NYLON

A Project by Deborah Francalanza

Tutor:

Josanne Ghirxi B.Pharm (Hons), P.G.C.E.

School: St Benedict College, Margaret Mortimer GJL, Malta

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Nylon - Definition

A generic classification for a family of synthetic polymers known as polyamides First produced on the 28th February 1935 by Wallace Hume Carothers, an American chemist, at DuPont
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DuPont Corporation

An American chemical corporation

Currently the world's second largest chemical company in terms of market capitalization
Wallace Hume Carothers appointed as head of DuPont Organic Chemistry Department in 1927 Carothers was born on the 27th April 1896 in Iowa and died in 1937

Early history of nylon production

To replace Asian silk with a similar, durable but less costly product

Carothers produced half-an-ounce of a polymer (labelled as polyamide 6-6) at DuPont Corporation on 28th February 1935. The polymer was eventually developed into a commercial product - Nylon
Early use of nylon was in parachutes, tyres, tents, ropes, ponchos and other military supplies
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Characteristics of nylon

Varies in luster Durable and elastic Easy to wash and can dye High resistance to insects, fungi and chemicals

Abrasion resistant
Melts instead of burning
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Modern use of Nylon

Clothing - footwear, velcro, carpet fibre Auto parts - petrol tanks, gears, bearings Abseiling gear - slings and ropes Sports items racquet strings, basketball
netting, fishing lines

Strings - music instruments Medical equipment - filtering media in

sterilising, sutures
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Visit to Nylon Knitting Malta Limited

Production of synthetic fibres and finished fabric used in diapers from raw material Raw material (PA6) arrives in big bags and unloaded into silos

Extrusion and Spinning

PA6 is fed to the extruder Heated into a molten state and pressure fed from the extruder via heated jacket tubes to spinning pumps Polymer is forced through a complex filtration system and finally through spinerettes Yarn is automatically wound on spools to a pre-determined weight

Draw Warping and Warp Knitting

Draw warping machine runs new load of yarn whereby beams with defined number of threads and meterage are produced Beams are loaded on knitting machines that produce fabric rolls of a chosen type, width, and length Finished rolls are transferred to packing machines, labelled, and checked prior exportation

NYLON

THANK YOU

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