Why Nylon Chosen for Military Supplies?
Why Nylon Chosen for Military Supplies?
So, how does NYLON fulfill the military-based requirements?
Physical Requirements
To ensure maximum mobility during combat, what the soldiers wear and carry must be lightweight and comfortable. As a synthetic textile, the polymer-based construction of nylon makes it lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Environmental Requirements
As soldiers are expected to operate in all parts of the globe, from the arctic to the desert, it is inevitable for them to experience the widest range of climate conditions. Therefore, their clothing must be sufficient to survive the extreme changes of the climate on the land, sea, and in the air. Nylon is well-known for its durability because of its strong ability to survive heat, cold, wetness, and UV light. It is not only quick to dry but also air-permeable.
Camouflage Requirements
The ability of the clothing to blend in with the surrounding environment is a crucial aspect to ensure the survivability of soldiers. As nylon can be readily dyed into different colors, Khaki, Green, andBlack are the best visual colors adopted by the militaries of many nations. For instance, Khaki was adopted after 1850 in India. These colors have best known to minimize the contrast between the objects and the environment, allowing the soldiers to conceal themselves in the immediate vicinity when hiding in the bushes or trees.
Flame and Heat Protection Requirements
Another reason for nylon to be favored as the military material is its ability to protect the soldiers from the flame and heat. Unlike other textiles, nylon melts when burning and only a small amount of smoke would be emitted during the burning. More importantly, the gas is free of toxicity. These features are not only important to protect the soldiers from harm but also help in their escape by burning the unnecessary stuff without attracting unintended attention from the enemies.
Hazards Protection Requirements
Ballistic nylon is great for making personal clothing as this construction is capable to protect soldiers from a variety of hazards. For instance, the penetration of sharp objects from the battlefield or animals from the wildlife.
Economics Requirements
We are all limited in attentional and financial resources. So do soldiers. To preserve their valuable resources for crucial activities, the personal clothing must be cleanable with ease and handled with minimal maintenance. Due to the extreme environments where the soldiers operate, the material of their clothing must have a longer lifespan, repairable, readily available, and purchasable with minimal cost. Unlike leather, nylon does a better job in these areas. As a synthetic fiber, nylon is not easy to degrade. Also, it can be manufactured easily all over the world now. The availability of high-grade nylon at a cheap cost will never be an issue.
Although nylon is popularly applied in the military environment, it is an ideal material for other outdoor contexts as well. This material would be the best choice for those who love to immerse themselves in nature such as camping, trekking, fishing, war games, as well as those whose work involves frequent outdoor engagement.