Special Usages Spandex Yarn

Coated spandex is intended for the medium and high end of the market: The more protection applied to the spandex, the more durable and therefore more expensive the pantyhose, and the end product is also pleasantly soft to the touch.

You will not find tights made entirely of 100% spandex; Other fibres such as nylon, cotton, wool or silk are always added in limited percentages.

The main characteristic of spandex is its high elasticity and ability to return to its original shape, ensuring excellent durability in fashion products. Spandex has the ability to stretch up to eight times its original length and return to its original shape immediately when the tension is released. This gives tights containing spandex a perfect fit on the legs while allowing complete freedom of movement. The greater elasticity of the fabric prevents both excessive stretching and loosening, which are the main causes of damage. It also does not require any special care during washing.

When used process, nude spandex is suitable for the manufacture of very thin or summer tights, offering moderate elasticity which allows the tights to be easily removed.

To these basic qualities, manufacturers have added other properties such as resistance to chlorine, pollutants, chemicals and oxidants, as well as to mould and bacteria.

Spandex yarns are produced as a filament yarn, meaning the fiber is continuous and with very large percentage of elongation and recovery. Spandex yarns are sold using the unit of measures of denier or decitex. The common deniers for spandex yarns range from 10 denier to 1,680 denier. At one point, some manufacturers of spandex made a denier past 5,000 denier.

Spandex yarns are used in a wide range of textile applications. Spandex yarns can be direct knit into a fabric. Spandex yarn can be introduced into a fabric as a "covered spandex" meaning the spandex yarn has a component yarn wrapped around the spandex. An example of a covered spandex application is the production of knit pantyhose and socks. Spandex yarn also is placed into elastic narrow fabrics. Examples of an elastic narrow fabric are: the elastic in a waist-band in underwear or in a bra strap.

Spandex yarns have been a primary component of baby diapers and adult incontinent products. The spandex yarns give these products their stretch and recovery attributes. If you read "latex free" on a textile garment, this usually means there is no natural latex rubber in the product and spandex is the replacement for the rubber.

Spandex yarns can be sensitive to light and humidity. If the elastomeric spandex fibers are not stored properly, there can be some degradation in the performance of the yarn. There has been a textile industry practice of discounting spandex fibers if they appear to have any age to them. However, providing the spandex yarns are stored correctly, spandex yarns with some age have been able to knit without any imperfections. The larger the denier, typically, the more "shelf life" the spandex yarn may have.

The interesting point of first quality elastomeric yarn is the size or the denier of the yarn is exact when sold as a first quality product. If the 40 denier spandex yarn is first quality, it is indeed a 40 denier—not a 39 or a 41 denier, but a 40 denier. When a spandex yarn does have a variation in the denier, it must be classified as a substandard or second-quality yarn.

A substandard or second-quality spandex yarn can still be used on a knitting machine; however, it is highly recommended the downgraded yarn be used in conjunction with a spun yarn such as cotton, cotton blended yarns, spun polyester or spun rayon, for example. If the substandard or second-quality spandex yarn is knit with a 100% filament yarn, there is a substantial possibility of bare or streaks to appear in the fabric.

A substandard or second-quality spandex yarn can be run successfully into a yarn covering application. This process will typically cover the imperfection of the denier variation of the elastomeric yarn. When using a substandard or second-quality spandex yarn in covering, it helps to have the covering machine run at a slower speed.

Xiamen Lilong Spandex Co., Ltd was established in 2003, It specializes in the R&D and production of high-tech specialty fibers. Lilong company is the first spandex manufacturer in Fujian Province, which currently has more than 500 employees, with a total asset of 800 million yuan and covers an area of 130,000 square meters.
The company introduced complete sets of continuous spinning production technology. In May 2005, it officially commenced production, with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons, The production line covers the main specifications ranging from 12D to 1680D. Over the years, Lilon has fully utilized its talent and technological advantages, continuously exploring and innovating in the field of high-tech special fibers. It independently developed high-temperature resistant, high-rebound, chlorine-resistant, phenol-resistant, and other differentiated spandex with stability. These products are widely used in textiles, clothing, woven tapes, and sanitary materials. Adhering to the spirit of "unity, positivity, development, and innovation", the company persists in the management policy of "promoting customer satisfaction with quality and meeting customer needs with innovation", winning customers and selling well worldwide.