Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres (in British English ; see spelling differences ) are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis , as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants (like cotton) or fur from animals. They are the result of extensive research by scientists to replicate naturally occurring animal and plant fibers . In general, synthetic fibers are created by extruding fiber-forming materials through spinnerets , forming a fiber. These are called synthetic or artificial fibers. The word polymer comes from a Greek prefix "poly" which means "many" and suffix "mer" which means "single units". (Note: each single unit of a polymer is called a monomer).
26-475: Spandex , Lycra , or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity . It is a polyether - polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont . The name spandex , which is an anagram of the word "expands", is the preferred name in North America . In continental Europe , it is referred to by variants of elastane . It is primarily known as Lycra in
52-515: A better fiber for women's girdles , which were commonly made of rubber at the time. In the early 1950s chemist Joseph C. Shivers modified Dacron polyester, producing an elastic fiber that could withstand high temperatures. To distinguish its brand of spandex fiber, DuPont chose the trade name Lycra (originally called Fiber K ). DuPont launched an extensive publicity campaign for its Lycra brand, taking advertisements and full-page ads in top women's magazines. Audrey Hepburn helped catapult
78-467: A ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at an AATCC Conference. His Olney Medal Address was entitled "The Search for a Superior Elastic Fibre". DuPont awarded Shivers with their Lavoisier Medal in 1995, the highest honour for the company. He was married to Margaret Warren Shivers, originally from Ohio; with her he had three children. In his leisure time, he enjoyed woodworking and wine tasting . He
104-488: A family of specialized elastic fabrics. In the post-World War II era, DuPont Textiles Fibers Department , formed in 1952, became the most profitable division of DuPont, dominating the synthetic fiber market worldwide. At this time, women began to emerge as a significant group of consumers because of their need for underwear and hosiery . After conducting market research to find out what women wanted from textiles, DuPont began developing fibers to meet such needs—including
130-485: A popular fiber in the garment industry that, by 1987, DuPont had trouble meeting worldwide demand. In the 1990s a variety of other items made with spandex proved popular, including a successful line of body-shaping foundation garments sold under the trade name Bodyslimmers . As the decade progressed, shirts, pants, dresses, and even shoes were being made with spandex blends, and mass-market retailers like Banana Republic were even using it for menswear. In 2019, control of
156-588: A researcher on developing polymers. After working on other polyester projects, Shivers joined a project to synthesize a "synthetic elastomer to replace rubber", which was common in garments at the time. Though the project was shelved at a point, Shivers made a breakthrough in the 1950s when he attempted a modification of the polyester Dacron , which produced a stretchy fibre that could withstand heat, be spun into filaments, and stretch 5 times its original length while retaining elasticity. The results were favourable and Shivers, along with other employees, set out to perfect
182-518: A source of microplastic pollution from laundry machines. Common synthetic fibers include: Specialty synthetic fibers include: Other synthetic materials used in fibers include: Modern fibers that are made from older artificial materials include: Joseph Shivers Joseph Clois Shivers Jr. (November 29, 1920 – September 1, 2014) was an American textile chemist who was based in West Chester, Pennsylvania , best known for his role in
208-513: A spill in the darkroom resulted in Chardonnet's discovery of nitrocellulose as a potential replacement for real silk. Realizing the value of such a discovery, Chardonnet began to develop his new product, which he displayed at the Paris Exhibition of 1889. Chardonnet's material was extremely flammable, and subsequently replaced with other, more stable materials. The first successful process
234-475: Is affected mainly by the stretch, snug, loose, heavy, lightweight, soft, and stiff structure of the material. The elasticity and strength (stretching up to five times its length) of spandex has been incorporated into a wide range of garments, especially in skin-tight garments . A benefit of spandex is its significant strength and elasticity and its ability to return to the original shape after stretching and faster drying than ordinary fabrics. For clothing, spandex
260-409: Is the oligomer produced from tetrahydrofuran (i.e. polytetrahydrofuran ). Another class of diols, the so-called ester diols, are oligomers derived from condensation of adipic acid and glycols. Spandex produced from the ester diols is more resilient photochemically and to chlorinated water. Almost always, the diisocyanate is methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) . The key linking reaction is formation or
286-531: Is usually mixed with cotton or polyester , and accounts for a small percentage of the final fabric, which therefore retains most of the look and feel of the other fibers. An estimated 80% of clothing sold in the United States contained spandex in 2010. The easy condensation of diols and diisocyanates was recognized in the 1930s as the result of work by Otto Bayer . Fibers suitable for replacing nylon were not created from urethanes, but instead this theme led to
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#1733105847704312-476: The aerobic fitness movement emerged in the 1970s. The association of Lycra with fitness had been established at the 1968 Winter Olympic Games , when the French ski team wore Lycra garments. The fiber came to be especially popular in mid-thigh-length shorts worn by cyclists. By the 1980s, the fitness trend had reached its height in popularity and fashionistas began wearing shorts on the street. Spandex proved such
338-556: The International General Electric company. It was also produced by British chemists working at the Calico Printers' Association , John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson, in 1941. They produced and patented one of the first polyester fibers which they named Terylene , also known as Dacron , equal to or surpassing nylon in toughness and resilience. ICI and DuPont went on to produce their own versions of
364-469: The Lycra Company was sold by Koch Industries to Shandong Ruyi . Most clothes containing spandex are difficult to recycle. Even a 5% inclusion of spandex will render the fabric incompatible with most mechanical recycling machines. Synthetic fiber Nylon was the first commercially successful synthetic thermoplastic polymer. DuPont began its research project in 1927. The first nylon, nylon 66,
390-583: The UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. Brand names for spandex include Lycra (made by The Lycra Company, previously a division of DuPont Textiles and Interiors ), Elaspan (The Lycra Company), Acepora ( Taekwang Group ), Creora ( Hyosung ), INVIYA ( Indorama Corporation ), ROICA and Dorlastan ( Asahi Kasei ), Linel (Fillattice), and ESPA ( Toyobo ). Unlike many other synthetic fibers, spandex cannot be melt-processed because
416-498: The brand on and off-screen during this time; models and actresses like Joan Collins and Ann-Margret followed Hepburn's aesthetic by posing in Lycra clothing for photo shoots and magazine covers. By the mid-1970s, with the emergence of the women's liberation movement , girdle sales began to drop as they came to be associated with anti-independence and emblematic of an era that was quickly passing away. In response, DuPont marketed Lycra as
442-477: The chemical firm DuPont in the 1930s. It soon made its debut in the United States as a replacement for silk , just in time for the introduction of rationing during World War II . Its novel use as a material for women's stockings overshadowed more practical uses, such as a replacement for the silk in parachutes and other military uses like ropes . The first polyester fiber was patented in Britain in 1928 by
468-575: The fiber. The world production of synthetic fibers was 55.2 million tonnes in 2014. About half of all fibres are synthetic, with applications in every field of fiber and textile technology. Although many classes of fibers based on synthetic polymers have been evaluated as potentially valuable commercial products, four of them - nylon , polyester , acrylic and polyolefin - dominate the market. These four account for approximately 98 percent by volume of synthetic fiber production, with polyester alone accounting for around 60 percent. Synthetic fibers are
494-437: The new polyester. In 1959 it was completed and released under the name Fibre K, later changed to Lycra . He was promoted to supervisor after the breakthrough. It was commercialized by DuPont in 1962 and is widespread in use in the garment industry, including sports garments, swimsuits, hosiery and undergarments. By the early 1990s, Lycra was one of the most lucrative facets of the synthetic fibre department at Dupont. Shivers
520-409: The polymer degrades upon melting. Spandex fibers are produced by several spinning technologies. Typically, a concentrated solution of the polymer is drawn through spinnerets at temperatures where the solvent evaporates. Spandex is mainly composed of a polyurea derived from the reaction of a diol and a diisocyanate . Two classes of spandex are defined by the "macrodiols". One class of macrodiols
546-583: The structural development of Spandex , a thermoplastic elastomer, in the 1950s, while employed at DuPont . Shivers was born in 1920 in Marlton, New Jersey . He received his B.Sc. , M.A. and Ph.D. (in organic chemistry) from Duke University in the 1940s. During the course of the war, still as a student, he did work with the United States government to develop a drug to counter malaria for use by troops overseas. Shivers began working for DuPont in 1946 as
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#1733105847704572-412: The urea (aka urethane): The polyurea is usually treated with various diamines, which function as chain extenders . The exceptional elasticity of spandex fibers increases the clothing's pressure comfort , enhancing the ease of body movements. Pressure comfort is the response towards clothing by the human body's pressure receptors ( mechanoreceptors present in skin sensory cells). The sensation response
598-433: Was adopted in 1924, with "viscose" being used for the viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and cellophane . A similar product known as cellulose acetate was discovered in 1865. Rayon and acetate are both artificial fibers, but not truly synthetic, being made from wood . Nylon , the first synthetic fiber in the "fully synthetic" sense of that term, was developed by Wallace Carothers , an American researcher at
624-524: Was also on the faculty of Canisius College while working at DuPont. He retired from DuPont in 1980, as technical director of the fibres department. In 1998, he was awarded the prestigious Olney Medal for Achievement in Textile Chemistry for his work by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists , the 55th recipient of the medal in its history. Shivers was presented with it in
650-404: Was developed in 1894 by English chemist Charles Frederick Cross , and his collaborators Edward John Bevan and Clayton Beadle. They named the fiber " viscose ", because the reaction product of carbon disulfide and cellulose in basic conditions gave a highly viscous solution of xanthate . The first commercial viscose rayon was produced by the UK company Courtaulds in 1905. The name "rayon"
676-522: Was synthesized on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Hume Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station. The next step was taken by Hilaire de Chardonnet , a French engineer and industrialist , who invented the first artificial silk , which he called "Chardonnet silk". In the late 1870s, Chardonnet was working with Louis Pasteur on a remedy to the epidemic that was destroying French silkworms . Failure to clean up
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