UKA TARSADIA UNIVERSITY

B.V PATEL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

topic: innovation of nylon

 WHAT IS NYLON? :

Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers, based on aliphatic or semi-
aromatic polyamides.

Nylon is a thermoplastic silky material that can be melt-processed into fibers, films, or shapes.

Nylon polymers can be mixed with a wide variety of additives to achieve many different property
variations.

Nylon polymers have found significant commercial applications in fabric and fibers (apparel, flooring and
rubber reinforcement), in shapes (molded parts for cars, electrical equipment, etc.), and in films (mostly for
food packaging).

Nylon was first used commercially in a nylon-bristled toothbrush in 1938, followed more famously in
women's stockings or "nylons" which were shown at the 1939 New York World's Fair and first sold
commercially in 1940.
 HISTORY AND INVENTION OF NYLON:

DuPont, founded by Eleuthero Irene du Pont, first produced gunpowder and later cellulose-
based paints. Following WWI, DuPont produced synthetic ammonia and other chemicals.

DuPont's experience with rayon was an important precursor to its development and marketing of
nylon

DuPont's invention of nylon spanned an eleven-year period, ranging from the initial research
program in polymers in 1927 to its announcement in 1938, shortly before the opening of the
1939 New York World's Fair.

The production of nylon required interdepartmental collaboration between three departments at

DuPont: the Department of Chemical Research, the Ammonia Department, and the Department
of Rayon. Some of the key ingredients of nylon had to be produced using high pressure
chemistry, the main area of expertise of the Ammonia Department

Nylon was considered a “godsend to the Ammonia Department”, which had been in financial
difficulties.
The reactants of nylon soon constituted half of the Ammonia department's sales and helped them come out
of the period of the Great Depression by creating jobs and revenue at DuPont.

DuPont's nylon project demonstrated the importance of chemical engineering in industry, helped create
jobs, and furthered the advancement of chemical engineering techniques.

The ability to acquire a large number of chemists and engineers quickly was a huge contribution to the
success of DuPont's nylon project.

The first nylon plant was located at Seaford, Delaware, beginning commercial production on December
15, 1939. On October 26, 1995, the Seaford plant was designated a National Historic Chemical
Landmark by the American Chemical Society.
 IMPACT:

Nylon was an immediate success. It found dozens of uses, including in toothbrushes, as fishing lines, surgical
thread, and especially stockings (which came to be called nylons).

It is resistant to moisture and has flow properties that make it perfect for injection molding and
Nylon lends itself to a wider variety of fabrics than any natural fiber. It can be woven into tricot, reversible
knot, taffeta, crepe, satin, velvet fleece, brocade, lace, organza, and seersucker.

Besides clothing, nylon has found uses in parachutes, ropes, screening, body armor, and cords for automobile
tires.

Nylon is an especially good target for recycling because of its high melting point.

Manufacturers have made a specific commitment to recycle carpeting (for which 2 billion pounds [907,200,000
kg] of nylon are used each year), but as recently as 1996 only 1% of discarded carpet was finding its way into
new carpeting.

Not only did nylon add to DuPont's wealth, but the laboratory that Carothers had established went on to
create non-stick coatings, spandex fiber, Kevlar, and many other polymers of commercial importance.
 NYLON HITS THE MARKET:

Though nylon was first synthesized in a DuPont Chemicals laboratory on Feb. 28, 1935, it
didn’t become available to the public until 1940. When it did, it was in the form of stockings,
and women across the U.S. flocked to department stores to get their hands on a pair.

Women’s stockings were all the rage in the late 1930’s, but in post-Depression America, the
high price of the silk they were often made from was not.

Despite its wildly successful first year, DuPont shifted nearly all of its nylon production from
the consumer market to the military in 1941 as the United States entered WWII. Allied forces
used the material for everything from parachutes to mosquito nets.

But by then, fashion trends had already spurred such high demand for the stockings that when
consumers couldn’t get their hands on them, a black market emerged. Some women even
resorted to painting their legs in an effort to capture the look.

When the war ended and production returned to pre-war levels, consumers rushed to
department stores .The phenomenon came to be known as the nylon riots.
 NYLON TODAY:
Nylon stockings no longer inspire riots. But nylon as a material is arguably more
pervasive than ever.

Toothbrushes. Umbrellas. Toilet brushes. Fishing line. Windbreakers. Camping

tents. Winter gloves. Kites. Dog leashes. Dog collars. Guitar strings. Guitar picks.
Children’s toys. Racket strings. Medical implants.

These are a mere sampling the nearly innumerable things made from nylon—and
consumers have Wallace Carothers and his team at DuPont to thank for it.