Polyamide (PA)

What is polyamide?

Polyamide consists of linear polymers with amide bonds, so it is a plastic that can be deformed at higher temperatures (thermoplastic). Polyamides are often used for the production of synthetic fibers because they are very strong, tough and stiff and have good abrasion and wear resistance.

Properties of polyamide fibers

Polyamide fibers absorb very little moisture, so the fibers dry particularly quickly. Polyamide fibers are very tear-resistant and durable, whether wet or dry. In addition, polyamide fibers are extremely elastic, making them particularly wrinkle-resistant. Fabrics made from polyamide have a flowing drape and are even lighter than silk. They are also dyeable and mothproof.
Polyamide can also be mixed very well with other fiber raw materials such as cotton or viscose to improve the properties even more.

How is polyamide produced?

A viscous mass is required to produce polyamide fibers. These are obtained by converting certain amino acids. A basic building block is petroleum, or rather the carbon atoms obtained from it. Polyamide fibers are created by pressing the viscous mass through a nozzle into a cold air shaft. The thin fibers form, which are then solidified by a drop in temperature.
During this process you can determine the shape and strength of the endlessly long fibers (filaments) and thus influence their properties.

Disadvantages of polyamide fibers

Polyamide fibers are very sensitive to heat. You should never wash them above 40°, unless they are in a mixture in the textile product and only make up a small part of the total weight. In addition, textiles made of polyamide should not be put in the dryer. Since the material hardly creases at all, ironing is also not necessary.
So you can remember that it is best to keep polyamide away from heat.

Are polyamides synthetic or natural fibers?

There are both natural and synthetic polyamides.
Natural polyamides include peptides and proteins such as wool and silk. When you talk about polyamide, you usually mean synthetic polyamides.
Polyamides with the abbreviation PA are also known as nylon (PA 6.6) or nylon's competitor: Perlon (PA 6).

What are polyamide fibers used for?

Polyamide fibers are very versatile. They are often found in rainwear or sportswear, in swimwear, as lining or in stockings. However, since polyamide can also be mixed very well with other fiber raw materials such as cotton or viscose, it can also be found in many other textile products.

How are polyamide, nylon and nylon related to each other?

Nylon and Perlon are important representatives of polyamides.
Polyamide is sometimes also referred to as nylon. It is actually a brand name for polyamide fibers, just like Perlon, Nylon's competitor. Nylon is, so to speak, the American counterpart to Perlon. When the Americans discovered the synthetic fiber, they called it nylon. When the fiber was discovered in Germany, it was called Dederon in the GDR and Perlon in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Are nylon and nylon the same?

Perlon is the competing product of nylon, but its properties hardly differ. Perlon was patented by a group of German companies after World War II because a US chemical company ( DuPont ) already had the patent for Nylon 6.6. So Perlon came about more or less because a German found a loophole in the American patent. Although nylon and nylon have very similar properties, such as their temperature resistance or stretchability, they are made from different raw materials. Perlon is easier to dye than nylon and also has a lower melting point.