Career Paths | Overview | Fiber Characteristics | Nylon

FIBER AND FABRIC EDUCATION PROGRAM -

Fiber Characteristics - Nylon

Manufacturered Fiber - available in acrylic, nylon, polyester and rayon

CHARACTERISTICS:

• Lightweight
• Exceptional strength
• Good drapeability
• Abrasion resistant
• Easy to wash
• Resists shrinkage and wrinkling
• resilient, pleat retentive
• Fast drying, low moisture absorbency
• Can be precolored or dyed in a wide range of colors
• Resistant to damage from oil and many chemicals
• Static and pilling can be a problem
• Poor resistance to continuous sunlight

MAJOR END USES:

• Apparel - swimwear, activewear, intimate apparel, foundation garments, hosiery, blouses, dresses, sportswear, pants, jackets, skirts, raincoats, ski and snow apparel, windbreakers, childrenswear.
• Home Fashions - carpets, rugs, curtains, upholstery, draperies, bedspreads
• Other - Luggage, back packets, life vests, umbrellas, sleeping bags, tents.

Comments - Nylon is one of the strongest fiber. For this reason it´s used in garments that take a great deal of hard wear, like panty hose and swimwear.

The most popular fiber blend used in swimwear today is nylon and spandex. Although nylon is a very strong fiber, it has poor resistance to prolonged exposure to the sun. In addition, spandex breaks down from exposure to chlorine in pool water. Yet, there probably aren´t a lot of old, worn out swimsuits being returned because the fabric has wore out. That´s because the customer has learned through experience that most swimsuits, if worn a lot, won´t last for much more than a season or two. So, in many cases, when a customer shops for swimwear, she may buy as many as two or three at a time in order to get herself through just one season. This is because she has come to know what to expect from these fibers.

Learn about trademark nylon fibers:

• Akwadyne® thermoregulation technology by Comfort Technologies, Inc.
• Cordura® by DuPont

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