Nylon
Also known as: DuPont nylon, PA 6.6
Original DuPont trade name for polyamide 6.6, today a synonym for many polyamide fibres.
Description
Nylon is the original brand name under which the chemical company DuPont™ announced the world's first fully synthetic fibre in 1938 — commercial production started in 1939 and nationwide US sales as nylon stockings in 1940. Chemically it is polyamide 6.6, a condensation product of adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine. The term was never protected as a trademark and has become a generic term for polyamide fibres in many countries.
Nylon combines extraordinary tensile strength, high elasticity and excellent abrasion resistance. The material revolutionised the textile industry — from ladies' stockings to parachute silk — and remains a base material for sportswear, workwear, backpacks and technical textiles.
- Historically the first fully synthetic fibre (1938)
- High elasticity and dimensional stability
- Very abrasion and tear resistant
- Easy to wash
In the German textile trade the term polyamide is usually used, while nylon is common in the US and in the consumer sector. In everyday use both terms refer to the same fibre family.
Properties
| Inventor / manufacturer | DuPont™ (invented 1935, announced 1938, market 1940) |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | Polyamide 6.6 |
| Property | highly abrasion and tear resistant |
| Typical use | Backpacks, parachutes, stockings |
Related product categories
Sources & references
3- Wikipedia: Nylon Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon
- DuPont – History of Nylon dupont.com https://www.dupont.com/
- OEKO-TEX OEKO-TEX Association https://www.oeko-tex.com/
