Nilon

Nilon, commonly referred to as nylon, is a family of high‑performance synthetic polymers in the polyamide class. It was developed in the 1930s by Wallace Carothers and colleagues at DuPont and entered commercial use in 1939, initially for hosiery. Since then, nylon has become one of the most widely used synthetic polymers, appearing in fibers, films, and engineering plastics.

Nylon is produced by condensation polymerization of diamines and diacids (notably hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, which yield nylon 6,6) or by ring‑opening polymerization of caprolactam (nylon 6). Other members include nylon 11 from 11‑aminoundecanoic acid and various copolymers and blends. The material is obtainable as strong, flexible fibers for textiles and as solid resins for engineering applications.

Key properties include high tensile strength, toughness, abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance. Nylon is hygroscopic, absorbing moisture from the environment, which can affect stiffness and dimensions and may require drying or stabilization for certain applications. It resists many oils and solvents but can degrade under prolonged ultraviolet exposure unless stabilized. Nylon is semicrystalline and melts upon heating, enabling melt processing methods such as extrusion, injection molding, and film extrusion. Melting points vary by grade, with nylon 6,6 around 260–265°C and nylon 6 around 215–230°C; glass transition temperatures typically lie in the tens of degrees Celsius.

Applications are diverse: textile fibers for clothing and carpets, tire cords, fishing lines, and non‑textile uses such as gears, bearings, housings, and other engineered components. Environmental considerations include limited biodegradability; recycling processes exist, including mechanical and chemical recycling. Nylon fibers also shed microplastics during washing, prompting ongoing research into mitigation and sustainable use.