Spandex llber and lLs roducLlon rocess

Spandex ls a synLheLlc flber LhaL has an excepLlonal characLerlsLlc of elasLlclLy due Lo whlch lL ls also
known as elasLane lL ls llghLwelghL sofL sLrong and very sLreLchable ln facL spandex flber was
developed as an alLernaLlve Lo rubber buL has a beLLer quallLy Lhan lL 1he name Lycra has also come Lo
be a synonymous of spandex Powever Lycra ls Lhe Lrademark brand buL lL has become so popular LhaL
all Lhe varleLles of spandex are popularly referred Lo as Lycra uue Lo lLs durablllLy and sLreLchablllLy
spandex ls mosLly used Lo make sporLs wear and work wear speclally for facLory workers lL wears llke a
second skln and for rlsk lnvolved [obs llke LhaL of machlne operaLors Lycra cloLhlng ls llke a boon
CharacLerlsLlcs of Spandex
1he mosL slgnlflcanL characLerlsLlc of spandex ls lLs sLreLchablllLy lL can be sLreLched Lo a greaL lengLh
and Lhen also recovers lLs near Lo orlglnal shape lL can ln facL be sLreLched Lo almosL 300 of lLs
lengLh lL ls llghLwelghL sofL smooLh supple and more durable and has hlgher reLracLlve ablllLy Lhan
rubber As such when spandex ls used for maklng any cloLhlng lL glves Lhe besL flL and comforL and also
prevenLs bagglng and sagglng of Lhe garmenL lL ls also heaLseLLable whlch means LhaL lL faclllLaLes
Lransformlng puckered fabrlcs lnLo flaL fabrlcs or flaL fabrlcs lnLo permanenL rounded shapes Spandex
flbers or fabrlcs can be easlly dyed and Lhey also reslsL damage by body olls persplraLlon loLlons or
deLergenLs 1hese fabrlcs are also abraslon reslsLanL When spandex ls sewn Lhe needle causes llLLle or
no damage from needle cuLLlng compared Lo Lhe older Lypes of elasLlc maLerlals 1he spandex flber
dlameLers range from 10 denler Lo 2300 denler and can be found ln boLh clear and opaque lusLers

8aslc rlnclple for Maklng Spandex llber
lederal 1rade Commlsslon deflnes Spandex llber as a manufacLured flber ln whlch Lhe flber formlng
subsLance ls a longchaln synLheLlc polymer comprlsed of aL leasL 83 of a segmenLed polyureLhane
1he polymer chaln ls a segmenLed block copolymer whlch conLalns long randomly colled llquld sofL
segmenLs LhaL move Lo a more llnear lower enLropy sLrucLure 1he rlgld segmenLs acL as vlrLual cross
llnks LhaL Lle all Lhe polymer chalns LogeLher lnLo an lnflnlLe neLwork 1he neLwork Lhus formed
prevenLs Lhe polymer chalns from sllpplng pasL each oLher and Laklng on a permanenL seL or draw
When Lhe sLreLchlng force ls no longer applled Lhe llnear low enLropy sofL segmenLs move back Lo Lhe
orlglnal randomly colled hlgher enLropy sLaLe causlng Lhe flber Lo recover lLs orlglnal shape and lengLh
1hls segmenLed block copolymer ls made ln a mulLlsLep proprleLary process lL ls exLruded lnLo a flber
as a monofllamenL Lhreadllne or for mosL producLs lnLo a mulLlpllclLy of flne fllamenLs LhaL are coalesced
shorLly afLer Lhey are formed lnLo a slngle Lhreadllne

MaLerlals used for Spandex llbers
Many raw maLerlals are used Lo make Lhe unlque sLreLchable spandex flbers 1hey lnclude prepolymers
whlch produce Lhe backbone of Lhe flber sLablllzers whlch proLecL Lhe lnLegrlLy of Lhe polymer and
LexLlle coloranLs Lo glve aLLracLlve shades Lo Lhe flbers and Lhe spandex fabrlcs 1wo klnds of
prepolymers are reacLed Lo produce Lhe spandex flber polymer backbone Lhe flexlble macroglycol and
Lhe rlgld dllsocyanaLe Macroglycol can be anyLhlng from among polyesLer polyeLher polycarbonaLe
polycaprolacLone or some comblnaLlon of Lhese 1hese are long and flexlble chaln polymers havlng
hydroxyl groups (CP) on boLh ends responslble for Lhe sLreLchlng characLerlsLlc of spandex 1he
polymerlc dllsocyanaLe ls a shorLer and rlgld chaln polymer havlng an lsocyanaLe (nCC) group on boLh
ends 1hls molecule provldes sLrengLh Lo Lhe spandex flbers CaLalysL such as dlazoblcyclo ocLane ls used
Lo lnlLlaLe reacLlon beLween Lhe Lwo Lypes of prepolymers CLher low molecular welghL amlnes are used
Lo conLrol Lhe molecular welghL of Lhe flbers

AparL from Lhe baslc prepolymers caLalysLs eLc sLablllzers such as anLloxldanLs are added Lo proLecL
Lhe flbers from damaglng sources llke heaL llghL aLmospherlc conLamlnanLs and chlorlne ulLravloleL
(uv) screeners such as hydroxybenzoLrlazoles are added Lo proLecL lL agalnsL llghL degradaLlon CLher
sLablllzers such as for prevenLlng dlscoloraLlon caused by aLmospherlc polluLanLs may also be used As
spandex ls ofLen used for maklng swlm wear anLlmlldew addlLlves are also added Lo lL SLablllzers added
Lo Lhe spandex flbers are reslsLanL Lo solvenL exposure as Lhls could have a damaglng effecL on Lhe
flber ulspersed and acld dyes are Lyplcally used for glvlng color Lo spandex flbers Powever speclal
dyelng meLhods are adopLed lf Lhe spandex flbers are lnLerwoven wlLh oLher flbers such as nylon flber or
polyesLer flber

ManufacLurlng rocess
Spandex flbers are manufacLured ln four dlfferenL ways melL exLruslon reacLlon splnnlng soluLlon dry
splnnlng and soluLlon weL splnnlng 1he lnlLlal sLep ln all Lhese meLhods ls LhaL of reacLlng monomers Lo
produce a prepolymer repolymer ls Lhen reacLed furLher ln a varleLy of ways and drawn ouL Lo
produce a long flber 1he mosL commonly used meLhod ls Lhe soluLlon dry splnnlng LhaL produces over
90 of Lhe worlds spandex flbers
llrsL of all prepolymer ls produced by mlxlng a macroglycol wlLh a dllsocyanaLe monomer 1hey are
mlxed ln a reacLlon vessel and need Lhe perfecL condlLlons so LhaL Lhey may reacL Lo form a prepolymer
8aLlo of Lhe componenL maLerlals ls responslble for glvlng dlfferenL characLerlsLlcs Lo Lhe flbers As such
Lhe raLlo ls sLrlcLly conLrolled 1he ldeal raLlo of glycol Lo dllsocyanaLe may be 12
ln Lhe chaln exLenslon reacLlon Lhe prepolymer ls reacLed wlLh an equal amounL of dlamlne lL resulLs ln
a soluLlon whlch ls dlluLed wlLh a solvenL Lo produce Lhe splnnlng soluLlon 1he solvenL makes Lhe
soluLlon Lhlnner whlch can be easlly handled lL can Lhen be pumped lnLo Lhe flber producLlon cell
ln Lhe flber producLlon cell Lhe polymer soluLlon ls pumped Lhrough a meLal plaLe called a splnnereL
whlch has small holes LhroughouL lLs sLrucLure 1he soluLlon geLs allgned ln sLrands of llquld polymer
1he sLrands passlng Lhrough Lhe cell are heaLed ln Lhe presence of a nlLrogen and solvenL gas 1he llquld
polymer geLs chemlcally reacLed and forms lnLo solld sLrands
A speclflc amounL of Lhe solld sLrands are bundled LogeLher Lo produce Lhe deslred Lhlckness wlLh Lhe
help of a compressed alr devlce LhaL LwlsLs Lhe flbers LogeLher As such lL can be sald LhaL each flber of
spandex ls made up of many smaller lndlvldual flbers LhaL [oln one anoLher due Lo Lhe naLural sLlcklness
of Lhelr surface
1he flbers are flnally LreaLed wlLh LexLlle flnlshlng chemlcals LhaL can be magneslum sLearaLe or oLher
polymer such as poly(dlmeLhylslloxane) 1hese flnlshes prevenL Lhe flbers from sLlcklng LogeLher and
help ln Lhe process of LexLlle manufacLurlng llbers are Lhen Lransferred Lhrough a serles of rollers onLo
a spool 1he wlndup speed of Lhe enLlre process depends on Lhe Lhlckness of Lhe flbers LhaL can be
anywhere from 300300 ml (48278043 km) per mlnuLe
1he spools wlLh flber are puL lnLo flnal packaglng and shlpped Lo LexLlle manufacLurers or any oLher
cusLomers 1he flbers here may be blended wlLh oLher flbers such as nylon or coLLon flber Lo produce
Lhe fabrlc LhaL ls used for cloLhlng purposes 1hese fabrlcs can also be dyed ln order Lo glve a deslred
color Lo Lhem
AppllcaLlons of Spandex llber
Spandex llber ls malnly used Lo make such garmenLs LhaL requlre greaL comforL and flL As such Lhey
flnd appllcaLlons ln manufacLurlng of hoslery swlmsulLs aeroblc or exerclse wear skl panLs golf [ackeLs
dlsposable dlaper walsL bands bra sLraps and bra slde panels eLc 1hey are even greaL for maklng
shaped garmenLs llke bra cups Spandex fabrlcs are also used Lo make compresslon garmenLs such as
surglcal hose supporL hose blcycle panLs foundaLlon garmenLs eLc