Polyamid, PA
A well-known trade name is Nylon. Nylon is composed of monomers by means of amide bonds. The substance is therefore often called polyamide. In 1939, the US company DuPont was the first to begin industrial production of the substance. It women’s stockings and it replaced silk in the manufacture of parachutes. The advantage of nylon/polyamide is that it has a good wear resistance, it is elastic and resistant to creasing, it has high tensile strength, it is thermoplastic and can be easily mixed with other types of fibre. It does not shrink significantly and also has good recovery ability in carpets. The disadvantages are that polyamide easily absorbs dirt and static electricity and it degrades quickly in sunlight. It is very resistant to petrol, oil and many solvents, but it cannot be exposed to hot water for longer periods. Polyamide is most suitable for blended products. It is used for machine parts, oil filters, oil and petrol hoses, furniture hinges, laminate foils for gas-tight packaging, and kitchen appliances.