Difference between Nylon and

Polyester
 Chemical structure
• Nylon - is mainly a polymer chain having polyethylene
segment separated by amide group which have mainly
Hydrogen bonding due to polarity of amide group.
• Hydrogen bonding is main cohesive force in nylon

• Polyester- are long-chain polymers chemically composed of at

least 85% by weight of an ester which is organic salt formed
from the reaction between an alcohol and an acid.
• While vanderwall forces are main cohesive force in polyester.
 DOP
• Degree of polymerization for nylon 6,6 and
nylon 6 is estimated about 50-80 and 200
respectively. length of about 90-140nm for
nylon 6,6 and 90nm for nylon 6.
• The degree of polymerization of pet ranges
from 115 to 140, results in a polymer length of
about 120 nm to 150 nm,
 Moisture
• Nylon – upto 4% moisture regain due to polar
amide group which forms h-bond with water
molecule
• Polyester- 0.04% due to non ploar groups and
high crystallinity.
 Strength
• Nylon – High strength due to high hydrogen bonding but
reduces when wet due to breakage of hydrogen bond in
water.
• Polyester – high strength due to high crystalline system
which result in high vanderwall force bw polymer chains
and tenacity remain unaltered when wet due to non
dependency on hydrogen bonding.
• Polyester is having high initial modulus means high load in the
start is required to elongate the chain due to presence of
benzene ring in the structure which makes the polymer chain
rigid.
 Elastic nature of nylon
• Nylon- is Highly elastic due to hydrogen bond regular grid
which prevent polymer slippage and causing polymer to return
to its original postion on removal of strain.
• The nylon 6,6 polymer has a linear but zig-zag arrangement of
carbon atoms. The carbon atom can form four single covalent
bonds which are arranged in tetrahedron. This tetrahedral
arrangement of bonds causes the carbon atoms to form a zig-
zag but linear polymer. This polymer configuration is partly
responsible for the very good elastic properties of nylon.
 Plastic nature of polyester
• Extremely crystalline polymer system results in stiff and hard
handle of polyester filaments or staple fibers and their
resulting textile material
• Van der Waals forces which hold the polyester polymer system
together, as these cannot withstand much stretching and results
in polymer slippage.
• The waxy handle of polyester textile materials, is due to the
lack of significant polar groups in the polyester polymer. As
non polarity persists, the methylene groups and benzene rings
result in the waxy nature of the polyester polymers and their
polymer systems.
 Nylon acid se na naa naa
• Amide groups in the nylon polymers are readily
hydrolyzed under acidic conditions. Acid hydrolysis
of nylon polymers result in loss of inter-polymer
hydrogen bonding, and weakening of the nylon
filament and also get yellow.
• The ester groups of the polyester polymers are
resistant to acid hydrolysis. This resistance is due to
the extreme crystallinity of the polyester polymer
system which prevents the entry of any acid and
water molecules into the filament of staple fiber.
Nylon n pet dono alkali ko naa naa
• Prolonged and frequent exposure to alkalis will
cause significant alkali hydrolysis of nylon
polymers.
• During laundering alkalies, may hydrolyse the
polyester polymers at their ester groups. But
extreme crystallinity of the polyester polymer
restricts the hydrolysis to the surface of the
polyester filament
 Are nylon ko dhup me mat rakhna
• Nylon has only a fair resistance to sunlight and weather.
Ultraviolet rays of sunlight causes the imino groups of the
amide groups to react with the oxygen in the air, and produces
groups that are more reactive and more water soluble. The
groups that are produced reacts further causes breaking of
inter-polymer hydrogen bonds and polymer fragmentation
resulting in the severe weakening of the nylon textile material.
In acidic environment like polluted atmosphere these processes
are accelerated.
• The acid resistance of polyesters helps to protect polyester textile materials
from acidic nature of polluted atmospheres. The benzene rings of the
polyester polymer give stability to the polymer against sun's ultraviolet
radiation.
 Physical structure- dono bhai bhai
• Polyester filaments have no identifiable microscopic
appearance. The longitudinal appearance of the fiber is very
regular and featureless because of the near circular cross-
section. polyester's microscopic appearance are similar to
those given for nylon
 Key difference
• Specific gravity of nylon is 1.14 gm /cc while polyester is 1.32
• Mpt of nylon6 is 218 while of n66 is 250 and polyester is 265-
270
Nylon tg is bw 45 – 50 while polyester tg is 74degree
Nylon cyrstallinity develops fast during melt spg. Faster the
speed more gama crystals formed which get transformed to
alpha crystals on conditioning.
While polyester crystallinity develops slowly during melt spg.