Nylon : Benefits, Properties, and Applications

Nylon is a versatile material that offers strength, durability, and chemical resistance

Advantages and Disadvantages of Nylon

Advantages of Nylon

  • Strength and durability: Known for its high tensile strength, nylon is strong and highly durable. It can withstand heavy loads and is resistant to wear and tear.
  • Lightweight: Nylon is suited for applications where weight is a concern. It provides strength and performance without adding significant weight.
  • Flexibility: This material can be easily moulded into various shapes and forms and can be extruded into fibres or manufactured into solid objects, giving it versatility for different industries.
  • Resistance to chemicals: Nylon is resistant to many chemicals, including oils, greases, and solvents, and is it suitable for use in applications where exposure to chemicals is expected.
  • Low friction coefficient: it has excellent self-lubricating properties and is useful in applications where reduced friction is desired, such as bearings, gears, and conveyor belts.

 

Disadvantages of Nylon

  • Water absorption: It tends to absorb moisture from its environment, which can affect its mechanical properties. When exposed to water, nylon can become weaker and more prone to deformation. However, this can be mitigated by using moisture-resistant variants of nylon or through proper treatment.
  • UV degradation: Nylon is susceptible to degradation when exposed to prolonged sunlight or ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Over time, UV exposure can cause discolouration and reduced mechanical properties in nylon products. UV stabilisers can be added to mitigate this issue.

 

Applications for Nylon

Nylon is a versatile material that is suitable for a wide range of products across various industries. Here are some common types of products made from nylon.
  • Industrial components: Nylon's strength, durability, and low friction coefficient make it suitable for various industrial applications. Nylon parts are used in gears, bearings, bushings, rollers, pulleys, conveyor belts, and seals. It is also used in automotive components, such as fuel tanks, engine covers, air intake manifolds, and radiator end tanks.
  • Electrical and electronics: It’s used extensively in electrical and electronic applications due to its excellent insulation and chemical resistance properties. Nylon is used in wire and cable insulation, connectors, switches, circuit breakers, and electrical enclosures.
  • Consumer goods: Nylon is found in numerous consumer products, including bags, backpacks, luggage, umbrellas, tents, ropes, and straps. It is used in the production of sporting goods like tennis racket strings, fishing lines, and hiking boots. Nylon bristles are commonly used in toothbrushes and brushes.
  • Automotive parts: Nylon's low weight, durability, and chemical resistance make it suitable for various automotive components. It is used in interior parts like dashboards, seat belts, carpet fibres, and airbag fabrics. Nylon is also used in under-the-hood components like fuel lines, engine covers, and coolant reservoirs.
  • Medical devices: Often used in the medical industry for producing devices such as catheters, surgical sutures, wound dressings, and prosthetic components, certain specialised grades of nylon offer biocompatibility, strength, and flexibility required for medical applications.
  • Packaging materials: Nylon is used in the production of packaging materials such as films and bags. Nylon films are used in food packaging to provide barrier properties, moisture resistance, and puncture resistance.
Drill bit piercing through a blue block, sending shards flying, against a concrete background.

Nylon is known for its strength, durability, and chemical resistance.

Plastic Materials Similar to Nylon

There are several materials that are like nylon in terms of their properties and applications. Here are some common materials that share similarities with nylon and how they differ.
Materials
Similarities to nylon
Differences / limitations
Common applications
Polyester
Strong, durable; resists wrinkling and shrinking
Less moisture absorption than nylon; more UV- and colorfast; different feel/processing for textiles
Textiles, apparel, home furnishings, packaging
Polypropylene
Lightweight, durable; resistant to moisture and many chemicals
Lower melting point and less heat resistant than nylon
Packaging, automotive components, fibers, ropes
Polyethylene
Lightweight, durable; resistant to chemicals and moisture
Generally less strong and lower heat resistance than nylon
Packaging, containers, pipes, films
Polyurethane
Strength, flexibility, abrasion resistance similar to some nylon grades
Typically more expensive; different mechanical/thermal behavior depending on formulation
Coatings, adhesives, foams, elastomers

 

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