The article will explain the biodegradability of nylon 66 while also covering topics such as recycling, eco-friendly aspects, reusing, and green alternatives.
Is Nylon 66 a biodegradable polymer?
Nylon 66 can not be given the status of being biodegradable because of the fact that neither it is present in nature nor it is derived from nature.
Nylon 66 is a non-biodegradable polymer that has a chemical and synthetic origin that not only makes nylon non-biodegradable but also not eco-friendly. This is said because of the synthetic nature of nylon 66, it will contribute to waste problems and will also play its part in environmental degradation such as marine pollution.
Nylon 66 is mostly used in the textile and plastic industries. There are two most commonly used nylon. One is nylon 6 and the other is nylon 66.
Nylon 6 is made up of one monomer that has six carbon atoms, whereas nylon 66 is made up of two monomers. Each monomer has six carbon atoms. Hence, the total number of carbon atoms in the latter is 12.
Can nylon 66 be recycled?
Nylon 66 is among the synthetic polymers that can be recycled. This means that there is a way to mitigate the negative effects that may be rendered by the use of nylon 66 and this includes the recycling or reusing of nylon 66 products.
The next big question is how can nylon 66 be recycled or reused. As per the reusing, there are various domestic and personal DIY endeavours that one can resort to. The exact options will vary based on the subjective cases.
As regards recycling, you may either discard nylon 66 in recycling bins or contact the local curbside recycling endeavours. If your local recycling centres do not accept nylon 66, you can contact third party or private ventures such as Earth911 or Terracycle.
The bottom line is to have the products made from nylon 66 polymers recycled so that the products do not end up in landfills or water bodies wherein they may cause pollution and degradation.
Is Nylon 66 eco-friendly?
Nylon 66 has both post-consumer and pre-consumer negative impacts on the environment. Owing to the fact that it is not made from nature, it will contribute to problems such as waste accumulation and environmental degradation.
Common environmental problems rendered with the production and use of nylon include waste accumulation, pollution, habitat destruction, alternation of food webs, and infiltration to aquatic and marine ecosystems to name a few.
The environmental impacts of nylon 66 can further be segregated into two major brackets that include pre-consumer effects and post-consumer effects.
Pre-Consumer
The manufacturing of nylon involves the use of chemicals which are related to the photochemical sector. It consumes a lot of water which intrudes with chemicals and enters in the water streams.
As colours are also used in the process, which ultimately enters the water streams and causes toxic pollution impacts.
The manufacturing of adipic acid involves the release of nitrogen gas which is a harmful gas also known as a greenhouse gas. The water released from nylon manufacturing is toxic which creates water pollution impacts on the environment in water streams near industrial areas.
China, Indonesia and India are already on the list of such water pollution impacts.
Post-Consumer Impacts
As nylon has pre-consumer impacts, it also has alarming post-consumer impacts. Nylon products are disposed of in the environment openly, as nylon is made of microplastics, and these microplastics persist in the environment for centuries.
These microfilaments enter in the water streams and ultimately enter the food cycle of aquatic life. All around the world, aquatic life is exposed to microplastics which cause deleterious impacts on the species and lower the population by causing the death of species.
If the disposal of nylon continues in this way, a huge portion of aquatic life will be at an alarming stage. It can be concluded that nylon is not environmentally safe, from its production to its disposal.
What can you prefer instead of nylon 66? (3 green alternatives)
Let us explore some green and eco-friendly initiatives that have been taken to curb the negative effects rendered by nylon 66.
As nylon has negative impacts on the environment, it can be replaced by alternative nylon products which are suitable for the environment and resources that are involved in nylon manufacturing.
Recycled Nylon
Recycled nylon can be used by using nylon scrap to make a new fabric. As nylon persists in the environment for centuries, recycled nylon will cause less disposal of microplastics in landfills.
Also, nylon production requires huge amounts of crude oil and other oil-based products, the use of recycled nylon will also cause a reduction in the use of oil. Recycled nylon is not eco-friendly but it can reduce the environmental impacts on aquatic life and landfills.
Econyl
Econyl is one the most favourable recycled forms of nylon. It creates no impact on humans and on the environment. The manufacturers of econyl use waste material which is produced during manufacturing and post-consumption.
Bio-Nylon
Bio nylons can also be used as an alternative to nylon fabric. Its manufacturing does not involve crude oil or fossil fuels whereas microorganisms are involved in microplastic production. Bio nylons have reduced dependency on fossil fuels and crude oils.
Although they are not 100% environmentally friendly, it is a better option than pure nylon fabric. As virgin resources are involved but it does not have pre-consumer pollution. Its production does not involve fossil fuels or crude oil consumption that’s why it can be chosen as a nylon fabric alternative.
Conclusion
It is concluded that Nylon 66 can not be given the status of being biodegradable because of the fact that neither it is present in nature nor it is derived from nature.
Nylon 66 is a non-biodegradable polymer that has a chemical and synthetic origin that not only makes nylon non-biodegradable but also not eco-friendly. This is said because of the synthetic nature of nylon 66, it will contribute to waste problems and will also play its part in environmental degradation such as marine pollution.
Nylon 66 is mostly used in the textile and plastic industries. There are two most commonly used nylon. One is nylon 6 and the other is nylon 66.
The article discussed green alternatives to nylon 66 and also gave ways to make nylon 66 more eco-friendly that include reusing and recycling the products made from nylon 66.
References
- Latting, Cate. (May 06, 2021). All about nylon 66. Retrieved from: https://www.comitatvs.com/blog/all-about-nylon-66
- Burkinshaw, S. M. (1995). Nylon. In Chemical Principles of Synthetic Fibre Dyeing (pp. 77-156). Springer, Dordrecht.
- Chavarria, F., & Paul, D. R. (2004). Comparison of nanocomposites based on nylon 6 and nylon 66. Polymer, 45(25), 8501-8515.
- Senthilvelan, S., & Gnanamoorthy, R. (2006). Selective carbon fibre reinforced nylon 66 spur gears: development and performance. Applied Composite Materials, 13(1), 43-56.
- Negoro, S. (2000). Biodegradation of nylon oligomers. Applied microbiology & biotechnology, 54(4).
- Shimao, M. (2001). Biodegradation of plastics. Current opinion in biotechnology, 12(3), 242-247.