Nylon 18 18 and nylon 18 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylic acid (ADA) have been synthesized via melt polycondensation and characterized by thermal and Spectroscopic techniques. Good film forming behavior combined with film toughness and flexibility indicate reasonable molecular weights for both. The higher aliphatic content of nylon 18 18 leads to increased resistance to common organic solvents over commercial nylons. Crystallization of nylon 18 18 combines hydrogen bonding of the amide units with a more significant contribution from van der Waals forces than possible for lower aliphatic content nylons due to the greater aliphatic chain lengths. Solid state N-15 CP/MAS NMR indicates a mostly amorphous polymer, with crystalline regions comprised of the thermodynamically stable a-form generally adopted by even-even nylons. Nylon 18 ADA as-produced is completely amorphous as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. However, solution cast samples of nylon 18 ADA shows some ordered structures that can grow into more stable crystals with annealing. These crystals, once melted, do not recrystallize possibly due to chain rearrangement inhibited by bulky adamantly-groups. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4409-4419, 2009