The static electrification of nylon 66

Measurements of the sign and magnitude of charges produced on threads of nylon 66 by contact with a variety of metals have been correlated with the contact potentials of the metals, measured against a gold reference electrode. These correlations suggest that nylon possesses a contact potential of about 42 v. A hydrocarbon polymer (polypropylene) exhibited a much higher contact potential, suggesting that the value for the polyamide is determined primarily by the properties of the amide group. Further evidence supporting this view is provided by experiments on charge diffusion which demonstrate that diffusion is faster across the molecular chain axes than along them, i.e. parallel to the amide-amide secondary linkages rather than parallel to the primary molecular backbone.