Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterized by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or semi-aromatic groups.
Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieties exhibiting a silk-like appearance. As thermoplastics, nylons can be melt-processed into fibers, films, and diverse shapes. The properties of nylons are often modified by blending with a variety of additives.
Numerous types of nylon are available. One family, designated nylon-XY, is derived from diamines and dicarboxylic acids of carbon chain lengths X and Y, respectively. An important example is nylon-6,6 ((−C (O)(CH2)4C (O)−NH (CH2)6NH−)n). Another family, designated nylon-Z, is derived from aminocarboxylic acids with carbon chain length Z.