Overview Of Nylon: Synthesis, Properties, And Applications
During the Second World War, America was forced to be self-sufficient and distance itself from other nations. The scientists of the United States had an obligation to synthesize industrial domestic goods in order to become independent of foreign nations. Of these developments, one of the most notable is the polymerization as well as the industrialization of Nylon.
Nylon is a plastic polymer, more specifically a polyamide that has many commercial uses. It is known for being the world’s first synthetic fiber, and is praised for its durability and many applications (AOGHS). Nylon was famously synthesized by Carothers, a chemist hired by DuPont, in the 1930s (ASME). Carothers was interested in discovering the industrial uses and mechanisms of polymerization (ASME). Carothers originally advertised his polyamide discovery as a synthetic silk that could be used to manufacture women’s hosiery (ASME). Nylon was originally termed “nuron, ” which is a claim to nylon’s ability to create hosiery that would not run, as “noron” is “no run” spelled backwards (ASME). Little to his knowledge, his discovery of nylon would significantly influence the world of chemical industrialization.
Nylons have a very extensive range of properties due to the many possible polymers that could be formed. Nylon is usually formed by a condensation polymerization reaction between dicarboxylic acids and diamines. Recently, scientists have developed methods in which an alcohol is used instead of a carboxylic acid to bond an amine to a carbonyl chloride group to form the nylon polymer, which has proven to be a more efficient method of polymerization. Some properties of nylon include its semi-crystalline structure, durability, resistance to heat, as well as flexibility.
Due to the many different forms of nylon available, industries have found many different ways to take advantage of its properties and uses. Nylon’s first official use by Carothers was in the creation of a nylon fiber toothbrush. Due to nylon’s durability and overall low permeability to gas, it is used in a lot of food packaging. Additionally, it can be used to contain foods that are meant to be boiled inside of its original package. Nylon has also been used to replace metal parts in cars, due to its low-cost, light-weight structure, as well as resistance to corrosion. Nylon parachutes were also an important development during war times. Most famously, nylon is also used to make hosiery instead of costly silk. It is obvious that nylon revolutionized consumer society and placed a great amount of pressure on scientists to keep creating synthetic material to meet the demands of the people.
Nylon has long since changed from the days of women’s hosiery needs. It has stood the test of time and has made several advancements along with the world’s newly emerging technology. For example, today’s scientists have found uses for Nylon in the practice of 3D printing. Nylon-12 is being advertised for its enhanced performance and its ability to have increased elongation, resistance to fatigue, as well as its improved strength.
