There is a great variety of different textiles out there. However, most of us have probably no idea what our clothes consist of and you may even wonder if this knowledge is that important at all. If there are some fabrics we should prefer over the others, what are they exactly, and why are they superiors to others?
Well, below is a short summary of some very common fabrics found in our clothing, so judge for yourself.
1. Polyester
A man-made synthetic fiber that is derived from coal, air, water, and petroleum. It is a result of a chain reaction of alcohol and acid. After polymerization (the chain reaction), the material is cooled down and cut into small chips.
These chips are melted down to a syrup-like solution which is put into a container with tiny holes. These holes determine the size of the yarn. In this stage, extra chemicals are sometimes added to improve the quality of the polyester fiber. Be aware most of these fibers are also dyed later (see more about industrial dyeing here).
Yeah, you guessed it, it is not a biodegradable fabric (essentially plastic) and not very environment-friendly. You get an idea of its manufacturing process here.
2. Elastane (also known as lycra and spandex)
Everything that is stretchy in your wardrobe very likely consists of elastane to at least some extent. It is made of polyester (which gives flexibility) and diisocyanate (a stiff compound). Due to some of the characteristics of the elastane fibers (e.g. sensitivity to heat), stabilizers are added during the manufacturing process and at the end colorants if the white fiber is not preferred.
Elastane is stronger than natural rubber so it lasts almost forever and won’t decompose.
3. Nylon
Another plastic, made from chemicals found in coal and petroleum. When polyester is made from chips, nylon textile is made from fibers of nylon. The manufacturing process is otherwise similar: the fibers are melted and pressed through small holes which form the yarn of nylon.
Depending on the size of the yarn, nylon’s thickness or strength is measured. The common measurement unit is a denier which should be familiar for those who wear stockings. In winter you might use 100-denier nylon and in spring 10-denier nylon. It simply shows how thin nylon yarn was used for their production.
Nylon is resistant and waterproof, but it melts at high temperatures (at around 260°C).
Obviously, it is not biodegradable, but the good news is that it is possible to make nylon from renewable materials such as castor oil (essentially vegetables).
4. Viscose (also known as rayon or artificial silk)
A semi-synthetic fiber made of chemically treated cellulose. So some like to think it is a natural fiber, but due to added chemicals in the manufacturing process, it is quite not the case.
There are two types of viscose or rayon: a regular one and a high-wet-modulus (HWM) one. The last one is more durable as the regular viscose tends to shrink when washed and becomes weak when overexposed to light. Also, ironing can damage the regular fiber. All these bad qualities can be improved when mixing the fiber with other materials and/or applying chemical treatment.
The manufacturing process consists of chemical baths, drying, and aging of the cellulose crumbs. The production is quite polluting and results in water and air emissions, especially of zinc and hydrogen sulfide. The main challenge of the industry is to make the manufacturing process more environment-friendly as the popularity of the material is growing.
5. Linen
Linen is made of a flax plant which is not too difficult to grow (takes about 100 days from a seed to plant). However, the manufacturing process of linen can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. In order to get a flax fiber, you need to separate a woody stock from the seed. This process is called retting.
While it can be done manually while using water, there may be also some chemicals used for the separation process. These chemicals are washed away at the end (and the textile is still natural), but they need to be neutralized before their release to water supplies. Another problem with the production can be a smell and that applies specifically to hand-retted linen.
Here is a nice overview of the manufacturing process of linen.
6. Wool
Wool is a natural fiber that is actually a protein called keratin. Mainly comes from sheep, although there are some alternatives: camels, goats, rabbits.
The quality of wool depends on the sheep breed (probably you have heard about merinos), their age, from which part the wool has been sheared, and of course the manufacturing process. Pulled wool is taken from slaughtered animals and it is taken off from pelt while using some chemicals. These fibers are of low quality and produce low-grade cloth.
After shearing the wool is being sorted and graded (based on the body parts it comes from). The cleaning of the wool is made in a series of alkaline baths which contain water, soap, and soda ash. These byproducts can be saved and used later in several household products.
Next comes carding (combing), spinning to form a yarn, waving into the fabric, and finishing (consists of several procedures to improve the quality of wool, but also coloring).
7. Silk
A luxury fabric originating from China.
The caterpillar of silk moth or silk warm is making a protective cocoon around itself before transforming into a chrysalis. The cocoon consists of insoluble protein-like fiber called fibroin. It is held together by soluble gum secreted by the worm which hardens once exposed to air. This results in a raw silk fiber.
To release the fibroin, the cocoons are softened and sorted in the hot water. The fiber is then reeled onto a wheel and formed into yarn by treating the raw fiber with warm water mixed with oil or soap. Eventually, it is sent to fabric manufacturers.
Silk is extremely strong, but despite being a natural fiber, it does not breathe well.
8. Hemp
A natural fiber whose manufacturing process uses very few chemicals or no chemicals at all.
It takes 70-90 days from seeding to harvesting and a special machine is used for hemp meant for textile manufacturing.
The retting process consists of resting on the field of the harvest to loosen and soften the fiber. Later the stalks are collected and dried in the barn or other dry places. Eventually, woody cores are separated from bast fiber, cleaned and secondary processes may follow (matting, pulping).
Most of the byproducts of hemp manufacturing are reused (e.g. core fiber for paper making, dust for fuel, etc).
It is an exceptionally durable and strong eco-friendly fabric.
9. Tencel (or lyocell)
Sustainable fabric regenerated from cellulose. However, unlike viscose, the manufacturing process is very transparent and environment-friendly.
It is regenerated from Eucalyptus trees that grow on the farm. No pesticides, genetic manipulation, and irrigation are used in these farms. The forests are specially grown for Tencel production and are socially and environmentally responsible.
The chemicals used for Tencel fiber processing are not toxic and the solvents used are recycled. This method has been awarded by the EU with the “European Award for the Environment” and granted the European Community Eco-label flower which is given for products and services with reduced environmental impacts.
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Now, the list of fabrics above is not exhaustive, but it gives you a broad idea of what we mostly wear and how these fabrics are produced. While natural fabrics tend to be better for your skin (cotton, linen, and other breathable materials) and environment, their production cycle is not always entirely harmless and chemical-free.
Synthetic materials, on the other hand, stick around basically forever and without being reused, are a great contribution to the world’s plastic pollution.
If selecting more natural fabrics and spending more on each piece of clothing is not for you, just buying fewer clothes is also a great start.