Nylon 6,6

By..

Jaspreet, Salmah and Tolu

• Nylon-6,6 is a type of polymer- a polyamide. • It is commonly known as nylon.• The IUPAC name for nylon 6,6 is- hexane-1, 6

diamine.• The simple molecular formula for nylon 6,6 is -

C12H22N2O2.• The CAS number is: 32131-17-2• The molecular weight is: 262.345840 g/mol.

Nylon 6,6

Structure of Nylon 6,6- C12H22N2O2.

Structure of Nylon 6,6 showing hydrogen bonds

Physical properties

• Melting point of about 255- 265 °C • Stability: Stable.• Nylon 6,6 is slightly soluble in boiling water. • It is an amorphous solid.• Glass transition temperature: 50oC. • Amorphous density at 25oC: 1.07 g/cm3. • Crystalline density at 25oC: 1.24 g/cm3. • Molecular weight of repeat unit: 226.32 g/mol.

Chemical Data- how its made• Nylon-6, 6 is made from two monomers each of which contain 6

carbon atoms, (hence Nylon 6, 6).• One of the monomers is a 6 carbon acid with a -COOH group at each

end - hexanedioic acid.

• The other monomer is a 6 carbon chain with an amino group, -NH2, at each end. This is 1,6-diaminohexane.

• When these two compounds polymerise, the amine and acid groups combine, each time with the loss of a molecule of water. This is known as condensation polymerisation.

Chemical Data- continued

• Condensation polymerisation is the formation of a polymer involving the loss of a small molecule. In this case, the molecule is water, but in other cases different small molecules might be lost. The diagram shows the loss of water between two of the monomers:

• This keeps on happening, and so you get a chain which looks like this:

Uses of Nylon 6,6

• Nylon 6,6 is used for the following: airbags, tires, ropes, conveyor belts, hoses.

• It is a light material so it is suitable to be used for parachutes.

• It is waterproof so it is used to make swimwear.

• It is also resistant to water, so it is used to make machine parts.

Pictures of Nylon 6,6 in use

How its physical and chemical properties make nylon 6,6 suitable for its uses

• Nylon 6,6 has a high melting point which makes it more resistant to heat and friction.

• Its chemical stability enables it not to be affected by solvents such as water, alcohol, etc. And even alkali.

• Its amorphous structures accounts for its elastic property.