Perlon®

Perlon is a trade name for a synthetic polyamide fiber (polyamide 6), developed in Germany in 1937–1938 by chemist Paul Schlack as a response to American nylon. The production is based on the polymerization of caprolactam at elevated temperature and pressure, forming long polyamide chains. The molten polymer is extruded through spinnerets into a cooling environment, where fine, elastic, and strong fibers are formed. These fibers are subsequently wound, spun, or textured according to the needs of textile production. Perlon is characterized by high strength, elasticity, abrasion resistance, low moisture absorption, and fast drying. In the textile industry, it was used for the production of women’s stockings, underwear, dresses, linings, upholstery, technical textiles, ropes, cords, fishing lines, and carpets. It reached its greatest popularity in the post-war period, when perlon, together with silon and dederon, became a key material in the European textile industry. Its properties and processing methods made perlon suitable for a wide range of uses in apparel and technical textiles—especially where strength, low weight, and easy maintenance are important.