Nylon 66 (loosely written nylon 6-6, nylon 6/6, nylon 6,6, or nylon 6:6) is a type of

polyamide A polyamide is a polymer with repeating units linked by amide bonds. Polyamides occur both naturally and artificially. Examples of naturally occurring polyamides are proteins, such as wool and silk. Artificially made polyamides can be made th ...

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pet ...

. It, and

nylon 6 Nylon 6 or polycaprolactam is a polymer, in particular semicrystalline polyamide. Unlike most other nylons, nylon 6 is not a condensation polymer, but instead is formed by ring-opening polymerization; this makes it a special case in the compari ...

, are the two most common for textile and plastic industries. Nylon 66 is made of two monomers each containing 6 carbon atoms, hexamethylenediamine and

adipic acid Adipic acid or hexanedioic acid is the organic compound with the formula (CH2)4(COOH)2. From an industrial perspective, it is the most important dicarboxylic acid: about 2.5 billion kilograms of this white crystalline powder are produced annuall ...

, which give nylon 66 its name. Aside from its superior physical characteristics, nylon 66 is attractive because its precursors are inexpensive.

Synthesis and manufacturing

Hexamethylenediamine (top) and

(bottom), monomers used for polycondensation of Nylon 66.

Nylon 66 is synthesized by polycondensation of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid. Equivalent amounts of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid are combined in water. In the original implementation, the resulting

ammonium The ammonium cation is a positively-charged polyatomic ion with the chemical formula or . It is formed by the protonation of ammonia (). Ammonium is also a general name for positively charged or protonated substituted amines and quaterna ...

/ carboxylate salt was isolated and then heated either in batches or continuously to induce polycondensation.n(HOOC - (CH2)4 - COOH) + n(H2N - (CH2)6 - NH2) -> OC - (CH2)4 - CO - NH - (CH2)6 - NH - n + (2n - 1)H2O Removing water drives the reaction toward polymerization through the formation of amide bonds from the acid and amine functions. Alternatively, the polymerization is conducted on a concentrated aqueous mixture formed of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid. It can either be extruded and granulated at this point or directly spun into fibers by extrusion through a

spinneret A spinneret is a silk-spinning organ of a spider or the larva of an insect. Some adult insects also have spinnerets, such as those borne on the forelegs of Embioptera. Spinnerets are usually on the underside of a spider's opisthosoma, and are ...

(a small metal plate with fine holes) and cooling to form filaments.

Applications

In 2011 worldwide production was two million tons. At that time, fibers consumed just over half of production and engineering resins the rest. It is not used in films due to its inability to be oriented. Fiber markets represented 55% of the 2010 demand with engineering thermoplastics being the remainder. Nylon 66 is frequently used when high mechanical strength, rigidity, good stability under heat and/or chemical resistance are required. It is used in fibers for textiles and carpets and molded parts. For textiles, fibers are sold under various brands, for example Nilit brands or the Cordura brand for luggage, but it is also used in airbags, apparel, and for carpet fibres under the Ultron brand. Nylon 66 lends itself well to make 3D structural objects, mostly by

injection molding Injection moulding (U.S. spelling: injection molding) is a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a mould, or mold. Injection moulding can be performed with a host of materials mainly including metals (for ...

. It has broad use in automotive applications; these include "under the hood" parts such as

radiator Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always ...

end tanks, rocker covers, air intake manifolds, and oil pans, as well as numerous other structural parts such as hinges, and ball bearing cages. Other applications include electro-insulating elements, pipes, profiles, various machine parts,

zip tie A cable tie (also known as a hose tie, zip tie, or tie wrap) is a type of fastener for holding items together, primarily electrical cables and wires. Because of their low cost, ease of use, and binding strength, cable ties are ubiquitous, findi ...

s, conveyor belts, hoses, polymer-framed weapons, and the outer layer of turnout blankets. Nylon 66 is also a popular guitar nut material. Nylon 66, especially glass fiber reinforced grades, can be effectively fire retarded with halogen-free products. Phosphorus-based flame retardant systems are used in these

fire-safe polymers Fire-safe polymers are polymers that are resistant to degradation at high temperatures. There is need for fire-resistant polymers in the construction of small, enclosed spaces such as skyscrapers, boats, and airplane cabins.Zhang, H. ''Fire-Safe P ...

and are based on aluminium diethyl phosphinate and synergists. They are designed to meet UL 94 flammability tests as well as Glow Wire Ignition Tests (GWIT), Glow Wire Flammability Test (GWFI) and Comparative Tracking Index (CTI). Its main applications are in the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry.

References

{{Reflist Polyamides Plastics Synthetic fibers Synthetic materials amides

Synthesis and manufacturing

Applications

See also

References