The presence of polyamide fabric in various industries speaks volumes about its utility and versatility. Despite its prominence in everyday life, not many people can say they know much about this important textile family.
If you’ve wondered what is polyamide fabric, I will run through the basic facts that will help you find out if the textile is the best choice for your project or business.
What is Polyamide Fabric?
Polyamide fabrics are synthetically made polymers. These fibers are essentially the linkages of repeat units by amide bonds, forming a complete polymer chain.
With this broad definition, there are a number of natural and synthetic fabrics that can fall under the “polyamide” umbrella. For example, silk and wool are naturally occurring fabrics linked by amide bonds. However, within the industry, it is more common to use “polyamide fabric” to refer to its synthetic products.
You can further classify polyamides into different buckets: aliphatic polyamides, polyphthalamides, and aromatic polyamides, which are also known as aramids.
Wallace Hume Carothers, an American scientist, is well-known to be the inventor of neoprene in 1928. In his 1934 fiber research, he sought to improve polyesters by using glycols.
The team looked for an alternative that was suitable for everyday use. The result was the discovery and subsequent further study on polyamides with a dedicated team. Only a year later, the research developed into the invention of nylon.
Today, polyamide fabrics can be found everywhere. Its most common applications include textiles, the automotive industry, transportation construction, and kitchenware.
Thanks to its strength and durability, it became a widely popular and fashionable fabric, used from everyday clothing to high-performance sportswear.
How is Polyamide Fabric Made?
These synthetic fabrics are made through the process of polymerization. This is the process wherein monomers are chemically linked together to create a chain and form what is called a polymer. In the case of polyamides, their linkages are formed using amide bonds.
The process of creating polyamide fabric, such as nylon, is simple. In essence, the materials you need to create the fabric are petroleum, special chemicals, and water.
The amine acid (typically diaminohexane), which serves as the monomer, is from petroleum. This is combined with another acid (typically adipic acid). Their reaction starts to form a web-like substance that can be spun out and form crude fibers.
In large manufacturing operations, the polymers are heated, extruded, and stretched before finally spooled into proper fibers. These steps are done in order to make them suitable for use in a lot of different applications.
This is especially true of the stretching process, which improves the fiber’s elasticity. The finished product can be easily dyed to create a variety of colors.
The polyamide fabric is then produced into the swathes and rolls of fabric end-users are familiar with. However, it’s also a popular practice to blend these with other fibers and materials in order to create special fabrics.
Polyamide Fabric Benefits and Drawbacks
Polyamide fabrics are easily created, easily used, and accessible all over the world. It is strong, flexible, stretchy, friction, and flame resistant, making it adaptable to different kinds of uses. It is generally an affordable textile next to its comparable peers.
Aside from that, it’s very easy to dye the shiny fabric in a variety of bold colors. If you have other requirements, you can add chemicals that enhance properties like flame resistance with no problem.
You can even blend polyamides with other fibers to have a customized garment that takes advantage of polyamide’s strengths.
However, this textile also has its disadvantages. It’s only water-resistant and not completely waterproof, so liquid absorption can still happen. It is also more expensive to produce than its cousin, polyester.
Of course, there is the matter of environmental effects. Since polyamides are a petroleum-based product, production causes greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere.
The Different Types of Polyamides
The polyamide name serves as an umbrella term for even more types of fibers. There are three classifications of polyamide fibers, distinguished by their main chains.
Aliphatic Polyamides
Aliphatic polyamides, which feature a high carbon-to-hydrogen ratio. It burns with a pristine flame and can give off a bad odor.
Its most popular examples are Nylon PA 6 and Nylon A 66. The numbers indicate chemical information, namely the length of the polymer’s chains.
You’ll find them in everyday items where toughness is a requirement: fishing lines, tents, gloves, wheels, and strings on guitars and tennis rackets. It is also widely used for medical applications and is found in places like implants and toothbrush bristles.
Polyphyalamides (PPA)
Polyphtalamides are known as high-performance polyamides or semi-aromatic polyamides. Its main applications are in the vehicles industry and traditional supply or gas pipes.
A popular example is Trogamid by Evonik.
Aromatic Polyamides
Aramids, also known as aromatic polyamides, features a lower carbon-to-hydrogen ratio than the aliphatic category. It burns with a sooty flame and gives off a good odor.
A popular example is Kevlar. It is a strong and heat-resistant fiber that is notably used in bulletproof vests, due to its incredible tensile strength said to be five times the strength of steel.
Polyamide Material Properties
Polyamide fabric was specially formulated to be strong and resistant. Here are some of the properties of the textile.
Extra-Strength and Durability
The strength of polyamide fabric makes it popular in industrial settings, but it has its functions in apparel and everyday appliances as well. This high tensile strength makes it ideal for various industrial applications.
Flexible and Stretchy
Not only are polyamides strong, but they are adaptable to the size and shape of bodies and objects. They conform to shapes, providing nice and snug coverage for various kinds of clothing.
Friction Resistance
The strength of polyamide is complemented by how it resists abrasive surfaces and scratches. It holds against sharp objects and won’t easily cause tears. Your outdoor and sportswear can last long through any demanding physical activity.
Lightweight
The highly resilient fabric, despite its toughness, is soft and light. It provides coverage that is not heavy or cloying.
Is Polyamide Fabric Waterproof?
While not completely waterproof, polyamide fabric is widely used due to its reliable water-resistant properties. In fact, it is popularly used as a textile for sports and outdoor activities, due to its low absorption of liquid. This is ideal for working in various settings and weather conditions.
The fabric is not just resistant to getting wet, but it is good against heat, odors, and friction. Because of its strengths, plenty of outdoor gear is fashioned from polyamide fabric.
The only thing that it’s not good at is keeping humans warm – that’s why nylon jackets are usually outfitted with other insulating measures.
The Differences Between Polyamide and Polyester Fabric
One of polyamide fabric’s biggest competitors is polyester. Both are synthetic and non-biodegradable fabrics. Their polymerization origins seem very similar, but their difference lies within the carboxylic group and hydroxyl group.
While they were both discovered by Carothers, the intention for the two fibers is slightly different.
Polyester is a popular fabric that is used in clothing, fashion, and home furnishings, and textiles. This fabric is also cheaper to produce than polyamide, making it more accessible for clothing companies to use in their catalogs.
However, despite being more widely used in fashion, it is not a recyclable fabric.
Polyamides are also used in clothing, but their strengths lie in industrial purposes due to their resistance to various elements (water and heat).
It has an excellent stretch and abrasion resistance that can withstand various kinds of forces. There are existing recycling efforts for collecting this plastic and reintroducing them for further use.
If you are thinking about which fabric to use, you need to account for factors like durability, stretch, water resistance, insulation, and price.
If you are looking at more fashionable, easygoing clothing, polyester is a good option. If you want to create outdoor wear that will be useful in any situation, polyamide might be a better choice.
What Does Polyamide Fabric Feel Like?
Polyamide fabric was an invention that aimed to replicate the qualities of natural silk, for everyday use. Because of this, it has a soft touch and a silky texture. Despite this soft feeling, it is a very strong fabric.
This is most noticeable in products like nylon socks, which, despite being very thin, can survive more than a few rounds in the washing machine.
Is Polyamide Fabric Stretchy?
Yes, polyamide fabric is extremely stretchy. This is owed to the stretching step that is being applied to the polymer in the beginning steps of polyamide production. This stretchable quality makes it an ideal fabric for clothing like hosiery, lingerie, activewear, and swimming apparel, which require a snug fit on bodies.
Is Polyamide Fabric Breathable?
No, polyamide fabric is not breathable. In its basic composition, the fabric is very sturdy and tightly woven and doesn’t let air in the way polyester does. Some fabrics use a blend with polyamides to balance durability and breathability. It is best used as an outer fabric meant to protect you from the elements and climate.
Is Polyamide Fabric Warm?
No, polyamide fabric is not warm. It is a non-insulating fabric that will not keep any of your body heat inside the clothing. It’s notable that polyamides like nylon are commonly used for winter jackets, but only on the outside. However, the inside of this jacket must be lined with insulating material such as wool, fleece, or down feathers.
Is Polyamide Fabric Safe?
Depending on the scenario, polyamide is safe and a widely used material. It can also be treated to become a flame-resistant textile.
It should be noted that like polyester, there is a chance that polyamide clothing can trigger an allergic reaction or contact dermatitis. However, this is more often a result of dyes and other agents rather than the polyamide itself.
What Impact Does Polyamide Fabric Have on the Environment?
Polyamide fabric is a product of petroleum, a nonrenewable fossil fuel that is consumed through burning. In effect, production of the this fabric releases pollution into the atmosphere. Additionally, the process also requires tonnes of water. Its most devastating effect is bringing greenhouse gases, essentially contributing to the global warming and water pollution dilemma.
Due to its cheap and accessible nature, polyamide fabric is used in a lot of disposables, which have significantly contributed to the growing landfill and solid waste disposal problem in many countries.
It is possible to recycle polyamides through a mechanical recycling process. While the process is still expensive and rare, there are steps being taken to move this process forward.
Conclusion
Polyamide fabric is a versatile fabric that can be used in a variety of industries, settings, and climates. It is also an accessible and affordable fabric compared to equivalent competitors. Its everyday presence in our lives shows how important it is to our society, and its researchers and manufacturers are still looking for ways to improve it even further.
