Let’s Talk Fibers – Nylon

If asked to describe what cotton or polyester is, most people could come up with a good description or example of what they are. T-shirts, sheets, underwear- typically we have an opinion and a preference for which one we want closest to our skin. But what about nylon? What exactly is it, and when is it used? How about in conveyor belting? If we can’t come up with an everyday use for nylon, we probably also cannot come up with a belting use for it. But, Nylon has a very interesting backstory, as well as many excellent properties as a belting material- let’s take a look! 

BOMBS AWAY! 

Nylon is actually the name of a family of synthetic polymers used for a variety of types of apparel and other goods. Nylon is completely synthetic- meaning it has no basis in any organic material. 

The substance we know as nylon was first developed by DuPont in the 1920s, and the creation was officially announced at the World’s Fair in 1939. DuPont originally planned to call it no-run as they thought it would eliminate “runs” in stockings and tights, but they found that runs did still happen, so they next named it nuron, followed by nilon, before ending with nylon.

There are a number of interesting and humorous stories as to how the name nylon came about! Before landing on nylon, it is said that the head of the DuPont rayon department suggested the name Duparooh, but it wasn’t met with many supporters. He said that it stood for “DuPont Pulls a Rabbit Out Of the Hat.” Another story behind the name says that nylon was a name aimed to provoke Japanese industry, as they would be losing some of the need for exporting silk as a result of the new fiber, and nylon stood for “Now You’ve Lost, Old Nippon.” But the most likely story for Nylon is the combination of the cities New York and London, as it is said that two chemists thought up the name on an intercontinental flight between the two cities. 

Nylon did not exactly have a successful launch. It had been lauded as a fabric that would be as strong as steel, but it was quickly shown to experience the same runs and tears as other fabric, and it was lacking in moisture-wicking properties. 

Nylon would have been a failed experiment completely if they had not tried mixing it with other textiles. They found that when nylon was mixed with polyester, cotton, or spandex, the good attributes stayed and the negative attributes were eliminated. 

Nylon being used as a polymer in clothing was born out of a desire for an alternative to silk and hemp for parachutes in World War II. When World War II began, Cotton accounted for over 80% of textile applications in the US, with wool being the only other alternative. When the war ended, there was a shortage of cotton and silk for making dresses, so some creative individuals started repurposing those nylon parachutes into dresses. Once this started getting noticed, production expanded to items such as nylon stockings and lingerie. 

By 1945, synthetic fibers like nylon accounted for about 25% of the textile market share, and after the war was over, manufacturers quickly started looking for new ways to market these synthetic fibers.

The popularity of nylon continued to grow into the 1970s, but has been on decline ever since, due to concerns with the environmental impact, as the main ingredient of nylon is petroleum oil, which is not biodegradable. 

Although nylon has decreased in popularity as a clothing textile, it has found its place in industrial and scientific applications. Nylon was originally developed in the United States, but the majority of nylon today is produced in China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia. 

BELTING APPLICATIONS

When we think about nylon in conveyor belting, the main application that comes to mind is power transmission belting. The nylon core used in PT belts is able to absorb sudden shock loads without breaking, which eliminates belt damage, speed loss and constant belt tightening. A shock load is referring to a belt that can go from a relaxed position to a very high speed instantly, without breaking. 

As nylon continues to improve, it has a high tensile rating and low stretch which eliminates belts splitting or cracking longitudinally. Also, Nylon belting is oil and chemical resistant! 

The nylon core is paired with materials such as rubber, leather, or synthetic leather and can be cover one side, or cover both sides. 

PT belts are used in a wide variety of applications depending on the cover material, but a few of those include the textile industry, packaging, wood manufacturing, folder-gluer box machines, feed belts, chicken picker belts, and more! 

Nylon is also used in black rubber belting, because it adheres great to rubber and adds the strength and wear resistance as well as shock resistance for medium and long distance conveying of heavy load at high speeds. Common industries for this would be mines, metallurgy, architecture, ports, electricity, and chemical industries. 

So to summarize the advantages of Nylon belting, it is very durable, resistant to high heat, can withstand heavy impact, adheres well to rubber and is less prone to mildew than other fabrics! Nylon is no joke! 

6 VS. 66

One last distinction to make with Nylon is the difference between “Nylon 6” and “Nylon 66.” “Nylon 6” is the standard nylon that we have discussed, and “Nylon 66” has been developed to have a higher melting point and better heat resistance, making it the high performance choice that is of course, more expensive. We will leave “Nylon 666” out of this discussion altogether!

NOT YOUR MAMA’S STOCKINGS ANYMORE

To summarize this short discussion of the synthetic material nylon- it is not your mama’s stockings anymore! This material has taken a windy road to get to where it is today in conveyor belting, but we are very thankful for that! It is a strong material that serves a very important purpose in the carcasses of our favorite belting. It is not necessarily a popular choice for the environment, but it contains properties that keep it as a very important material in the belting world. If you follow men’s tennis, Nylon is the Novak Djokovic of belting- Federer (cotton) and Nadal (polyester) get all the acclaim and attention, but nylon holds its own and is a formidable foe!