Polyamides - Nylon:

Polyamides - Nylon:

Polyamides such as nylon are also condensation polymers. The formation of a polyamide follows the same procedure as in the synthesis of a simple amide. Again, the only difference is that both the amine and the acid monomer units each have two functional groups - one on each end of the molecule. In this polymer, every other repeating unit is identical.

Nylon is made from 1,6-diaminohexane and adipic acid by splitting out water molecules (-H from the amine and -OH from acid as shown in red on the graphic). The units are joined to make the ester group shown in green.

A simple representation is -[A-B-A-B-A-B]-.

Nylon 66, discovered in 1931 by Wallace Cruthers at DuPont was the first completely synthetic fiber produced. It was introduced to women in nylon stockings in 1939 to immediate success. During World War II, nylon production went into making parachutes and other items needed by the military.

Nylon is very similar to the protein polyamides in silk and wool, but is stronger. more durable, more chemically inert, and cheaper to produce than the natural fibers.

See the Nylon demonstration below.

Link to Nylon - with Chime molecule - Macrogalleria at U. Southern Mississippi