Spandex Fiber

(Elastane)

Spandex Textile Filament Fiber

Basic Principles of Spandex Fiber Production — The polymer chain is a segmented

block copolymer containing long, randomly coiled, liquid, soft segments that move to a more
linear, lower entropy, structure. The hard segments act as “virtual cross-links” that tie all the
polymer chains together into an infinite network. This network prevents the polymer chains from
slipping past each other and taking on a permanent set or draw. When the stretching force is
removed, the linear, low entropy, soft segments move back to the preferred randomly coiled,
higher entropy state, causing the fiber to recover to its original shape and length. This segmented
block copolymer is formed in a multi-step proprietary process. It is extruded into a fiber as a
monofilament threadline or for most products into a multiplicity of fine filaments that are
coalesced shortly after they are formed into a single threadline.

Spandex Fiber Characteristics

o Can be stretched repeatedly and still recover to very near its original length and
shape
o Generally, can be stretched more than 500% without breaking
o Stronger, more durable and higher retractive force than rubber
o Lightweight, soft, smooth, supple
o In garments, provides a combination of comfort and fit, prevents bagging and
sagging
o Heat-settable — facilitates transforming puckered fabrics into flat fabrics, or flat
fabrics into permanent rounded shapes
o Dyeable
o Resistant to deterioration by body oils, perspiration, lotions or detergents
o Abrasion resistant
o When fabrics containing spandex are sewn, the needle causes little or no damage
from “needle cutting” compared to the older types of elastic materials
o Available in fiber diameters ranging from 10 denier to 2500 denier
o Available in clear and opaque lusters

Some Major Spandex Fiber Uses

o Garments where comfort and fit are desired: hosiery, swimsuits, aerobic/exercise
wear, ski pants, golf jackets, disposable diaper, waist bands, bra straps and bra side panels
o Compression garments: surgical hose, support hose, bicycle pants, foundation
garments
o Shaped garments: bra cups

General Spandex Fiber Care Tips

o Hand or machine wash in lukewarm water

o Do not use chlorine bleach on any fabric containing spandex. Use oxygen or
sodium perborate type bleach
o Rise thoroughly
 o Drip dry. If machine dried, use low temperature
o Ironing, if required, should be done rapidly. Do not leave the iron too long in one
position. Use low temperatures setting. (For specific instructions, refer to garment's sewn-in care
label)

Caring for Your Spandex and Lycra Clothing

What is Lycra?

Originally developed as a replacement for rubber, LYCRA®, by DuPont, is remarkable for

its ability to stretch many times its original length - and then snap back to its starting size with no
loss to its spring. A touch of Lycra adds comfort and freedom of movement and improving the
fit, shape retention, drape and wrinkle resistance of the apparel.

There is really no such thing as a commercially available fabric made entirely of Lycra; it's
never used alone, but is always combined with another fiber (or fibers), both natural and man-
made. As little as 2 percent Lycra is enough to improve a woven fabric's movement, drape, and
it's knack for holding its shape. Whatever the blend, fabrics enhanced with Lycra keep the look
and feel of the majority fiber.

Laundering Lycra

Machine washing and tumble drying are the preferred manner of laundering.

If the other fibers in the garment are machine washable and dryable, this should be the
recommended method for cleaning. The heat generated by machine drying will help recover any
lost stretch that occurred during the wearing of a garment. Thorough washing, rinsing and drying
in machines brings out the best in Lycra.

Spandex/Lycra is a common fabric blend for most sexy clothes and club wear.

General Lycra/Spandex Fiber Care Tips

Hand or machine wash in lukewarm water on gentle cycle

Do not use chlorine bleach on any fabric containing spandex

Rise thoroughly

Drip dry. If machine dried, use low temperature

Ironing, if required, should be done rapidly. Do not leave the iron too long in one position.
Use low temperatures setting. (For specific instructions, refer to garment's sewn-in care label)

Dry Cleaning Lycra

 Dry cleaning Lycra is no problem. Although some solvents may temporarily swell the fiber,
proper rinsing provided by a professional dry cleaner recovers all stretch and recovery properties
of the garment. Lycra does retain the odor of dry cleaning solutions a little longer than most
fibers, but it will quickly disappear with a little airing.

No Chlorine Bleach

To improve the life and look of garments with Lycra, the only thing that should be avoided
is chlorine bleach. Aside from that, you need only provide the care determined by the other
fabrics. Exposure to chlorine can lead to discoloration, stretch and eventual breakage of the Lycra
fibers.

All-fabric bleach can be used for the laundering of garments with Lycra. It is particularly
useful in preventing any graying of the fabric caused by absorption of soils and detergents.

Lycra Care: (from DuPont)

Since LYCRA® is usually the minority component in a given fabric, let the other fibers
guide your care instructions. If other fibers or the trim or binding of a garment require hand
washing, dry cleaning, or low-temperature washing and drying, their needs will determine the
care instructions. Lycra will easily withstand repeated cleanings of all these types. When in
doubt, wash or dry clean according to the primary fiber in the blend.

How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?

Experienced dyers agree that the effects of unneutralized chlorine bleach discharge are
deadly to fabric. Some residue of the hypochlorite remains in the fabric even after washing, later
resulting in holes or thin spots wherever bleach was applied. Fabric that looks fine after bleaching
may be in rags a few weeks later.

The answer is to neutralize your fabric after you bleach it.

You must also strictly avoid using chlorine bleach on any synthetic fiber, such as polyester,
nylon, or spandex, because the damage done by chlorine bleach to synthetic fibers is irreversible.
Use only 100% cellulose fibers, such as cotton or hemp, for bleach discharge. (Some synthetic
fibers such as nylon can be safely discharged with another chemical, instead of chlorine bleach,
known as sodium hydrosulfite or sodium dithionite.)

What NOT to use

Whatever you do, never use vinegar or any other acid in an attempt to neutralize your
chlorine bleach. It will destroy the hypochlorite that is the active ingredient of chlorine bleach,
but only by turning it into much more caustic and dangerous chemicals, including hypochlorous
acid, which is very damaging to textiles, and, if the pH gets low enough, deadly chlorine gas.
Unlike stronger acids, vinegar is unlikely to produce a pH low enough to generate much chlorine
gas, but hypochlorous acid is even more damaging than hypochlorite.
 It is very disturbing that a number of dyeing books with otherwise good information
blithely pass on this dangerous advice, to use vinegar to neutralize chlorine bleach. I worry that a
book with such bad information may include other dangerous misstatements.

Good neutralizers for chlorine

There are three good alternatives for neutralizing hypochlorite bleach: bisulfite or
metabisulfite, thiosulfite, or peroxide.

Bisulfite and metabisulfite

Bisulfite, or metabisulfite, is the most economical choice. It is widely sold under the name
Anti-Chlor by dye suppliers. It does not matter whether you buy sodium bisulfite or potassium
bisulfite. It is economical because only small amounts are required. If your dye supplier sells anti-
chlor, be sure to order some the next time you order dyes.

Bisulfite is also used as a preservative of fresh and dried foods, such as the potato salad in
restaurant salad bars, or dried apricots. A good local source would be your local home wine
brewing supply store, as sodium bisulfite is widely used for sanitizing the fruit juices to be used
in wine, to stop yeast growth, and as a preservative. Camden Tablets are a product sometimes
used in wine-making; each tablet contains 1/16th teaspoon (0.3 ml) of sodium bisulfite.

Here is the chemical equation describing the neutralization reaction between sodium
hypochlorite and sodium metabisulfite:

Na2S2O5 + 2NaOCl + H2O —> 2NaHSO4 + 2NaCl

An alternative reaction is as follows:

Na2S2O5 + 2NaOCl + H2O —> 2Na2SO4 + 2HCl

(Source: R.J. Xie et al. Desalination and Water Treatment vol. 3 (2009): pp 193–203
[PDF].)

Thiosulfate

Sodium thiosulfate, also known as Bleach Stop, is another excellent choice for neutralizing
chlorine bleach. It is less economical than Anti-chlor because you must use a much larger
quantity to prepare your bleach neutralizing bath. Thiosulfate is commonly used in developing
photographs, so you may be able to find a local supplier in the form of a photography supply
store. The reaction between thiosulfate and hypochlorite is as follows:
4 NaClO + Na2S2O3 + 2 NaOH → 4 NaCl + 2 Na2SO4 + H2O

Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a third choice, perhaps preferable for asthmatics who are sensitive to
the effects of sulfur-containing chemicals. It is more expensive than Anti-chlor or Bleach Stop,
but it has the advantage of being readily available at pharmacies. Look for 3% hydrogen peroxide
among the first aid supplies at your local drug store. The chemical reaction between hypochlorite
(the active ingredient in chlorine bleach) and hydrogen peroxide is as follows:

OCl- + H2O2 -> Cl- + H2O + O2

How much bleach neutralizer do I need to use?

Thiosulfate (Bleach Stop) is not as strong as Anti-chlor (sodium metabisulfite).

You need to use one whole ounce by weight (30 grams) of Bleach-Stop (sodium
thiosulfate) per gallon of warm water, or a pound and a quarter for a twenty-gallon washing
machine load — so, using your washing machine for this step would be very expensive and you'd
better stick to a bucket, but you can do that. Cost per gallon of bleach neutralizing bath, 25¢. Not
too expensive.

In contrast, you need only one teaspoon, or 2.2 grams, of Anti-chlor (sodium metabisulfite)
per 2.5 gallons of water, or less than half a teaspoon per gallon of water. That works out to 18
grams per twenty-gallon washing machine load, if you like to use it there. Cost per gallon of
bleach neutralizing bath, three-quarters of 1¢. Very, very inexpensive. Cheap enough even to use
in the washer, if you're lazy about carrying buckets around, or if you want to use it as a regular
laundry additive to reduce unwanted bleaching from chloramine in your water supply.

Buy whichever one your dye supplier sells, and be careful to use no less than their
instructions say to. Rinse your garments in water quickly before neutralizing. ALWAYS fill your
bucket or washing machine with rinse water to do this BEFORE you start to apply bleach to your
fabric.

I'm not sure how much 3% hydrogen peroxide is absolutely required. I had good results by
pouring half a bottle over my project; at $.79 per bottle, that was about 40¢ per use. Far less
economical, but convenient for those times when you don't have any Anti-Chlor in the house and
your next order isn't due to be delivered until next week. It works very well, too: although I had to
leave that particular shirt in the bleach a long time to get my design, it never did develop any
holes in the bleached part, over hundreds of washings. (There was no spandex or other synthetic
fiber is the shirt, which helps a lot.) It eventually developed unrelated rips elsewhere on the shirt.
I can certainly recommend 3% H2O2 as effective, even if not the most economical option.

Do I need to neutralize after using a reductive discharge such as Thiox?

No. You must neutralize after using chlorine (hypochlorite) bleach, but not after using
reductive discharges such as Thiox, Formosul, or Rit Color Remover. You need only wash
reductive discharge chemicals out with water. Any residual bisulfite or thiosulfate will react with
the oxygen in the air and be safely destroyed.