Material Talk - Episode 2: What is Nylon?
What is Nylon?
Nylon was developed in 1939 by DuPont. It is a common thermoplastic typically derived from petroleum. There are several formulas of Nylon commercially available and used as fabrics, however all Nylons display the common characteristics of: Excellent tear resistance, low breathability, moderate moisture wicking properties, and relatively low production costs.
Frequently nylon uses a low quality Vat Dye for coloration, especially in low grade nylon fabrics. Experiments on Nylon yarns found that Vat dyes cause extensive degradation to nylon and are responsible for rapid fading in the fabric through oxidation and UV light.
Jeffery Jansen Sr. Engineer at the Madison Group found that polymers like Nylon are inherently susceptible to molecular degradation through immersion in water through the process of Hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is the degradation of a polymeric material through contact with water, specifically the hydrogen cations (H+) or hydroxyl anions (OH-). For those of us non-engineers this means that getting Nylon paddling gear wet makes it fall apart which is somewhat ironic given that it is a staple of splash and water protection throughout the outdoor industry.
A University of Mauritius study found Nylon 6,6 (which is commonly used in outdoor gear) will resist atmospheric degradation for around two years in a C3 category environment. C3 refers to a medium corrosive atmosphere, Urban and industrial atmospheres, moderate sulphur dioxide pollution; coastal area with low salinity. However, after 2 years, it will degrade gradually and in the long term, it may not necessarily be a reliable material in terms of tensile strength.
Absorption and Drying Speed of Nylon Fabric
Although it’s water absorption is less than wool or cotton the material is still hydrophilic so it will easily absorb water. A Toray Plastics study found that Nylon can absorb 1.5 To 2.5% of its weight in water and gets worse the longer it is exposed to water up to 10.8 of it’s weight over a long term period. Its inability to repel water causes the fabric to swell and ultimately weakens the molecular structure.
Nylon’s drying speed is a function of the ambient humidity so in high humidity environments it will dries significantly more slowly. Because of this, you should carefully consider Nylon vs another fabric on long multi day trips since will not dry in wet weather.
Heat Retention of Nylon Products
We haven’t found any studies on heat retention; however, it is rarely used as an insulating fabric.
Nylon’s Environmental Concerns
Discarded nylon fabric can take 30–40 years to decompose.
Nylon is difficult material to recycle so most manufacturers would rather use new Nylon rather than deal with the recycling process. That being said since Nylon is a thermos plastic it does lend itself well to recycling if the technology is in place.
US Department of Defense Studies have shown that the prediction of the average lifetime of a nylon product is approximately 20 years +-10 years before the product degrades.
Use of Nylon in Garments
Nylon is in most outdoor gear and we typically see it used as a Face Fabric in paddle jackets and dry gear. Nylon’s excellent tear resistance makes it ideal for high wear areas like knees elbows and your booty.
Nylon paddling gear has a propensity to hold water which can make it feel colder since continuous splashes can aid water in convective heat loss.
If you haven’t checked out our ePTFE article you can learn more about internal delamination of ePTFE, but one of the leading causes of drysuit failure is actually the suit being wet for long periods of time due to degradation in PTFE sandwiched between the layers.
Studies have shown that PTFE will degrade in the presence of water and metals like (gold, copper, zinc, silver, and iron) so equipment that integrates PTFE should be dried thoroughly to avoid degradation.
