Nylon is a type ofsynthetic fiber. It is one of the most commonly usedpolyamides, and was first used on February 28, 1935.[1]
Nylon makes asilky material which was first used intoothbrushes. It is strong, hard and water resistant. It is used to make clothes. In fact, polyamides are mostly used for synthetic fibres inclothing. Nylon can also be used to make other materials, such asparachutes,ropes,string fortyres,carpets,fishing nets andcloth andsocks.
There are many different types of nylon, made from different ingredients in different ways. The two main types of nylon arehomopolymer nylon, made from a single chemical, andheteropolymer nylon, made from more than one chemical.
Nylons are numbered based on the number ofcarbon atoms in their ingredients. A small number usually means a homopolymer, while a larger number or two numbers with a separator (such as a slash or comma) usually means a heteropolymer.
The two most common types of nylon are nylon 6 (a homopolymer made fromcaprolactam, with 6 carbon) and nylon 66 (a heteropolymer made fromadipic acid andhexamethylenediamine, with 6 carbon each). These two molecules are very similar in structure, with the only difference being how theamide groups are arranged: in nylon 6, allC(=O)−N bonds are in the same direction, while they alternate in nylon 66.
