Teijin Develops Silk Wool-Like And Linen-Like Polyester Mat

Machinery and Technology

Teijin Develops Silk Wool-Like And Linen-Like Polyester Mat

Teijin Frontier, the Teijin Group's fibre and products converting company, has developed a new polyester material that is said to achieve the look, texture, aesthetic appeal and comfort of hybrid silk wool for a wide range of medium-thickness apparel applications, including jackets and bottoms, as a new product for Solotex family.

"Silk wool, a hybrid of silk and wool that came into use during the 1950s, is a high-function material noted for swelling, smoothness, softness, melange and dense colourings, a combination of properties not possible with synthetic materials until now," the company explains. "The new Solotex material offers silk wool-like high-quality appearance, softness and smoothness, elegant gloss, and dense colouring."

To achieve the luxurious look and feel of natural silk wool, Teijin Frontier uses a multi-thickness structure to process straight polyester filament yarn, employing a proprietary higher-order thread-processing technology. The yarn is then blended with Solotex and finally undergoes post-dyeing processing. The new Solotex material realises colourings with dense spots that are close to those of natural materials. It also eliminates the dry, rough touch of conventional wool-like materials and replicates the smoothness and high resiliency of wool, according to the manufacturer.

Thanks to Solotex's form stability and cushioning, the new Solotex material is said to achieve easy-care property, including washability and crease resistance, and other functions, such as water-repelling and anti-fouling properties, that cannot be associated with natural silk wool, can be easily added. Teijin Frontier will begin selling the new Solotex material within the current fiscal year, targeting annual sales of 100,000 metres by the fiscal year ending in March 2020.

Teijin develops linen-like polyester fibre

The company has developed a new linen-like polyester fibre that is said to boast a highly fresh, natural appearance for extra-comfortable outer clothing, jackets, bottoms and blouses. Teijin Frontier will commercially launch the product in the 2019 Spring/Summer season, targeting annual sales of 250,000 metres by the fiscal year ending in March 2021.

For a fully natural look, the difference between the thickest and thinnest parts of the thread is about 1.5 times in diameter. The material is a slab yarn in which thin and thick parts appear alternately, with the thick parts measuring 100 mm or more in length. Thanks to its special structure, Teijin Frontier's new fibre maintains its linen-like appearance even when circular knitting is used.

While natural linen is prone to wrinkling and bleaching, Teijin Frontier's linen-like polyester is wrinkle resistant and retains its colour thanks to dimensional stability. Furthermore, the new fibre does not stick to skin, is stretchable, washable, can be tailored and is pleasingly comfortable due to its fine uneven surface, according to the manufacturer.