# Nylon (PA6, PA66): Emissions

Laughing gas makes nylon a heavy carbon plastic

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 6.00 t CO2e per t range about 4.5-9 with N2O abatement; much higher for PA66 where adipic acid N2O is unabated · indicative (basis: Plastics Europe PA6 and PA66 eco-profiles of about 6.4-6.7, 2014, and the caprolactam tile's 4.0 t CO2e per t caprolactam) Global emissions per year 57.0 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · about 9.5 Mt x 6.0 t CO2e/t (derived, indicative)

Per t of nylon chips (PA6 and PA66 weighted), cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Plastics Europe eco-profiles (indicative); caprolactam tile. Global total: derived.

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 80% Production / process 17% Movement 3%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 4.8 t CO2e/t | 80% | benzene, ammonia, hydrogen, caprolactam or adipic acid and HMDA production, N2O from nitric acid oxidation | caprolactam about 4.0 t CO2e/t (caprolactam tile) | indicative |
| **Production / process** | about 1.0 t CO2e/t | 17% | polymerisation heat, extraction, drying and compounding | spinning adds more for yarn | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.2 t CO2e/t | 3% | shipping chips and compounds | small | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – | inert | metal replacement in cars cuts vehicle weight | n/a |
| **End of life** | about 2.3 t CO2 per t if incinerated (calculated from about 64% carbon in PA6) | – | incineration, landfill, recycling | PA6 can be depolymerised back to caprolactam; fishing nets and carpet are recycled into ECONYL yarn by Aquafil | calculated (indicative) |

#### Other environmental impacts

N2O from adipic acid is the largest non-CO2 issue; microfibre shedding from nylon textiles; lost fishing nets are a large part of ocean plastic by mass.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- N2O abatement at adipic acid and nitric acid plants removes over 90% of process N2O (indicative, EU ETS benchmark practice).
- Chemical recycling of PA6 to caprolactam (Aquafil ECONYL) cuts footprint by up to about 50-90% versus virgin (company claims, indicative).
- Low-carbon ammonia and hydrogen for caprolactam and HMDA.
- Bio-based routes: PA11 from castor oil; bio-adipic acid and bio-HMDA in development.

#### India

India's nylon footprint is mainly in PA6 yarn and tyre cord, with caprolactam from GSFC and imports. India grows most of the world's castor beans, the feedstock for PA11 (indicative), which is an opening for bio-polyamides.
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Depolymerised PA6 (ECONYL type)** | not published in sources reached; company claims large cuts (indicative) | premium of roughly 10-30% over virgin yarn (indicative) | commercial at Aquafil in Slovenia (indicative) | indicative |
| **Castor-based PA11** | lower fossil carbon; not published in sources reached | several times PA6 price (indicative) | commercial (Arkema Rilsan), India grows most of the world's castor (indicative) | indicative |

 For a climate investor The biggest single lever is N2O abatement at adipic acid plants, largely done in the EU and US but less certain elsewhere. For a fund in India, the openings are recycled PA6 from fishing nets and tyre cord waste, and castor-based polyamide intermediates. What has to be true: steady feed of clean waste and brand demand for recycled yarn.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/nylon/links/index.md)