Why Is a Nylon Rope Stronger Than a Plastic Rope?

Nylon is a type of plastic.

Nylon is a type of plastic popular in a wide variety of applications due to its flexibility and strength. The difference between nylon and other similar plastics is a result of its molecular structure.

Types

Nylon is a member of a class of synthetic polymers called polyamides. It is composed of amide groups (a carbon double-bonded to an oxygen and connected to a nitrogen bonded to a hydrogen) separated by methylene groups (a carbon bonded to two hydrogens). These chains of amide and methylene groups are so constituted that the hydrogen attached to a nitrogen in one chain is adjacent to the oxygen in the neighboring chain.

Function

Nitrogen and oxygen are much more electronegative than carbon or hydrogen, meaning that they exert a stronger pull on electrons shared between the two atoms. Consequently, a hydrogen bonded to a nitrogen has a partial positive charge, while an oxygen double-bonded to a carbon has a partial negative charge. These partial charges attract to form a type of bond called a hydrogen bond which is about 10 percent as strong as an actual covalent bond within a molecule.

Effects

The hydrogen bonds cause the adjacent chains or polymers in the nylon fiber to stick together, making nylon fibers and ropes very strong. Many other plastics like polyethylene and polystyrene lack hydrogen bonding, so ropes made of nylon fibers are stronger than ropes made of certain other kinds of plastics.

References

• University of Tennessee at Knoxville: Nylon Fibers
• "Industrial Plastics;" Erik Lokensgard, Terry L. Richardson; 2004
• "Chemical Principles, the Quest for Insight, 4th Edition;" Peter Atkins and Loretta Jones; 2008