======Nylon Rope Trick======


<WRAP right box>
**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
\\
**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
\\


**Alternative titles:** Interfacial Polymerization of Nylon
</WRAP>

====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  - Pour 25 mL of 5% aqueous 1,6-diaminohexane into a crystallizing dish.  
  - Carefully layer 25 mL of 5% adipoyl chloride in cyclohexane on top, ensuring the two solutions do not mix.  
  - At the interface, a thin film of nylon will form.  
  - Using forceps, grasp the nylon film and gently pull upward in a steady motion.  
  - Wind the continuous nylon thread around a test tube or roller to collect the polymer.



====Links==== 
Nylon Rope Trick - Wisconsin Mrsec (Education): 
{{youtube>jFM-iMyvg4c?}}\\

Carolina Science - Nylon Synthesis Chemistry Demo: 
{{youtube>NQpTQFGKRN8?}}\\

📄 Nylon Rope Trick - University of Washington: [[https://chem.washington.edu/lecture-demos/nylon-rope-trick]]\\


====Variations====
  * Compare interfacial polymerization with bulk polymerization methods.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Adipoyl chloride is corrosive and a lachrymator - avoid inhalation and skin contact.  
  * Cyclohexane is flammable and malodorous—keep away from flames and work in a well-ventilated area.  
  * 1,6-diaminohexane is corrosive - wear gloves, goggles, and a lab coat.  
  * Use an absorptive pad to contain spills and dispose of chemicals properly.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does nylon form at the interface between the two layers? (The monomers react only at the boundary where they come into contact, producing a thin polymer film.)  
  * What type of reaction produces nylon in this demonstration? (Condensation polymerization, forming amide bonds.)  
  * Why is this demonstration called the “Nylon Rope Trick”? (Because a long strand of nylon can be pulled continuously like a rope.)  
  * What are some real-world applications of nylon? (Clothing, ropes, fishing line, engineering plastics.)