Ballistic nylon is a thick, tough, synthetic nylon

Nylon

Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...

 fabric used for a variety of applications. Ballistic nylon was originally developed by the DuPont

DuPont

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...

 corporation as a material for flak jacket

Flak jacket

thumb|300px|The two components of an obsolete British military flak vest. On the left, the nylon vest. On the right, the several layers of [[ballistic nylon]] that provide the actual protection...

s to be worn by World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 airmen. The term ballistic nylon takes its name from the fact that it was intended to protect its wearers from flying debris and fragmentation

Fragmentation (weaponry)

Fragmentation is the process by which the casing of an artillery shell, bomb, grenade, etc. is shattered by the detonating high explosive filling. The correct technical terminology for these casing pieces is fragments , although shards or splinters can be used for non-preformed fragments...

 caused by bullet

Bullet

A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...

 or artillery shell

Shell (projectile)

A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...

 impacts. It was not an effective defense against most pistol or rifle rounds, let alone the heavy 20mm and 30mm autocannons Axis fighters were often armed with. (For this application, ballistic nylon has been replaced by Kevlar

Kevlar

Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...

 and other, more effective, bullet resistant

Bulletproof vest

A ballistic vest, bulletproof vest or bullet-resistant vest is an item of personal armor that helps absorb the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso...

 fabrics.)

Modern applications of ballistic nylon include luggage, cave

Caving

Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...

 packs, tool belts, police duty belt

Police duty belt

Police duty belt is a belt, typically constructed of nylon or leather used by police and security officers to carry equipment easily, in a readily-accessible manner, while leaving the hands free to interact.- History :Many police forces in the United Kingdom began with a uniform consisting of a...

s, watchstraps, motorcycle jackets, and skin-on-frame kayaks.

The original specification for ballistic nylon was an 18 oz nylon fabric made from 1050 denier high tenacity nylon yarn in a 2x2 basketweave

Basketweave

Basketweave is an all-over texture resembling a weave commonly found in baskets and created from interwoven lengths of natural or man-made materials such as cane, willow, linen, plastic or wire.-See also:* Basket weaving* Basketweave * Weaving...

. Today the term is often used to refer to any nylon fabric that is made with a "ballistic weave", typically a 2x2 or 2x3 basketweave. It can be woven from nylon yarns of various denier such as 840 denier and 1680 denier. Denier refers to the weight, not the strength, of the fabric. Laboratory tests have been run and the double weave 1050 denier fabric is the strongest and most durable fabric for its denier weight level. The 1680 denier looks very similar to the 1050 when it is new, but it is actually not as strong as double weave 1050 denier and gets fuzzy as it wears. As it resists abrasion and tearing, ballistic nylon is typically used for luggage and in the bottom of bags made of a lighter nylon or other fabric. Ballistic nylon is hard to dye, so it is often found in black or similar dark colors.