Specialty chemicals manufacturer INVISTA Intermediates (Houston, TX, US) reported at the SPE Thermoset Topcon (Phoenix, AZ, US) March 21-22 that it has developed a new polymer called nylon 1,6, which the company says, through testing, is revealed to behave less like a thermoplastic and more like a thermoset.

William Tenn, senior research associate at INVISTA, reported that thermal analysis of nylon 1,6 showed that the material exhibits properties consistent with decreasing polymer crystallinity and increasing crosslinking. The material’s thermal behavior also showed that it is similar to resins like urea-formaldehyde, melamine and Bakelite (phenolic).

Tenn also noted that thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of nylon 1,6 revealed that the material offers good thermal stability up to about 300°C.

He added that INVISTA is seeking external industrial partners to accelerate development of nylon 1,6; the company is seeking opportunities for co-development, licensing and consulting.

Tenn can be reached at william.j.tenn@invista.com.