Monofilament fishing line

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Monofilament line is a thin string made from a single fiber. Because of monofilament's strength, availability in all pound-test kinds, and low cost, most fishing line is made from it. It also comes in many different colors such as white, green, blue, clear, and fluorescent. Monofilament is made by melting and mixing polymers and which is then extruded through tiny holes, forming strands of line, which is then spun into spools of various thicknesses. The extrusion process controls not only the thickness of the line but also the pound test of the line.

Discarded monofilament lines can present a serious environmental issue. These lines are extremely difficult to spot when submerged in water, making it possible for fish, birds, and other marine life to easily become entangled. Moreover, monofilament is not advisable for deepwater fishing since it can absorb water resulting to loose knots, and its sensitivity can decrease when it is wet. It can also weaken when exposed to heat and sunlight. Thus, a monofilament stored in a spool for quite a long time will likely to come off the fishing reel in coils or loops. It is advisable to change monofilament line at regular intervals to prevent degradation.^[1] Monofilament lines also present a risk to swimmers and scuba divers.

Monofilament is also used in medicine to test the sense of touch.^[2] It can be used in jewelry making to create 'floating' or 'illusion' beaded necklaces^[3].

Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

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DuPont made public in 1938 that their company had invented nylon^[4]. This new invention was the first synthetic polymer, fabrics that are commonly used in textiles today^[5]. In 1939, DuPont began marketing nylon monofilament fishing lines; however, braided Dacron lines remained the most used and popular fishing line for the next two decades. DuPont seized the opportunity in 1959 and introduced Stren, a thinner monofilament line that could be used in a large range of reels, including newly introduced spinning and spin casting tackle. Stren's monofilament lines soon became the fishermen's favorite fishing line because of its ease of use. New materials, eg. Spectra or Dyneema, are finding growing use in monofilament lines.

[edit] See also

• Braided line
• Fishing
• Fishing line
• Multifilament line

[edit] References

1. ^ Types of Fishing Lines
2. ^ Medicalmonofilament.com
3. ^ Kasselman, Marlize. "How to make beaded jewelry: Stringing Materials". Retrieved on 2007-12-13.
4. ^ History of Nylon US Patent 2,130,523 'Linear polyamides suitable for spinning into strong pliable fibers', U.S. Patent 2,130,947 'Diamine dicarboxylic acid salt' and U.S. Patent 2,130,948 'Synthetic fibers', all issued 20 September 1938
5. ^ Dupont Heritage, 1935:Nylon. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.

[edit] External links

• Line Test Compares most of the major brands of Nylon Monofilament fishing line available in the United States.
• MRRP Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program