Nylon-12 is made from ω-aminolauric acid or laurolactam monomers that each have 12 carbons. Its molecular formula is [(CH2)11C(O)NH]n. In the cosmetic and personal care industries, it is used as bulking and opacifying agents in face and body powders, and skin creams.
What is NYLON-12 used for?
Nylon-12 is a powder substance used as an absorbent and texture enhancer. When present in high amounts in skin care or makeup products, nylon-12 tends to have mattifying properties. It can be used in the formulation of body and hand preparations, eye makeup, mascara, nail polish, skin fresheners, bath products, deodorants, face makeup, indoor tanning preparations, lipsticks, moisturizers, night skin care products, paste masks and suntan products.
Origin
Nylon-12 can be produced through two routes. The first being polycondensation of ω-aminolauric acid, a bifunctional monomer with one amine and one carboxylic acid group. The second route is ring-opening polymerization of laurolactam at 260-300°C. Ring opening can be carried out by cationic or anionic initiators, although cationic initiators have not been used commercially due to the product being less stable and oxidized relatively quickly in comparison to those produced by activated anionic polymerization (monomer casting). Ring-opening polymerization is the preferred route for commercial production.