What Is Nylon
Which of the following polymers is found in stockings and ropes? The answer is nylon! So what is nylon? What is nylon used for? What is nylon made of? These questions and a whole bunch of others including what are the advantages and disadvantages of nylon will be answered as we uncover this useful plastic which has been used in many industries across the globe!
So what is nylon fabric, when was nylon invented and how is nylon made? It all began in the 1930s when an American company called DuPont introduced nylon as an alternative to silk. Nylon itself is a family name of synthetic polymers which are commonly used for types of consumer goods and apparel, some of the most famous of which being both nylon rope and stockings. Is nylon plastic? Nylon fibers are entirely synthetic, meaning that they are completely inorganic and yes, made of plastic polymers.
Nylon elasticity makes it a great choice for clothing apparel. Originally designed as an alternative to silk, nylon clothes eventually appeared on the market as another choice of aesthetic fabric.
Advantages of Nylon
Nylon exploded into success upon its release in the 1930s, but why? What are the uses of nylon and what makes it a solid choice in a realm of many plastic materials available? Let us take a look at some of its advantages and why it is often chosen.
Nylon boasts a wide range of benefits; it is both strong and resilient, also offering high tensile strength and elasticity. Nylon textures possess excellent wear resistance, meaning it can resist regular wear, vibration and abrasion. It is one of the types of fabric material which is high in both impact and chemical resistance, its impact resistance is a great choice for certain furniture and the chemical resistance can resist oxidizing agents, dilute acids and alkaline that even many metals fail against. It is also incredibly lightweight, making it a preferable plastic when it comes to clothing material types.
From fishing nets to fish net stockings, nylon is used across a whole host of different industries because of a wide range of nylon properties.
Disadvantages of Nylon
While it has a fine assortment of nylons properties, there are some disadvantages too. Nylon is fire-resistant which on one hand is great, but on the other it easily melts. It also is prone to shrinkage and can stretch easily. It absorbs water incredibly easily, even from the air itself and when it gets wet, it deteriorates quickly. It has terrible UV resistance, becoming yellowed in colour and rapidly deteriorating and becoming fragile over a short amount of time. Because of these issues, nylon would be a bad choice for example in machinery or products which are heated when in use, such as those used in the construction industry.
That toothbrush you brush your teeth with? Yup, those bristles are made with nylon!
Products of Nylon
Based on its selection of advantages, nylon material can be useful in a large assortment of industries and products. Some of these products which nylon fiber is used in can be found below:
- Sleeping bags
- Rope
- Seat belts
- Parachuting material
- Tubing hose
- Tarpaulin
- Dental floss
- Nylon fabric clothes
- Fishing nets
- Umbrellas
- Guitar strings
Nylon inspired a host of clothing, launching originally in the late 30s, it became a go-to fabric for both stockings material and also branching into a range of nylon fashion and nylon clothing. But don’t underestimate its other uses; it can be found in many products from guitar strings to umbrellas.
Conclusion
Today this article covered all you need to know about nylon, including questions like: Is nylon synthetic? What are some nylon uses? What is nylon made out of? Does nylon melt? Is nylon natural and what are some of its advantages and disadvantages?
We here at Shineyuu know all about nylon. In fact, we know a lot about all kinds of plastics, since we are an injection molding company! If you are thinking about if your next project should be a nylon product, or are not sure which material is best to use simply contact us and request a quote, or indeed you can ask us any questions and we will be more than happy to assist you in any way we can!
If you enjoyed the article make sure you take a look at some of our other posts on many other materials and topics, such as The Magic of ABS Plastic, What You Need to Know About Polycarbonate and Lets Learn Rubber Molding for more great information.