Exploring the Potential of 100% Polyamide （Nylon) Knitted Fabrics

The other day, when I requested a knitted fabric made from 100% polyamide(nylon), I was able to achieve a unique expression unlike anything before. Since I didn’t know much about polyamide, I decided to explore it further.

This time, I would like to discuss the possibilities of polyamide.

How Polyamide is Made

Polyamide(Nylon) is the first synthetic fiber to be successfully industrialized. It was developed primarily through the research of Dr. Carothers, a scientist at DuPont in the United States, and named polyamide when it was commercialized. In the past, when natural fibers such as hemp, silk, and cotton were predominant, there was a desire to create fibers synthetically.

Meanwhile, in Europe, research on rayon production progressed due to the desire to replicate silk.

A Very Strong Fiber

Polyamide was famously advertised with the slogan, “Fiber made from coal, air, and water, thinner than spider silk, more beautiful than silk, and stronger than steel.” This phrase quickly popularized polyamide around the world. Today, coal has been replaced by oil to reduce costs.

How Strong is It?

Polyamide is one of the strongest fibers, with approximately ten times the abrasion resistance of cotton. Its strength remains nearly the same even when wet.

It is also very light. Its specific density is only about 70% that of cotton, making it the lightest of the widely used fibers.

Due to its strength and lightness, polyamide is used not only for clothing but also in industrial applications, outdoor gear, and medical treatments.

Additionally, because of its strength and lightness, polyamide is often used as a holding thread for fancy yarn (a thread that maintains its shape). Polyamide may be blended into the yarn with an interesting shape and indicated in the blend ratio.

New Expression of Polyamide

The photo shows a cable pattern knitted with 100% polyamide thread.

It is common to use polyamide mixed with other materials, but when knitted with 100% polyamide yarn, it looks different from wool, with a unique springy finish and is lighter than anything else.

The shape of this thread is such that it is fluffy when left alone, like Woolly thread, but looks like regular thread when pulled.

Due to its considerable stretch and recovery, there is a downside that the size of the product can easily distort if it is a jersey stitch. However, I believe that by planning and stabilizing the pattern, and devising a combination of knitting methods, this can be managed.

Summary

The durability and strength of polyamide hold a lot of potential. Not only is it strong, but it also dyes well and in bright colors. Nowadays, clothes that can be used year-round are becoming more common. This versatility is not limited to knitwear; depending on how polyamide is used, it can be suitable for about three seasons, expanding its range of applications in the future.