Elastane, also known as spandex or Lycra, is a man-made fiber famous for its outstanding stretchiness. This stretchy material has become essential in many industries, especially in clothing and sportswear, because it offers great flexibility and springs back to its original shape after being pulled. This makes it perfect for clothing that needs to be comfortable and allow free movement. But what is elastane, where did it come from, and how did it become such a popular part of many people’s clothes?
Learning more about elastane means looking at its chemical background and how it adapted to changing markets. Even when elastane is only a small part of a fabric, it can totally change how the clothing feels and performs. Knowing how it was developed, how it is made, and what makes it special helps explain why it is found in so many types of clothing, and why people are now thinking more about its environmental impact.
What is Elastane?
Elastane is a type of synthetic fiber well-known for how much it can stretch. Technically, it’s a polyether-polyurea copolymer made from a specific mix of chemicals that let it stretch easily. Unlike some other synthetic fibers, you can’t make elastane by melting it, because the plastic breaks down if you try – so it is made using different techniques.
One of the major benefits of elastane is that it can stretch up to five or even seven times its original length and still return to its first shape. This rebound effect is why it’s so useful in clothes that need to be flexible, comfortable, and hold their shape. It’s light, feels smooth, and has a rubbery feel, so it’s great in tight-fitting clothing.
Is elastane the same as spandex or Lycra?
This gets asked a lot. The answer is yes, with a few notes. Elastane, spandex, and Lycra all refer to the same stretchy fiber, but different names are used in different places. In North America, “spandex” is most common (and is actually an anagram of “expands”). In Europe and elsewhere, “elastane” is used. Lycra is a brand name, not a generic name, kind of like how people sometimes say “Kleenex” for tissues or “Band-Aid” for bandages. Lycra is made by The Lycra Company (formerly part of DuPont).
Other languages have their own versions of the word “elastane,” such as “élasthanne” in French or “elastano” in Spanish, but they all refer to the same basic fiber.
Where does the name elastane come from?
The name “elastane” comes from the word “elastic,” describing what the fiber does. While “spandex” was made by rearranging the letters of “expands” for the American market, “elastane” is the more chemical-sounding name and is used more widely worldwide. The name in different languages always hints at stretch and flexibility – showing what this fiber is meant to do.
History and Development of Elastane
Elastane was created during the 1900s, growing out of new discoveries in plastics and fabric chemistry. While scientists figured out earlier how to make stretchy plastics, it took years of research to make a truly useful elastic fiber for clothing.
When was elastane invented?
Elastane first appeared in 1958, thanks to chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont. His work built on earlier findings about how to combine certain chemicals (diols and diisocyanates), discovered in the 1930s. At first, these new materials couldn’t easily take the place of older fibers like nylon, but more research led to spandex, which could handle the heat and stress of being used in clothing.
After World War II, DuPont saw that women wanted better, more comfortable undergarments to replace the stiff, less pleasant rubber types popular at the time. Elastane was the answer, making underwear, swimsuits, and sports clothes much more comfortable and stretchy.
Brand Names and Trademarks
After inventing elastane, DuPont named it Lycra (at one time called Fiber K) and advertised heavily. Big movie stars like Audrey Hepburn and Joan Collins helped make Lycra a household name by modeling it in magazines and photoshoots.
Many other companies also make and market elastane under different names now, such as Elaspan, Acepora, Creora, INVIYA, ROICA, Dorlastan, Linel, and ESPA. These brands meet demand in different countries and industry sectors.
How is Elastane Made?
Making elastane is a detailed chemical process. Since it breaks down if melted, special production methods are used for its creation.
Materials and Chemistry
Elastane is mostly made from polyurethane, a plastic. Per EU rules, elastane is at least 85% polyurethane by weight. It’s formed by combining a diol and a diisocyanate. Many of the chemicals used can be dangerous, so their handling needs care.
There are two main types of materials (“macrodiols”) used: one is made from tetrahydrofuran (called polytetrahydrofuran), and the other (ester diols) comes from mixing adipic acid and glycols. Ester diols make spandex that stands up better to sunlight and chlorine. The most common diisocyanate used is methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate). Creating elastane links these chemicals together into long chains, and other chemicals called diamines may be used to make the chains even longer.
How Elastane Is Made
Since you can’t melt elastane, it’s made using a spinning process. A solution of the liquid polymer is pushed through tiny holes (spinnerets) while hot air blows through, making the solvent evaporate so the fibers can form. This is called the dry spinning method. The result is long elastic strands ready to be made into yarn. However, this method uses a lot of chemicals, which raises pollution and health questions.
Properties and Benefits of Elastane
Elastane is used so widely because of several helpful features, not just how much it stretches.
How Stretchy is Elastane?
Elastane is incredibly stretchy. It can stretch 500-700% beyond its normal length and still bounce back to its original size. This ‘memory’ means that clothes made with elastane fit tightly but aren’t easy to bag out or go loose, even after many wears or trips through the wash. This quality makes clothing comfortable yet snug, ideal for items that need to move with your body.
Breathability and Comfort
Besides stretch, elastane also improves comfort when mixed with other fibers. Many clothes with elastane wick away sweat and let air flow through, which is great for sports and physical activity. Elastane doesn’t hold much water and dries quickly, so clothing won’t stay damp and uncomfortable. Quick drying is especially useful in sportswear. While synthetics like elastane can sometimes hold onto smells, new fabric finishes can help control odor.
Resisting Wrinkles and Pilling
Elastane is very resistant to wrinkles and pilling (those little balls of fiber that show up on worn clothes). Its smooth, rubbery feel means fabrics stay looking neat and don’t wrinkle or pill easily, which helps clothing last longer and look better, even after many wears and washes.
Common Uses of Elastane Fabrics
Because elastane is so versatile, it can be found in many different types of clothes. It’s usually mixed with other fibers and rarely used alone, as just a small amount can improve how a fabric stretches. Usually, elastane makes up less than 30% of a blend, letting the main fiber keep its feel and look while making the fabric stretchier. By 2010, about 80% of clothing sold in the U.S. contained elastane.
Why is Elastane Used in Athletic and Dancewear?
Elastane is a standout in athletic and dance clothing. Its stretch allows athletes and dancers to move easily, bend, and perform without restriction. As an example, a dancer in a full-body suit can twist, turn, and jump freely because elastane moves with their body. The material fits like a “second skin” – snug, but allowing full movement, which is important to keep clothing in place and avoid distractions while performing.
Clothing with elastane in sportswear usually helps keep the wearer dry and cool, not just stretchy. Because these clothes get lots of use and need to stretch and recover often, elastane also makes them last longer and keeps them in shape. That’s why it’s found in cycling shorts, sports jerseys, and more.
Typical Fabric Blends
Elastane usually isn’t used on its own. It’s mixed with fibers like cotton or polyester. Cotton/elastane is common for everyday items such as jeans, t-shirts, and underwear. This mix may feel heavier and hold moisture more, so for sports or activities where you might sweat more, polyester/elastane blends are used because they dry faster.
Here’s an example table of common blends:
| Blend | Use |
|---|---|
| 20% elastane / 80% polyester | Dancewear, performance sports clothing |
| 2-8% elastane / 92-98% cotton | Jeans, underwear, casual wear |
| Elastane (varied %) with merino wool or synthetics | Sportswear, swimwear, activewear |
Elastane Compared to Other Stretch Fibers
While elastane is the most common stretchy fiber, there are others – both man-made and natural – used for similar purposes.
Comparison with Polyester, Nylon, and Rubber
Polyester and nylon are strong and dry quickly, but they don’t stretch much by themselves. Elastane, in comparison, has much more stretch and returns to its original shape better. For this reason, blends are used to combine strengths – polyester for fast drying, nylon for toughness, and elastane for flexibility and fit.
Before elastane, rubber was often used in stretchy items, like early girdles. However, rubber can be thick, heavy, and tends to break down from sweat, oils, and sunlight. Elastane is lighter, more comfortable, and doesn’t break down as quickly, so it replaced rubber in most stretch clothing. Some newer products, like YULASTIC, use natural rubber as a more eco-friendly option, but older-style rubber wasn’t as suitable for everyday wear as elastane is.
Strengths and Shortcomings in Clothing
- Great stretch and body-hugging fit
- Stays in shape, doesn’t sag easily
- Handles sweat, sunlight, and body acids well
- Light, dries quickly, easy to wash
- Doesn’t wrinkle or pill much
Possible weaknesses:
- Can start to smell faster than natural fibers
- Hard to recycle, even at low amounts in blend fabrics
- Made from oil and uses lots of chemicals
- Losess stretch if exposed to high heat over time
The environmental impact of making and disposing of elastane is a big issue. Let’s look at that next.
Environmental Impact of Elastane
Elastane is useful, but it has environmental problems, from how it’s made to how it gets thrown away. Understanding these impacts is important.
Made from Oil
Elastane comes from petroleum, which is not renewable and takes a lot of energy to get and refine. This process produces greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming.
Recycling Problems
Clothes with elastane are hard to recycle. Even just 5% elastane mixed into a fabric blend is often too much for recycling machines to handle, since the fibers are very difficult to separate. Most of these clothes end up in landfills and can take decades or centuries to break down.
There have been some improvements, such as a process developed in 2023 using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to separate out elastane in some cases, but big-scale recycling solutions are rare.
Microplastic Pollution from Washing
Washing clothes made with elastane releases very small fibers (microplastics) into the water. These slip through washing machine and sewage filters and end up in rivers and oceans. Tiny sea creatures and fish eat the microplastics, which can travel up the food chain and may cause health problems for both animals and humans. This kind of pollution is becoming a bigger worry for scientists and environmental groups.
Sustainable Alternatives and New Directions
As people look for more eco-friendly options, the textiles industry is searching for greener solutions to stretchy fabrics.
Is It Possible for Elastane to Be Sustainable?
Traditional elastane isn’t eco-friendly, but some improvements are in progress. Steps are being taken to use less energy and water during manufacturing, and to lower pollution from dyes. Since natural dyes don’t work well on elastane because of the high heat that would break down the fabric, researchers are testing special techniques like using UV light and plasma treatments to dye the fabric more safely.
Recycled Elastane and Greener Practices
Recycled elastane is now being made by companies using waste from elastane production to make new fibers. For example, Spanflex closes some of the production loop by reusing what would otherwise be waste. Some eco-friendly brands only use very small amounts of elastane in blends to keep stretch while cutting down on petroleum use. For example, the Global Organic Textile Standard lets garments have up to 5% spandex and still be called organic, as long as it serves a functional purpose.
New Renewable Stretch Options
The biggest step toward earth-friendly stretch fabrics is in replacing elastane with new plant-based choices. One such example is YULASTIC®, a fine rubber filament made by Yulex from the sap of the Hevea brasiliensis rubber tree. This plant-based fiber can stretch as much as-or sometimes more than-regular elastane, is fully renewable, and isn’t made from oil.
Other options are popping up too. DuPont’s Sorona is made partly from corn and stretches like elastane, and INVISTA has a plant-based Lycra fiber. These new fibers show promise for making clothes that are stretchy, comfortable, and much better for the planet.
How to Care for Elastane Clothing
Looking after your elastane clothes helps them last longer and also helps reduce the amount of microplastics released into the environment.
Best Washing and Drying Tips
- Wash in cold or warm water (not hot, to avoid damaging the stretch)
- Hand wash delicate elastane items for the longest life
- Use a mesh laundry bag in the machine to protect items
- Dry on low heat or, even better, hang to air dry
- Avoid direct sunlight or high heat when drying; this can harm the fibers
- Always follow the instructions on the care label
Preventing Microfiber Pollution with Laundry Bags
To help stop microplastics from getting into rivers and oceans, put synthetic clothing made with elastane in a special laundry net or microfiber bag before washing. These bags trap the tiny fibers released during a wash so they can be put in the trash instead of washed down the drain. This is a simple step that helps protect water environments from plastic pollution.
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