December 2021

What Is Lycra Fabric? Lycra is a brand name for elastane, a synthetic fabric with high elasticity. Despite their various names, Lycra, spandex, and elastane are all the same fabric that can stretch up to 5-8 times their original size.  The DuPont Corporation produced this fabric in the 1950s, yet it would not exist if polyurethane had not been invented by IG Farben in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Polyurethane is currently the basic material for a variety of plastics, and we manufacture Lycra using the Basic chemical synthesis method. Lycra fabric is a polymer like other polyurethane materials. It means we make up of long chains of monomers bonded by a unique sort of acid. Lycra is extremely heat resistant. It recognizes as a great complement to heat-sensitive synthetics such as polyester and nylon. This fabric’s ability to absorb heat and kinetic energy is amazing. They noticed this quality right after the production of this fabric. Polyurethane utilizes in many forms of insulation today. A number of IG Farben’s important experts went on to work for DuPont. This collaboration between German academics and DuPont’s huge industrial power resulted in a variety of valuable inventions. It includes Lycra, which has had a particularly long-lasting impact on the global economy and consumer lifestyles in rich and developing countries. Lycra and similar fibers are still quite popular around the world. Despite the fact that this type of fabric can have a large negative environmental impact, its popularity is unlikely to decrease in the near future. How Is Lycra Fabric Made? Lycra is a totally synthetic fiber. It means that all of its components we manufactured in a lab. While many of the fundamental parts needed to make the chemicals in Lycra fabric have organic beginnings, we created and reformulated them to the point that they have no link to organic components by the time we made them into Lycra fibers. Lycra Fabric Making Process We can make Lycra in four different ways. Some manufacturers still use reaction spinning, solution wet spinning, or melt extrusion to make elastane products, a method known as solution dry spinning makes up almost 95 percent of global Lycra production.  The prepolymer serves as the foundation ingredient of Lycra which is made by combining macroglycol and a diisocyanate monomer. Firstly, they need to expose the solution precisely to heat and pressure, which initiates the chemical reaction that results in the prepolymer. The prepolymer will not develop if the volume ratio between these two components is out of balance, and in most applications, the ideal ratio is 1:2.  After that, the prepolymer needs exposing to diamine acid. It causes a chemical reaction known as chain extrusion. The substance is thick and vicious to the point of becoming sludge-like, then the use of a solvent makes it thin and easy to work with.  The fiber production cell of this machine has a specialized form of a spinneret. After filling it with the solution, the fiber production cell starts spinning, forcing the solution through the spinneret. The solution emerges from the spinneret as fibers. But these fibers must need exposing to heat nitrogen and solvent gas solution before transitioning from a liquid to a solid state. Lycra yarn exposes to a finishing chemical such as magnesium stearate or a similar polymer before it can leave the factory floor. Finally, the Lycra yarn was wounded onto a huge spool and transported to a textile manufacturing facility.  How is lycra fabric used? Lycra is a synthetic fiber that has a wide range of use for consumers. The elasticity of Lycra fabric is the most desirable criterion for consumers in fashion sectors since the early days of its production.   Lycra is most common for form-fitting clothes. It utilizes in men’s and women’s sheer underwear; most varieties of underwear that ride near to the skin contain at least part of this chemical. Even men’s boxer briefs, which are usually baggy, have some spandex in their waistbands to make them fit snugly around the abdomen. Every type of sportswear contains at least some amount of Lycra. This fabric we commonly found in the waistbands of sweatpants, loungewear, and socks. It also has a place in motion capture suits in the film industry. Where is lycra fabric produced? The international spandex industry has shifted eastward in the last few decades. DuPont has manufacturing locations in more than 90 countries. A ReportBuyer report from 2018 indicates that this fabric will continue to make in greater quantities until at least 2024.  How Much Does Lycra Fabric Cost? Due to their unique elasticity properties, lycra and related materials can command rather high costs on the worldwide market. Due to their amazing stretchiness, textile manufacturers are ready to pay more for elastane textiles. The comparatively complex method used to create these fabrics further drives up pricing.  The market fluctuations still have an impact on the price of Lycra fabric. The novelty and versatility of elastane cause it to be much more expensive than other synthetic textiles like polyester and nylon. The comparatively high cost of Lycra feels not very often at the consumer level. Because this fabric we used in such modest quantities in most consumer goods. However, the higher the percentage of Lycra in a garment, the more it costs. Dance outfits and cycling gear constructed with high percentages of this fabric are often rather expensive. What Different Types of Lycra Fabric Are There? Apart from the many manufacturing procedures that can employ to create this fabric, Lycra, elastane, and spandex have no discernible distinctions. It is, nevertheless, necessary to gain a better understanding of each term: Lycra: The “Lycra” brand is a registered trademark of the DuPont business, and is one of the most reliable and high-quality kinds of elastane fabric available. However, Lycra-branded elastane can occasionally be more expensive than other varieties of spandex. Elastane: The most scientifically correct term for these polyether-polyurea copolymer textiles is elastane. Spandex: “Spandex” is an anagram of “expands,” and the appealing

Micromodal fabric is one of the most popular fabrics in the fashion industry for its characteristics. It is a form of modal rayon and it is exceptional for its softness and shrinking resistance. This rayon also has a good moisture-wicking characteristic. This characteristic makes it a popular choice for underwear and sportswear. Micromodal fabric is another form of rayon. We made up mostly of cellulose from hardwood trees. This cellulose removes and transforms into a yarn that wolves into fabric through a sophisticated chemical process. This fabric was first developed in Austria in the 1990s, and it is based on the Japanese development of modal rayon in the early 1950s. Viscose rayon, which was the most popular type of semi-synthetic fabric throughout the first few decades of the twentieth century, replaces by modal rayon. However, poor procedures plagued the viscose rayon manufacturing process, which resulted in a lot of waste. While the modal rayon manufacturing method is essentially similar to the viscose rayon manufacturing process, it avoids wasteful procedures, and most rayon firms have shifted to modal rayon. Despite its shortcomings, viscose rayon was the first cellulose-based semi-synthetic fiber to mass-produced in vast numbers around the world, and it was a significant improvement over prior rayons that were flammable or difficult to manufacture. The rayon manufacturing process is still evolving, and it’s likely that a superior version of this fabric will emerge in the future. How Is Micromodal Fabric Made? Almost every part of the micromodal rayon manufacturing process is identical to the modal rayon manufacturing method. The size of the fibers from the syrupy goo used to make both goods is the main variation between these two manufacturing procedures. After chipping and sending to a micro modal mill, birch or oak trees soaks in a chemical solution to remove the cellulose from the rest of the wood. After that, the cellulose must flatten into huge white sheets. The non-cellulose parts of the wood we used to manufacture micromodal throw-away.  After that, one has to submerge the cellulose sheets in caustic soda for a long time. One of the primary differences between modal and micromodal fabric production and viscose fabric production is that significantly lower quantities of caustic soda are used to manufacture these advanced types of rayon. The cellulose sheets must break into crumbs after steeping for the required amount of time. Then you should steep into carbon disulfide, which converts cellulose to sodium cellulose xanthate. The tree cellulose is no longer an organic substance at this moment. After that, the sodium cellulose xanthate immerses in caustic soda once more, yielding a syrupy solution. After that, you have to force the solution through a spinneret, which is a device with several tiny holes. Micromodal fabric we made with spinneret holes that are much smaller than modal fabric. Finally, you have to stretch the fiber and spin it into yarn after we soaked in sulfuric acid. This yarn is ready to weave once we washed and loaded onto spools How Is Micromodal Fabric Used? Micromodal rayon loses some of the durability benefits of its parent material because it is slightly thinner. But it is just as easy to mold into a range of various sorts of garments and home textiles. However, This type of rayon is more expensive to produce than modal rayon. It reserves for clothing that requires maximum softness. The lightness, softness, and breathability of Lenzing AG’s micro modal rayon won international renown when it was first used in men’s underwear; the fabric’s lightness, softness, and breathability immediately earned it a near-mythical reputation among the underwear enthusiast community. Manufacturers began producing women’s underwear with this fabric in a relatively short time. The use of micromodal fabric included a variety of lingerie products such as panties, bras, and nightgowns. Because micromodal is less heat-retaining and durable than modal fabric, it isn’t as popular in sportswear as its parent material, but motorcyclists, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts frequently wear micromodal T-shirts to take advantage of the fabric’s moisture-wicking capabilities. Because of the softness and lightness of modal rayon, it’s no wonder that it is micromodal fabric. Which is even softer and lighter, is a sought-after bed sheet material. Sleeping on sheets made of this substance we said to feel like sleeping on silk, but micromodal’s antibacterial properties, great durability, and low cost make it a far better contender for sheet fabric than silk.  Micromodal rayon has great use in luxury apparel products such as loungewear. Since we considered the cashmere of semi-synthetic materials. This fabric, for example, we commonly found in hoodies and pajama pants that are both comfy and loose-fitting.  Where Is Micromodal Fabric Produced? The only producer of micromodal fabric is Lenzing AG. This ultra-soft fabric produces in the European Union. The fact that Lenzing is the only producer means that textile manufacturers can rest assured. Their raw materials are high-quality and environmentally sustainable. How Much Does Micromodal Fabric Cost? Fabric made from micro modal rayon may cost 20-30 percent more per volume than normal rayon. In some cases, this discrepancy absorbs by the time that this fabric we made into textile products for consumer use. Many companies that choose to make products with micromodal fabric already make luxurious products. What Different Types of Micromodal Fabric Are There? The rayon family tree we can break down into several distinct types.  Furthermore, modal rayon is much softer than viscose rayon, making it a suitable substitute for silk. Modal rayon uses in athletics nowadays. Although we found in undergarments and a range of domestic fabrics.  How Does Micromodal Fabric Impact the Environment? This fabric is one of the most environmentally friendly types of rayon. It is a fact that the vast majority of the tree material required to manufacture micromodal or any other type of rayon fabric we discarded. This useless wood substance could be polluted with sodium hydroxide, often known as caustic soda or lye, depending on the manufacturing method. Lye is extremely hazardous if it comes into