Elastici Filati con Poliammide Nylon

Polyamide: origin and types

Polyamide is a synthetic polymer patented in the 1930s, often also known by the name Nylon.

At has different names according to the number of carbon atoms in the molecule.

The most common are:

nylon 6.6 obtained from hexamethylenediamine adipate;
nylon 6 from ε-caprolactam;
nylon 11 extracted from castor oil.

Elastic yarns with polyamide or nylon

Featuring very thin filaments organised in an elastic structure, polyamide combines a range of high-performance technical specifications.

This fibre is wear-resistant, is highly elastic, dries quickly and does not need to be ironed. It is also anallergic and resistant to moulds and bacteria.

A look at sustainability

Polyamide comes above all from non-renewable fossil sources, it biodegrades very slowly and requires energy-consuming production processes.

This has resulted in widespread adoption of ecological alternatives such as recycled or biodegradable polyamide, which reduces the use of virgin raw materials and can biodegrade much more quickly.

Our yarns with polyamide can be GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified by ICEA.

Biodegradable polyamide

The decomposition of conventional nylon 66 fibre in landfill takes 50 to 100 years, while biodegradable nylon 66 decomposes in 5 years.

In anaerobic landfills, the unique composition of biodegradable nylon 66 allows bacteria to access and digest the waste materials, thus accelerating the biodegradation process. Within five years, more than 90% of the fibre is converted to biogas, while the residue is biomass.

Offering enhanced biodegradability to safeguard the environment, while maintaining all the standard characteristics of nylon 66, including durability, high tenacity, soft touch and abrasion resistance, NYLEO® 4EARTH® is the optimal solution for different end applications.