Amaze your friends with your knowledge of the well known and less well known facts about nylon and TACTEL® fiber

1. Nylon did not derive from the popular, but misconceived, myth that it was a joining of the names of New York (NY) and London (LON), but as a result of many committee meetings within DuPont. The original working name of the fiber during research was polymer 6-6. This changed via Rayon 6-6 to Fiber 6-6 in 1937. Many commercial names were discussed, among them Artex, Dusilk, Novasilk , NoRun and Terikon. NoRun was initially chosen, but the fibre DID run, so more work was required. From NoRun came Niron to Nyron. Then, after much deliberation, Nylon was decided upon, only 2 weeks before the product's official public launch.
2. The word TACTEL® fiber was derived from the Latin word for touch - tacto.
3. Nylon as a name was never patented as a trademark, and so has become "...the generic name for all materials defined scientifically as synthetic fiber-forming polymeric amides having a protein-like chemical structure; derivable from coal, air and water or other substances, and characterised by extreme toughness and strength and the peculiar ability to be formed into fibres and into various shapes such as bristle sheets etc." We just call it polyamide.
4. One kilogram of 96 decitex yarn contains over 104 kilometres of yarn! That's more than 65 miles!! A 5 kilo package of yarn would take you from Manchester to Portsmouth and still leave you with enough yarn to go round the Mary Rose exhibition and Portsmouth FC's Fratton Park! Or even Milan to Strasbourg!
5. TACTEL® fiber formerly sponsored the Williams Formula 1 grand prix team.
6. Nylon is naturally non-allergenic and resists bacterial growth. So much so it is used for stitches after surgery.
7. A true nylon microfiber is finer than a human hair.
8. US vocal group The Drifters release a single entitled "Nylon Stockings". "Nylon" by The Nylons was another homage paid to Carothers' invention.