Nylon 6,6

Nylon 6,6

Nylon 6,6 was patented in 1938 by a team of DuPont scientists who were trying to develop a synthetic polymer that could be spun into a synthetic fiber to compete with silk and other naturally produced fibers. The scientists discovered that a useful polymer could be produced by the reaction of adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine (HMDA). The polymer is named nylon 6,6 to denote that adipic acid and HMDA each contain six carbon atoms. Early successes in bristles and hosiery expanded into tire cord, rope, and fabric for a variety of uses. While initial developments focused on fiber, the high heat resistance and tensile strength properties of nylon 6,6 enabled the polymer to withstand long-term exposure to heavy mechanical loads and high-temperature environments. In the 1950s, engineers and business leaders launched the engineering thermoplastics industry, with nylon 6,6 as the first engineering plastic. Soon, glass fiber reinforcement, special additives, and compounding technologies would be developed to enhance the performance characteristics of nylon 6,6 and other polymers, and the engineering thermoplastic industry was underway. Eventually, many hundreds of compound formulations were developed to match the needs of countless applications.