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RussianPOLYAMIDE/NYLON – FROM SYNTHETIC FIBERS TO CONSTRUCTION PLASTICS
The invention of polyamide known as nylon-66 (PA-66) was associated with the need to find a much cheaper equivalent to expensive and exclusive silk. Polyamides are chemicals that also occur naturally. The group of polyamides includes, among others: wool or silk, but when we talk about polyamides, we usually mean those obtained through chemical synthesis. Attempts to create such a material lasted for several dozen years, and its final composition was developed on 28 February 1935 by Wallace Carothers, a chemistry doctor in Wilmington, on the east coast of the USA, who worked for DuPont. At that time, it was a powerful chemical concern producing gunpowder, dynamite and nitroglycerin. Later, it was in DuPont laboratories that inventions such as Kevlar, Teflon, Cordura and Kydex, as well as polymer fibers, were created. Due to the Great Depression, intense work was conducted on inventing cheap plastics. Even vinyl was tried to be sewn, but it found wider use in the production of gramophone records. Vinyl is still not often used as a clothing material, but nylon has definitely conquered global markets. The company also became famous for its campaign demonizing hemp, the cultivation of which made it possible, among other things, to obtain an inexpensive, natural raw material for ropes. As a result of DuPont's efforts, supported by lawyers and the national media, hemp cultivation was banned to open the market for synthetic fibers. In 1937, Dr. Wallace 
Carothers committed suicide by drinking a potassium cyanide solution. Historical sources say that it was difficult for him to come to terms with the idea that his material would be used mainly for the production of nylons, and that he himself would go down in history not as an outstanding chemist, but as the inventor of stockings. As an interesting fact, it is worth mentioning where the name nylon comes from. It is a combination of the names of two cities - NY for New York and Lon for London, because both Americans and the English worked on how to produce this material.
In 1938, the world's first products to be introduced to the market were toothbrushes with nylon bristles. A year later, in 1939, the famous nylon stockings were presented at the EXPO exhibition in New York, which went into mass production a year later. Previously, cotton and woolen stockings were used, but the most elegant ones were those made of silk. The latter had a beautiful shine, but unfortunately, they wore out relatively quickly, significantly losing their aesthetics. They were also not cheap, and their price increased dramatically when, as a result of World War II, the import of silk from Asia to the USA and Europe was hampered. In May 1940, the first artificial stockings appeared on the market, and women had the opportunity to check how they looked and how comfortable they were to wear. Within a few days, the entire batch of several million pairs of stockings was sold, and polyamide successfully and permanently entered the world textile markets.
On the other side of the ocean in 1938, a German team at the IG Farben laboratories led by Paul Schlack bypassed DuPont's patent for the synthesis of nylon-66 by developing their nylon-6 (PA-6). In the beginning, it was used mainly as a substitute for the production of tights, although their properties were much worse than American nylon. As early as during World War II, polyamide began to be used for military purposes and in heavy industry. It was used to produce, among others: tires and ropes for mooring tankers. Interestingly, during the war, American women donated torn nylon tights during special collections, and the obtained material was used to produce parachutes for the army. After the war, it also found many applications, from the textile industry to the aviation industry.
Polyamide is used to produce synthetic fibers and to produce engineering plastics processed by injection or extrusion. Nowadays, thanks to modern production technologies tights, stockings, high-quality clothing and sports underwear based on the fiber are mainly produced. The properties of this material are perfect for the production of toothbrushes, backpacks, airbags, guitar strings, shoes, carpets, and specialized protective clothing. Industrial products made of polyamide have high mechanical strength, stiffness, hardness, high impact resistance and the ability to dampen mechanical vibrations, as well as resistance to abrasion and scratches and high chemical resistance. It is used to produce parts and components such as plain bearings, gears, pressure pipes, joints, foils and housings. Due to its favorable physical properties, polyamide ranks among the leading construction plastics used in the automotive industry, electrical engineering, construction, machinery and furniture industry, and is widely used, among others in household appliances. Due to its insulating and dielectric properties, it is also used in the electrical industry. It is used to produce electrical sockets, fuses and transmission line covers.
The following types are mostly used in our industry:
PA 6G, which is cast polyamide – enables the production of large molds and castings. Generally, they are sold in a form of rollers with a diameter of over 60 mm. They are ivory.
PA 6 E (EXTRUDED) is pressed polyamide. Generally, they are sold in the form of rollers with a diameter of less than 60 mm and are milky white in color.
PA 6 G + OIL is polyamide with an admixture of mineral oil. Provides excellent sliding properties, especially 
useful for dry operation.
PA 6 FG 30 is reinforced polyamide with 30% of fiberglass contents. It has increased mechanical strength and stiffness. It can also be used at higher temperatures.
The types available on the market:
• PA6 pure boards (natural color) with a thickness of 2-30 mm
• PA6 BLK boards (black) with a thickness of 2-5 mm
• PA6 pure rollers (natural color) with diameters of 20-150 mm
• PA6 BLK rollers (black) with diameters of 20-200 mm
standard dimensions of a board sheet are 1000 mm x 1000 mm
the standard length of the rollers is 1000 mm
standard colors: natural (pure), black (BLK)
Polyamide is a material that is very suitable for both welding and machining. It can be milled, turned, drilled or even ground. Shafts, sleeves and plates are most often used for this production process. This form of semi-finished products allows for quick and trouble-free production of various components – you can easily purchase entire sheets of boards and rollers. Most of our products are available immediately and we can deliver the order to the indicated address quickly. In Poland, it is no longer than two business days and in the entire European Union up to about five business days. We also cooperate with subcontractors who can cut sheets or selected shapes from any sheets according to the design provided by the client. An additional convenience is the wide range of diameters that can be turned from polyamide rolls into the finished product and the very high precision of processing, which directly translates into the quality of fittings made of PA-6. The rolls or plates are used to produce parts such as guides, gears, worms, bushings, rollers, seals, gear components and many others. These components are most often used in the machinery and construction industries. As a result, turning allows for quick production of various components for a wide range of applications. Nowadays, more and more polyamide is used in the automotive, aviation and electrical and electronics industries. The annual demand for polyamides in Europe is over one million tons and is increasing every year.