Polyamides Research Paper

Introduction:

Polyamides are thermal stable polymers due to having stiff aromatic backbones. Polyamides (sometimes abbreviated PI) are semi-crystalline, engineering thermoplastic polymers. The strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds of the amide groups (-CO-NH-) are the reason behind having the polyamides crystallized shown in figure 1.1. [1]. Nylon is the commercial name for Aliphatic polyamides. [2]. Polyamides are a wide area of study which has been studied for years and could not be covered in this paper. However, the focus will be on giving a brief about the history of nylons, their properties, main applications, and equations explaining the chemical reactions related to nylons.

Figure 1.1 General structure of nylon (26)

Properties of polyamides:

Nylons

Many companies replace the expensive natural silk with nylon fibers in order to make dresses, blouses, and other women’s clothes and that’s because of its softness. [7]

Industrial Applications of Nylons:

1) Nylon is widely used in furniture manufacturing such as carpets, curtains, and bedspreads.

2) Some sports’ equipment include nylon like ski shoes, tennis racquets, and bindings.

3) High-quality fishing lines are made of flexible and transparency NYCOA nylon copolymers, which gives it its strength and flexibility. [7]

Dangers of manufacturing nylons:

1) The process of manufacturing nylons increases the abundance of nitrous oxides in the atmosphere and results in destructing the ozone layer. In the 1990’s, it was believed that a nylon plant emission had a global warming effect equal to more than 3% of the UK’s entire carbon dioxide emissions.

2) Health hazards related to nylons’ production such as nasal mucous membranes irritation if exposed to dust and fumes, skin burns if working with un-cooled polyamides and the high probability of experiencing gastric discomfort. [9].