Non-oriented blown extruded nylon-6 film experiences a significant degradation in tensile properties when exposed to the common industrial air pollutants, nitrogen oxides (NO,). The extent of degradation was found to increase with increasing NO, concentration and exposure time, but was found to be largely unaffected by the state of stress of the material during exposure. This demonstrates that non-oriented nylon-6 film does not experience a synergism between an applied load and exposure to NO,, as is seen in highly oriented nylon-6 fibers [1]. Viewed microscopically, the degradation is seen to be a diffusion controlled, oxidative, surface embrittlement phenomena.
