Synthetic textiles

 

Nylon

  • Nylon was the first synthetic textile created and was originally used to make women’s stockings, ‘nylons’. It is:

    Strong, tough and abrasion resistant and elastic
    Easy to wash and to dye a range of colours

  • Water resistant, requires a coating to be waterproof

  • Nylon can be recycled into econyl. A type of regenerated fabric.

  • Nylon is a plastic based textile made from fossil fuels.

    The production of the fibre is made with a machine called a spinneret. The molten Nylon is pushed through tiny openings and as soon it is exposed to air, pieces are hardened into a filament.

  • Fishing nets
    Sportswear, leggings, swimwear
    Brands using recycled nylon [Econyl] include:
    SooNice - sunglasses
    Contur - sportswear

    Nylon is also used to make ripstop using a different weaving technique that prevents fraying.

    Cordura fabrics are also traditionally made from nylon.

 

Polyester

  • Polyester fabric is made from PET, the most common plastic made from fossil fuels. As such it’s the most widely used synthetic textile and is:

    Durable
    Lightweight
    Quick drying
    Wrinkle & abrasion resistant

  • More water resistant than nylon, but needs a coating to be fully waterproof

  • Non-biodegradable

    Polyester can be either mechanically or chemically recycled.

  • Manufactured in the same way as nylon.

  • Outdoor garments, bags, rucksacks, micro-fibre cloths and fleeces.

    In its recycled form it’s used in:
    OneNine5 washbags
    Lucy & Yak fleeces
    Patagonia clothing

 

PU/faux/Vegan leather

  • PU leather is made from polyeurethane (a fossil fuel derived plastic) with a woven backing, typically cotton or polyester.

    It can be press moulded to replicate the natural texture of animal leather and is:

    Waterproof
    Able to be died any colour
    Lower cost than animal leather

  • Yes.

  • Takes 500+ years to break down, resulting in micro-plastics.

  • A layering process, adding a chemical paint-like substance onto a cotton fabric base.

  • Rains bags

    Brands using a percentage of corn based ingredients in their leather:
    Watson & Wolfe wallets and leather accessories
    Veja shoes

 

Vinylon F

  • A synthetic textile, vinylon F is the main fabric used in North Korea and can be produced without the need for fossil fuels. It is:
    Durable, but very stiff
    Water resistant
    Lightweight
    Resistant to heat and chemicals and therefore difficult to dye

  • Vinylon F behaves like a natural material and swells when it becomes damp making the fabric more dense and enabling it to withstand moisture without the need of a coating.

  • No data on recyclability

  • Whilst vinylon F can be made from petroleum, in North Korean they have no oil reserves and therefore use anthracite and limestone as the raw materials. Vinyl acetate is created and polymerised to make PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) which is then spun into vinylon.

  • Fjallraven rucksacks, reinforced parts of jackets.

 

Elastane/Lycra

  • Elastane, also referred to as spandex or Lycra, is an incredibly stretchy material made from polyurethane (PU).

    It is often woven into polyester or cotton garments to increase their stretch and comfort.

    Properties:
    High elasticity
    Wrinkle resistant

  • No

  • As elastane is generally blended with other fibres its use in fabrics also makes them more difficult to recycle.

  • The fibre is spun from a polyurethane solution via a dry spin method. Hot air is blown through the spun filaments to evaporate the solvent from them resulting in better elastic recovery.

  • If you check the label of your clothing you will undoubtedly find some that have an elastane blend. Elastane brand names include Spandex and Lycra.

 
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