Review on Development of New Elastic Fibers For Stretch Apparels

Dr. Thoi H. Ho

Denim Intimates Swimwear

Ready–to-wear (no iron) Active Wear Tailored Clothing

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 Abstract
Polyolefin fibers have been utilized in textiles for many years. However,
penetration into apparel markets has been limited due to the polymer’s inherent low
service temperature. In addition, traditional polyolefins lack elastomeric properties
required for the fastest growing apparel applications – stretch garments. With the
advent of metallocene catalyst technology and its capabilities of producing
elastomeric material, there is an opportunity to bring a new class of elastic fiber
into the market. This fiber, enhanced with cross linking, overcomes the gaps of
traditional polyolefins and the deficiencies of segmented polyurethane, the
predominant fiber of the stretch apparel industry. The new fiber’s improved service
temperature, combined with good chemical resistance to chlorine and industrial
bleach, enables new concepts in stretch garment care and offers textile mills
broader processing windows. This innovation provides opportunities to expand the
concept of stretch to new apparel markets. Because of its innovative properties, this
fiber has been awarded the new, generic classification of lastol by the Federal
Trade Commission.

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 OUTLINE

• Incumbent elastic fiber: spandex

• Development of elastic fiber from polyolefin elastomer
• Properties of XLA *TM fibers and fabrics
• Conclusion

3
Typical Process of New Product Development in Industry

1. Identify customer’s need (marketing)

2. Research and Development team explore the
opportunities
3. Submit patent application
4. Charter a team (Research & Development,
Technical service, production plan and
marketing) to scale up the new product
5. Customer trial ( normally under non-analysis
agreement)
6. Commercialization of the new products
7. It takes about 5-10 years

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 The incumbent material: Spandex
The incumbent material used in stretch apparel applications is spandex. Spandex fibers are co-
knitted with a hard fiber such as Nylon to make stretch fabrics. Spandex was invented in 1959 by
John Shivers, a chemist from Dupont. When first introduced, Spandex revolutionized many areas
of the clothing industry such as pantyhose and swimwear. The swimwear without spandex
(pictured on the left) has many wrinkles while the one made with spandex fits contours of the body
very well and is without wrinkles (pictured in the center) .

Before the Invention of Spandex After the Invention of Spandex

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Chemical Structure and Morphology of Spandex
Spandex is a urethane block copolymer that consists of a rigid segment and
a soft segment. The rigid segment has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of
180oC and provides the high service temperature. The soft segment provides
the elasticity.
Spandex has set the standard for stretch apparel applications due to its high
elasticity, high tenacity, and its thermal resistance up to its Tg.

Chemical
Structure

Morphology

Soft segment
Rigid segment
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 Deficiencies of Spandex
The elastic fibers from spandex are well established in the elastic fiber market.
However, textile manufacturing leaders continue to seek new market opportunities
through innovation and new technology options to simplify the processing and
enhance the durability of fabrics. Opportunities exist for elastic fibers with higher
service temperature and resistance to stringent chemicals (chlorine, high acidity
and alkalinity).

Spandex has the following deficiencies:

• Poor chlorine resistance (contains benzylic hydrogen)
• Inferior UV stability (contains aromatic rings)
• Poor hydrolytic stability (contains urethane/urea linkage)
• Low service temperature (Tg=180 oC)

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 Unmet Needs for Stretch Apparel
• Soft stretch fabrics
– Less tight, softer and have more comfortable stretch
• Better thermal resistance
– High temperature dye/heat set process
– Can be ironed at high setting temperature (cotton cloth)
• Better chlorine resistance
– Washed jeans
– Swimwear
• Better alkalinity and acidity resistance
• Better weatherability
– Outdoor wear

In 2000, Dow invented XLA* TM fiber to satisfy the unmet needs

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 Life of a Textile
Resin

Elastic Fiber
co-knit with hard fibers*
Red = unmet needs
Stretch Fabric
Pre-heat set (100oC)
Dye/(Bleach) (130- 210oC, Cl2)
Heat set (170-210oC)

Stretch Garment
Wear (Cl2, UV) *About 5wt % of elastic
Wash (60oC, Cl2) fiber are used. Hard fibers
Dry (120 oC) can be nylon, polyester,
Iron (100-210oC) acrylic, cotton, silk, and wool.

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 Development of Polyolefin Elastic Fibers
In early 1990, J. Stevens and coworkers (US patent 5278272) from Dow
Chemical discovered metallocne catalyst for ethylene polymerization that can
incorporate high amount of alpha olefin such as octene to make copolymer that
has elastic properties of an elastomer. This discovery has revolutionized the
polyolefin industries. The copolymer was commercialized under the commercial
name of AFFINITY*TM. The elastomer has elastic properties for stretch apparel
applications. However, its upper service temperature (about 60oC) is not high
enough for the applications.

In 2000, T. Ho and coworkers (US patent 6803014) from Dow Chemical

developed the process for crosslinking fibers from AFFINITY*TM to improve its
upper service temperature. The crosslinked fiber has upper service temperature
greater than 220 0C which is much better than the upper service temperature of
Spandex (175oC). The commercial name of the crosslinked elastic fiber is
XLA*TM.

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 Chemical Structure and Morphology of XLA*TM
XLATM is a crosslinked ethylene-octene copolymer. Ethylene-octene copolymer is
an elastomer that consists of a rigid segment of crystalline ethylene polymer
and a soft segment of ethylene-octene copolymer that provides the elasticity.
The crosslinking provides the high service temperature (greater than 220oC).

R R

n m p

R = C6H13 Polyethylene Ethylene-octene copolymer

(rigid segment) (soft segment)

Crosslinking Crosslinking
R R

n m p

R R

n m p
R = C6H13 = crosslinking
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Fabrication Process of Stretch Fabrics

Crosslinking
XLATMFiber

Co-knit with
hard fiber
Melt Spinning
Wrapped with
natural fiber
Fabric
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Properties of XLA*TM Fibers and Fabrics

• Soft stretch feature

• Thermal resistance
• Chlorine resistance
• UV stability

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 Soft Stretch Feature of XLA Fiber
50
DOW XLATM
Spandex
40

30

20

10
40
0 denier
0 100 200 300 400 500 60
Elongation, % 0

For an equivalent of elongation, the load for spandex is greater than the
load for the DOW XLA fiber. Therefore, it requires lower retract force
for the DOW XLA containing stretch fabrics to relax. This translates to
a softer and more comfortable stretch in garments containing DOW
XLA.
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 Thermal Resistance
Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis Fibers at 230oC
10 9
DOW XLA
XLA*TM
Spandex

10 8
E’
(dynes/cm2) Spandex
10 7

10 6
25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250
Temperature, °C

The left figure shows that spandex melts at about 175oC while DOW XLA has thermal
resistance to greater than 220oC. The right picture shows that at 230oC spandex fiber
melts and breaks while the XLA fiber is intact. The thermal resistance of DOW XLA
translates into a fiber which can be processed, by fabric producers or consumers, at
higher temperatures than typically recommended for spandex. Fabric mills can
incorporate stretch into fabrics that are dyed using the thermosol process at 210°C,
and consumers now have an elastic fiber that can be ironed on a high setting (above
200°C or “3 dots”) without concern of degrading its stretch properties.

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 Chlorine Resistance of Fibers
120

100
% Tenacity retained

80 XLA 40D
XLA 70D
60 XLA 140D
40 Spandex CR

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
HOURS in Cl2 bath @50 C

Good chlorine resistance is required for applications such as stone washed

jeans and swimwear. Fibers were exposed to a solution of 100 ppm of chlorine
at 50oC. DOW XLA elastic fiber has much better chlorine resistance than
spandex. This is another improvement in properties that allows design
freedom for fabric and garment producers

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 Chlorine Resistance of Swimwear Fabrics

After 5 months of swimming (1 hr/day), After 5 moths of swimming (1hr/day), all XLA
all spandex fibers in the knit fabric broke fibers in the knit fabric are intact

Swimwear made using XLA fibers are much more durable than swimwear
made with Spandex in the chlorine environment of swimming pools
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 Effect of UV Radiation Time on Tenacity for DOW
XLA* and Spandex
Tenacity (g/denier)

1.5

1
DOW XLA*
0.5
Spandex
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
UV Irradiation Time (hr)

The UV stability of DOW XLA is much better than spandex fibers. The
resistance to UV degradation is critical to applications such as swimwear,
outdoor wear, and other sports apparel.

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 XLA*TM or Spandex ?

Before Spandex Spandex XLA*TM XLA*TM or Spandex?

Miss VN 2009

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 XLA*TM fiber with improved service temperature, combined with good
chlorine resistance and UV stability enables new concepts in stretch
garment care and offers textile mills broader processing windows.
Examples of applications of XLA*TM are shown below.

Denim Intimates Swimwear

Ready-to-wear (no need to iron) Active Wear Tailored Clothing

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 Conclusions
• New polyolefin elastic fibers for stretch apparel were developed.

• The new fibers have the following advantage

– Soft stretch
• Fabrics are softer and have more comfortable stretch
– Superior thermal resistance
• High temperature dye process
• High temperature heat set process
• Can be ironed at high setting temperature
– Superior chlorine resistance
• Stone washed jeans
• Swimwear
– Superior UV stability
• Outdoor wear

• XLA fibers enable new concepts in stretch garment and offer

textile mills broader processing windows

• XLA has been awarded the new generic classification of lastol by

the Federal Trade Commission

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22
 Acknowledgment
The author would like to thank his former colleagues Drs. Selim
Bensason and Rajen Patel for their expertise in material science
and fiber spinning, and Dr. Rona Reid for her expertise in textile
technology.

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 Key References

• W. Hoenig, T. Ho, R. Reid, and P. Yap, Development of a New Polyolefin Elastic Fiber-
Enhancing Service Temperature and Chemical Resistance to Enable New Concepts
Stretch Apparel Application, International Polyolefin Conference , 2004.

• T. Ho. S, Bensason, R. Patel, K. Houchens, R. Reid, S. Chum, L. Walsh, “Method of

making elastic articles having improved heat resistance”, US patent 6,803,014 B2,
2004

• T. Ho and J. Martin, “Structure, Properties and Applications of Polyolefin Elastomers

Produced by Constrained Geometry Catalysts, Metallocene-based Polyolefins Edited
by J. Scheirs and Kaminsky , 2000 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, vol.2, page 175

• S.Y. Lai, J.R. Wilson, G.W. Knight. And J.C. Stevens, “Elastic Substantially Linear
Olefin Polymers”, US patent 5,278,272

• S. Chum, C. Kao, and G. Knight, “Structure, Properties and Preparation of Polyolefins

Produced by Single-site Catalyst Technology, Metallocene-based Polyolefins Edited
by J. Scheirs and Kaminsky , 2000 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, vol.1, page 261

• Spandex-Wikipedia

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