Spandex elastic fiber
Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont.[1][2][3]
Yarn of colourless to white Spandex fibers
Name
The name spandex, which is an anagram of the word "expands",[4] is the preferred name in North America. In continental Europe, it is referred to by variants of elastane.[a] It is primarily known as Lycra in the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Brand names for spandex include Lycra (made by The Lycra Company, previously a division of DuPont Textiles and Interiors), ...
History
The easy condensation of diols and diisocyanates was recognized in the 1930's as the result of work by Otto Bayer.[6] Fibers suitable for replacing nylon were not created from urethanes, but instead this theme led to a family of specialized elastic fabrics.
In the post-World War II era, DuPont Textiles Fibers Department, formed in 1952, became the most profitable division of DuPont, dominating the synthetic fiber market worldwide.[9] At this time, women began to emerge as a significant group of consumers because of their need for underwear and hosiery.[9] After conducting market research to find out what women wanted from textiles, DuPont began developing fibers to meet such needs—including a better fiber for women's girdles, which were commonly made of rubber at the time.
In the early 1950s chemist Joseph C. Shivers modified Dacron polyester, producing an elastic fiber that could withstand high temperatures. Shivers was born in 1920 in Marlton, New Jersey. He received his B.Sc., M.A. and Ph.D. (in organic chemistry) from Duke University in the 1940s.[1] During the course of the war, still as a student, he did work with the United States government to develop a drug to counter malaria for use by troops overseas.[2]
Shivers began working for DuPont in 1946 as a researcher on developing polymers. After working on other polyester projects, Shivers joined a project to synthesize a "synthetic elastomer to replace rubber", which was common in garments at the time.[1] Though the project was shelved at a point, Shivers made a breakthrough in the 1950s when he attempted a modification of the polyester Dacron, which produced a stretchy fibre that could withstand heat, be spun into filaments, and stretch 5 times its original length while retaining elasticity.[2] The results were favourable and Shivers, along with other employees, set out to perfect the new polyester.[1]
Lycra brand
To distinguish its brand of spandex fiber, DuPont chose the trade name Lycra (originally called Fiber K).[12] DuPont launched an extensive publicity campaign for its Lycra brand, taking advertisements and full-page ads in top women's magazines.[9] :{Audrey Hepburn helped catapult the brand on and off-screen during this time; models and actresses like Joan Collins and Ann-Margret followed Hepburn's aesthetic by posing in Lycra clothing for photo shoots and magazine covers.[13]}:
By the mid-1970s, with the emergence of the women's liberation movement, girdle sales began to drop as they came to be associated with anti-independence and emblematic of an era that was quickly passing away.[9] In response, DuPont marketed Lycra as the aerobic fitness movement emerged in the 1970s.[9]
^ The association of Lycra with fitness had been established at the 1968 Winter Olympic Games, when the French ski team wore Lycra garments.[14] The fiber came to be especially popular in mid-thigh-length shorts worn by cyclists.[14]
By the 1980s, the fitness trend had reached its height in popularity and fashionistas began wearing shorts on the street.[15] Spandex proved such a popular fiber in the garment industry that, by 1987, DuPont had trouble meeting worldwide demand. In the 1990s a variety of other items made with spandex proved popular, including a successful line of body-shaping foundation garments sold under the trade name Bodyslimmers. As the decade progressed, shirts, pants, dresses, and even shoes were being made with spandex blends, and mass-market retailers like Banana Republic were even using it for menswear.[15]
Environmental impact
Most clothes containing spandex are difficult to recycle.[16] Even a 5% inclusion of spandex will render the fabric incompatible with most mechanical recycling machines.