Spandex Lining Fabric is a type of stretchy material that’s often used to line clothing like swimwear, activewear, and lingerie. It’s known for its durability and ability to wick moisture from the body, which helps keep wearers cool and dry during physical activity. It’s also resistant to fading, shrinkage, and wrinkling, making it a good choice for garments that will be worn frequently or subjected to rough handling. However, because it’s so stretchy, it can be difficult to sew, but experienced sewers can overcome this challenge with the proper techniques and equipment.
Although pure spandex can be woven into completely form-fitting garments, it’s more common to see this material included as an ingredient in other textiles like jersey, tulle, and stretch satin. The elasticity imparted by this material makes it ideal for use in tight-fitting garments, and its smooth texture creates a flattering silhouette when a garment is worn. It’s also often used in the waistbands of pants and other stretchy underwear garments, as well as in socks, where it helps ensure that these pieces stay on the feet and facilitates putting them on and taking them off.
To make this type of synthetic material, a chemical called macro glycol is mixed with diisocyanate monomer under specific heat and pressure conditions. This process forms a prepolymer, which is then combined with another chemical called diamine acid to start the chain reaction that eventually produces polyurethane. After World War II, many of the company’s top scientists moved to the United States and continued their research on synthetic fabrics.
Since then, elastane’s popularity has exploded worldwide, and it’s likely to continue being an integral component of the fashion industry for years to come. Despite its advantages, there are some concerns about the environmental impact of this material. Elastane is an entirely synthetic textile, and there are no known methods for converting it into a biodegradable substance. It’s also not possible to create organic or non-GMO versions of this fabric, so it’s important to carefully consider the environmental impact of any clothing that contains this material before purchasing.
Fortunately, the use of this type of fabric is relatively low in terms of its overall impact on the environment, as only a small amount of it is typically used in each garment that’s made from it. Additionally, this fabric is usually combined with other textiles in order to create more cost-effective garments. Nevertheless, the fact that it isn’t easily biodegradable means that this material will likely be around long after humans have departed from the planet. Consequently, it’s important to practice safe disposal and limited washing of any garments that contain this material in order to minimize its negative effects on the environment. This fabric is also not eligible for organic or non-GMO certification, since it’s a completely synthetic product. However, if recycled materials are used in its production, this may mitigate some of the negative effects that it has on the planet.