Question

Give examples which indicate that nylon fibres are very strong.

Answer 1

Synthetic fibres

• Synthetic fibres are man made fibres made by chemical synthesis in contrast to natural fibres which are derived from living organisms.
• They are made up of small units which form longer chains .

Nylon

• Nylon are synthetic fibres made up of repeating units of amides.
• Nylons are condensation polymers.
• Nylons are generally made from from petroleum, that can be melted to form fibers, films or shapes
• It is formed by reacting difunctional monomers containing equal parts of amine and carboxylic acid.
• They are thermoplastic ( can be softened through heating) in nature.

The examples below demonstrate the strength of nylon fibres.

• Nylon is used to make rock climbing ropes and parachutes.
• Seat belts, fishing nets, and tyre cords are all made of nylon.
• Nylon is used to make sporting equipment such as rackets.