which gives out pure nylon,
and discards impurities. After this process, the next stage is
called “drawing”, where the small fibres are stretched, and
wound through multiple times to increase their strength and
elasticity. It is after drawing, that the nylon is ready to be used
after being spun into Nylon Yarn.
Various Types of Nylon
As mentioned previously, Nylon refers to a family of polymers
that have the same basic composition, along with some
additional properties depending upon the usage. Some of the
common nylon fabrics include:
Nylon-6,6: This form of nylon was found by Wallace Carothers;
it was one of the first fully synthetic fabrics. Common usages
include brushes, surgical sutures, tennis strings, and fishing
lines.
Nylon 6: Nylon 6 was first developed by Paul Schlack. The major
difference between Nylon 6,6 and Nylon 6 is water absorption;
with Nylon 6 having more retentivity.
Nylon 510: Originally developed by DuPont; Nylon 510 is
primarily used in industrial and scientific applications. It is
obtained from sebacic and pentamethylene diamine acid.
Advantages of Nylon Yarn
Water-Resistance
Unlike other fibers, nylon has high resistivity towards water
molecules; this property comes from nylon’s closely linked
monomers, that align during drawing and increase the overall
strength of the fiber. Nylon is not only suitable for umbrellas and
other forms of water protection, but it also resists the growth of
mold and mildew compared to other types of fabric.
Low Cost
As compared to other fabrics, nylon is cheaper to manufacture
and works longer than other competitions, due to high strength
and elasticity that comes with it. It can be spun and woven in a
way that makes it look and feel like natural fabrics, but for a
fraction of the cost.
Versatile
Nylon is a very high resistant fiber and gets used in variety of
consumer products. It is very easy to mix with other fibers or
chemicals to achieve desired properties.
Conclusion
Nylon is one of the most popular fabric used in the textile industry
and has properties that are unmatched by its competitions. Being
Lustrous, Elastic, Strong, and Resilient, Nylon serves its purpose
as consumer support goods. We at Colossustex provide high
grade Nylon Yarn that serves your needs for years to come.