What are Spandex and Lycra?
Spandex is a lightweight fabric used for clothing. It is made by bonding two different chemicals together, which gives it its stretchy characteristics. The most common use of spandex is in making swimwear or gymnastics uniforms or other athletic wear. It is also often combined with cotton or polyester to create comfortable, sturdy clothing that can stretch easily.
Lycra, on the other hand, is a brand name of spandex. It was originally developed by DuPont as a synthetic fiber that had more stretch than previous products. The name was chosen because it has a soft, flowing feel to it and because the original material was made of polyurethane instead of polyester (like spandex).
The Benefits of Such Fabrics
There are many benefits to using spandex instead of cotton or wool when making your own clothes. Here are some of the most important ones:
● Stretchiness: Spandex can be stretched up to five times its original size without losing shape or tearing. This makes it ideal for making tight-fitting clothes like leggings and tank tops. You won’t have to worry about your pants falling down if you bend over – they’ll just stretch
Spandex and Lycra are both synthetic elastomeric fibers. Their properties relate to the long-chain synthetic polymer molecules from which they are made. The molecules have a high degree of stretchability and elasticity, allowing them to be stretched up to 500% without breaking, and then return to their original shape without damage.
Both fabrics are lightweight and soft, with a smooth texture that drapes well. They have excellent abrasion resistance and shape retention, as well as resistance to body oils, perspiration, lotions, detergents and sunscreens.
Their greatest advantage is their ability to stretch four to five times more than any natural fabric. This allows the garments that they form to fit closely without restricting movement. Spandex is used in body-hugging sportswear such as bike shorts, leotards and swimwear, underwear and lingerie, foundation garments and hosiery. It is also used in products designed for horse riding such as jodhpurs or chaps.
Lycra is often used for high performance apparel because it provides muscular support for athletes. It also helps absorb moisture by wicking it away from the skin, keeping the wearer dryer longer during periods of heavy activity.
What is Spandex?
Spandex is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than natural rubber. It was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont’s Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia. When first introduced, it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry.
What is Lycra?
Lycra (also called spandex) is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than natural rubber. Like other synthetic fibers, lycra has many applications in the clothing industry including: bras, foundation garments such as girdles and control-top pantyhose; swimsuits; activewear like bicycle shorts and leotards; dancewear; and certain types of athletic clothing such as spandex shorts and yoga pants.
In addition to its use in apparel, it can also be found in medical devices such as surgical stockings or compression socks that provide support for varicose veins sufferers who are pregnant or on their feet all day long at work!
This particular fabric has been used since 1959 when chemist Joseph Shivers first invented it at DuPont’s Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia**
Spandex and Lycra are both well-known as stretchy forms of fabric. Originally, they were made from fibers of the natural rubber variety. However, they have been in use since the 1950s. These days, they are usually made of synthetic materials, but the name has stuck.
Spandex and Lycra are used in a wide range of clothing lines from swimsuits to yoga pants to spandex costumes for adults. Sometimes it is most commonly used in making costumes for Spiderman and other superheroes. The benefits are that it dries quickly, stretches easily, and is lighter than cotton fabrics.
The manufacture of Spandex and Lycra was originally done by DuPont Chemicals, a large American company that is well known for its variety of chemical products. The original name for the product was “Fiber K,” but DuPont decided to change the name to Lycra after they realized how popular it became among clothes manufacturers.
Lycra and Spandex are the same thing. They are brand names for the same generic fiber known as elastane. As a fiber, it’s similar to rubber. Think of a scuba diving suit or workout pants and you have a good idea of what elastane is made out of.
What makes elastane so special? It’s stretchy! A fabric that contains elastane stretches in four directions. That makes it ideal for tight fitting clothing like swimsuits, dancewear, and spandex costumes.
A spandex costume is basically a second skin. By wearing one you can make your body look completely different than it really is. The two most popular types of spandex suits are full body suits and superhero costumes. If you want to get noticed at a Halloween party or on the street, try dressing up in some Spidey threads!
Spandex is also great for athletes who need freedom of movement while they perform their sport. In bikinis and briefs competition, contestants show off their stuff in spandex bikinis that hug every curve and bump on the female body.
Spandex, Lycra or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than natural rubber. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont’s Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia.
When first introduced, it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry. Athletic wear such as cycling jerseys were almost immediately made with the material for its moisture wicking properties and durability compared to cotton. Use of spandex in the garment industry has since expanded to include lingerie, swimsuits, foundation garments, leggings, leg warmers and even guitar strings. Spandex fibers are produced in four different ways: melt extrusion, reaction spinning, solution dry spinning and solution wet spinning. All of these methods include the initial step of reacting monomers to produce a prepolymer. Once the prepolymer is formed, it is reacted further in various ways and drawn out to make the fibers. These processes are done under different conditions and result in fibers with different properties (e.g., tensile strength and elongation).
The solution dry spinning method is used to produce over 94.5% of the world’s
We’ve all seen the new Spiderman movie and we’ve all seen the new outfit. It’s much nicer than the old one, don’t you think? It’s not just a new color scheme but also a different material. Spandex is the material of choice for superheros because it provides both comfort and protection. What exactly is Spandex though?
Spandex is a synthetic fiber known generically as elastane. It is very strong, but less durable than its major competitor: Lycra. One advantage to spandex over Lycra however, is that it retains its shape and therefore is often used in foundation garments that require a form-fitting shape such as bras, bicycle shorts, hosiery, leggings, and swimsuits.
What are the benefits of choosing spandex over other materials? Well first of all it’s comfortable! You can do a lot more in your spandex suit than you could in let’s say denim. Plus it’s protective! If you’re running around town fighting crime you want to make sure your suit isn’t going to tear or rip when your fighting those villains. Of course then there are the looks! You can look good while beating up those criminals!