NYLON…FROM STOCKINGS TO SPACESUITS WITHOUT A SNAG! 

By Nancy Kelley, President,   Textile Fabric Consultants  

1939…A year of optimism… 

Despite the growing war in Europe, the Great Depression was winding down, and prosperity was just around the corner.  The release of  “Gone With the Wind” and “The Wizard of Oz” was a stark contrast to the Noble Prize in Physics awarded to Ernest Lawrence for his development of the cyclotron, a crucial step in the production of nuclear reaction. 

In the same year millions of visitors flocked to two world’s fairs to catch a glimpse of the wonders of the future.   At the fair in New York City, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to appear on television.   At the San Francisco fair, spectators were mesmerized as nylon stocking made their public debut.  At the DuPont Company’s exhibition, nylon’s raw materials (coal, air and water) were inserted into one end of a simulated machine and a pair of sheer stockings miraculously emerged from the other end. Thus nylon was introduced to the public by means of women’s hosiery, and became an instant success…the world’s first synthetic fiber and the first fiber developed in the United States. 

Earlier, E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company had begun a fundamental research program to study polymers or giant molecules. The chemists found an unusual characteristic in one of the polymers under investigation.  When a glass stirring rod was pulled away from the solution, a fine filament that hardened when exposed to air was formed.  When it was stretched, it produced a flexible, strong and attractive fiber.   The company devoted itself to improving the polymer, finding efficient methods for manufacturing it, developing the necessary equipment for its production, and most importantly, finding possible uses for the new nylon fiber.

 It was months after the world’s fair exhibition before anyone could buy nylon hosiery.  That day came in the autumn of 1939.  Sales were limited to a few retail outlets. Nylon stockings were launched, heralded by a well-planned advertising campaign.  Hundreds of women lined the downtown streets waiting for the half-dozen shops to open so they could buy nylons.  The entire supply was sold within hours.  Sales of silk stockings dropped to nothing.  It was the classic example of a successful mass marketing of a new product. 

 But women hardly had a chance to get use to the luxury of nylon before the fiber was classified as an essential material and “went to war”.  All nylon production was funneled into the war effort.  Nylon was used for making ropes, parachutes, tents and tire cord for heavy bombers and fighter planes.  Nylon was also used to filter blood plasma and as sewing thread for shoes and apparel.  Gone was the worry of diseases, pests, floods and other disasters that cold diminish the supplies of natural fibers such as silk, cotton, linen and wool. 

After the war, nylon production or civilian use was reinstated.  When nylon hosiery went back on the market in early 1946, patrolmen and mounted police were on duty.   One Georgia newspaper headline claimed “Women Risk Life and Limb in Bitter Battle for Nylons.” When a survey asked women what they missed the most during the war, 20% said they missed men the most.  40% said nylons! 

Because of performance characteristics and versatility, nylon has been holding its own in a volatile textile market.  Nylon is widely used in fabric for apparel, home furnishings, industrial applications, and geo-textiles.  Nylon remains one of the most widely used fibers overall.  Only polyester and cotton are used in greater quantities than nylon.  Nylon is often blended with other fibers to provide fabrics with good dimensional stability, elastic recovery, shape retention, and abrasion resistance. 

It is the leading fiber in the manufacture of women’s hosiery and lingerie.  No other fiber has been able to compete with nylon in the hosiery market.  High elongation and excellent elastic recovery contribute to the fibers success.

 Many carpeting materials and upholstery fabrics are made of nylon because it wears well, is easy to clean, and does not require special protection against moths and carpet beetles.  Nylons are popular in carpeting because they resist crushing, do not show soil quickly and retain an attractive appearance

 One of the major advantages of nylon fibers is their strength.  It is used in many industrial products such as seat belts, tire cords, ballistic cloth, and towropes.  It is a highly elastic fiber with good elongation properties.  This contributes to outstanding shape retention for nylon fabrics.    Nylon also has very good recovery properties from creasing, wrinkling or crushing.   Because nylon is thermoplastic, or heat-sensitive, it can be hear-set during processing so  that it will retain its shape during use and care. The fiber will stretch but will return to its original size.  Age appears to have little effect on the fiber.  If stored away from light and other deteriorating influences, nylon will last for many years. 

 Nylon introduced the concept of easy-care garments.  It can be washed safely at all temperatures and tumbled dried.  Since nylon has low absorbency, it dries quickly.  Most manufacturers of nylon state that any type of soap or detergent may be used.  Most stain removal agents will not damage the fiber. 

Today nylon is used in a myriad of common items, from seat belts to ski boots, from conveyor belts to tool and appliance handles, from lawn mower blades to ship propellers;  umbrellas, paint brushes, hair brush bristles, toothbrush bristles, fishing nets, parachute fabrics, ropes, sails, luggage, backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags are made of nylon.

 Other applications include fabrics for extreme outdoor application.  Nexten, a new nylon fiber produced by Nylstar, is a hollow nylon fiber that is 30% lighter than regular nylon and almost 40% lighter than polyester.  Techno is another nylon fiber that offers abrasion resistance five times greater than standard nylon, higher tenacity and tensile strength and ten times more tear resistance than polyester.  You will see these fibers in water and wind resistant garments for hiking, climbing and biking.

 References:

       Kadolph, Sara and Langford, Anna.  Textiles, 8th Edition, Prentice-Hall Publishing Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

        Collier, Billie and Tortora, Phyllis.  Understanding Textiles, 6th Edition, Prentice-Hall Publishing Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

        Harris, Jennifer.  Textiles, 5000 Years, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York, NY, 1993.   

       Humphries, Mary.  Fabric Handbook Reference, 2nd Edition, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, 1992.   

       Gross, Elaine.  "Nylon Expands Market Growth Beyond Carpets," Textile World, Volume 151, Number 2, February 2001.

Copyright Nancy Kelley            Courtesy of Textile Fabric Consultants  

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