A nylon is made from its monomers by
condensation polymerisation. You may already have done this or a similar
experiment in an earlier course. If so, you can omit this activity and go on to
Activity DP2.2.
• 5 cm3 beaker
• decanedioyl dichloride, 5
solution in cyclohexane (1 cm3)
• 1,6-diaminohexane, 5% solution in 0.5 mol dm-3 sodium carbonate solution (1 cm3)
• glass rod or test-tube
• tweezers
• access to fume cupboard
• protective gloves
1 Pour about 1 cm3 of the 1,6-diaminohexane solution (CARE Irritant) into a 5 cm3 beaker.
2 Carefully add an equal volume of the decanedioyl dichloride solution to the beaker. (CARE Decanedioyl dichloride has an irritating vapour. The vapour is a powerful lachrymator (eye irritant) and this effect is often delayed. Perform this part of the activity in a fume cupboard) Two separate layers will form. Do not mix them.
3 Use a pair of tweezers to remove the nylon film which forms where the two layers are in contact. Do this slowly and hook the nylon thread which forms onto a glass rod or a test-tube. Slowly wind the thread around the rod. As the nylon is removed more forms at the solution interface, so you should be able to keep on winding for some time.
4
Once you have made some nylon it needs to be washed
thoroughly with tap water. Take care not to touch the nylon because it forms as
a hollow tube, and there will still be some chemicals trapped in the middle.
a
Write
out an equation to show the formation of nylon in this activity.
nNH2-(CH2)6-NH2 + nCOCl-(CH2)8-COCl →
n(-(CH2)6-HNOC-(CH2)8-CONH-)
+ 2nHCl
b
What
is the name of the nylon you have made?
Nylon 6,10