Silon®

Silon is a trade name for a type of synthetic polyamide fiber (polyamide 6, polycaprolactam) that was produced in Czechoslovakia from the 1950s as an alternative to Western polyamides such as nylon and perlon. It was developed in the research laboratories of the Baťa company under the leadership of Otto Wichterle in the early 1940s. Industrial production later began in Planá nad Lužnicí and subsequently in Slovak factories such as Chemosvit. The basis of production is the polymerization of caprolactam, during which ring-shaped molecules open under heat and pressure and link together into long polyamide chains. These are then melted, extruded through spinnerets, and after cooling form fibers that are subsequently drawn and surface-treated. Silon fibers are flexible, have high tensile strength, good abrasion resistance, low moisture absorption, and dry quickly. In the textile industry, silon was mainly used for stockings, underwear, sportswear, dresses, technical textiles, ropes, threads, and fishing lines. It was especially important during periods of shortage of natural fibers and high demand for strong, easy-care fabrics. Its properties are comparable to nylon, although Czechoslovak production was adapted to local raw material availability and technological conditions.