Nylon 6 and nylon 66 fibres

Abstract

Nylon 66 and nylon 6 are two important members of a group of polymers known as polyamides. The structural units of a polyamide are joined together by an amide, -NH-CO-, group. A polyamide manufactured from aliphatic monomer(s) is commonly designated as nylon. However, the US Federal Trade Commission has defined nylon as a manufactured fibre in which the fibre-forming substance is a long-chain synthetic polyamide in which less than 85% of the amide linkages are attached directly to two aromatic rings, while a polyamide in which at least 85% of the amide links are joined to two aromatic groups is known as an aramid. Aramid fibres are mainly used for industrial applications and are described in Chapter 18.