Nylons are a family of synthetic polyamides, often spun into fibres and used as textiles. First produced in the 1930s by DuPont, nylon is now produced on a global scale of around 6 million tonnes a year – significantly less common than polyester which is also used as a synthetic textile – but widely used as a performance material. Nylon fibres are used in the production of waterproof coats and tents. As a film, nylon is also used as food packaging, and as a rigid plastic it is widely used in the production of car parts.
Materials such as Kevlar are also examples of polyamides, more specifically an aromatic polyamide – though not necessarily considered nylon. Aromatic polyamide fibres (sometimes referred to as aramid fibres) are widely used in aerospace and military applications...
To read the full article, please click here.