Rip stop Nylon is the best hammock fabric because of it’s
It was developed in World War II as a replacement for silk in the production of parachutes.
Ripstop nylon fabric can may be waterproof, water resistant, fire resistant, or have zero porosity (will not allow air or water through), and comes in light, medium and heavy weights.
Textures range from a soft and silk-like material to a crisp or stiff fabric that sounds like a paper bag when moved.
Ripstop nylon fabrics have an incredible strength-to-weight ratio and that small tears can not easily spread. Fibers used to make ripstop include cotton, silk, polyester, and polypropylene, with nylon content limited to the crosshatched threads that make it tear-resistant.
Nylon Thread
Nylon is a well-known synthetic polymer (derived from the Greek words ’poly’ meaning ’many’ and ’meros’ meaning ’parts’).
It was invented by Wallace Carothers, and first brought to the public’s attention in October 1938.
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/science/chemistry/how-nylon-made
Soon after its introduction it was used to make parachutes, ropes and tents during the Second World War, as well as nylon stockings and toothbrushes.
It’s a strong synthetic fibre, which resists abrasion. Nylon doesn’t shrink or stretch through washing, but it is degraded by ultraviolet light.
Nylon is made when the appropriate monomers (the chemical building blocks which make up polymers) are combined to form a long chain via a condensation polymerisation reaction.
The monomers for nylon 6-6 are adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine. The two molecules are combined to create the polymer and water (H2O) is produced as a by-product.
The water is removed from the production process as its continued presence stops the creation of more polymer.
The polymer chain can be made up of over 20,000 monomer units, connected together via an amide group, which contains a nitrogen atom.
The nylon molecules are very flexible with only weak forces, such as hydrogen bonds, between the polymer chains, which tend to tangle randomly. The polymer has to be warmed and drawn out to form strong fibres.
If you would like to know more about the synthesis of organic compounds, The Molecular World is an Open University course that introduces these fundamental ideas.
Uses:
Ripstop nylon fabrics are used in
yacht sails
spinnakers
hot air balloons
kites
parachutes
remote control hovercrafts.
High quality camping equipment such as lightweight tents,
hsleeping bags and
camping hammocks t
Swags, flags, banners, and other applications requiring a strong lightweight fabric use ripstop too. Ripstop reinforcements are incorporated into heavier fabrics requiring extreme durability, such as those used in Battle Dress Uniforms, Nomex protective clothing for firefighters and other workwear, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu uniforms, outdoor and sports clothing, backpacks, and luggage bags. Self-adhesive ripstop cloth-patches are used to repair both rips and tears in other fabrics.
Ripstop used in high quality camping hammock
Ejector seat parachutes made with ripstop are woven with an elastic-like fabric so that they stretch to allow more air to pass through at high speed. Then as the ejector seat slows, the weave closes and acts like a conventional parachute. This allows the pilot seat to slow gently, avoiding compression that could result in spinal injury.