Nylon 1,6
Nylon1,6 can be prepared directly from adiponitrile, water, and formaldehyde using acid catalysis. The synthesis can be performed at room temperature in open beakers.
Thermoset Polyamide
Early-stage research indicates that nylon-1,6 exhibits thermal behavior analogous to other formaldehyde-based polymers, such as; urea-formaldehyde, phenol-formaldehyde, and melamine resin.
Tunable Thermal Properties
Thermal analysis of Nylon 1,6 shows that the material exhibits properties consistent with decreasing polymer crystallinity and increasing crosslinking with increasing formaldehyde/adiponitrile ratio suggesting that the thermal properties of the resulting polymer can be customized through crosslink density changes by varying the formaldehyde/ADN molar ratio.
Hydrophilic Properties Useful in Polymer Blends
A high density of amide groups in the polymer makes it significantly more hydrophilic than other nylons. Nylon 1,6 absorbs 100% its weight in water compared to 2-3% for Nylon 6,6. This opens the possibility for Nylon1,6 to be used in combination with other thermoset and thermoplastic materials to modify properties such as water and hydrocarbon absorbance.