About Microfibres (page 1 of 2)

The term ‘microfibre’ is used to define an extremely fine fibre or yarn, typically in the region of 0.1 or less denier. Denier is a unit of measurement of the fineness of a yarn, equal to the weight in grams of 9000 metres of the yarn. Silk, one of the finest natural fibre measures in the region of 8 denier, while a strand of human hair measures approximately 20 denier.

Due to the fineness of the yarn, microfibre fabrics have a characteristcally gentle drape and are incredibly soft to the touch. To weave a fabric with such minute fibres also demand a highly dense concentration of yarn. A single square inch of microfibre fabric typically contains tens of thousands of fibres, making these fabrics relatively stronger and more durable than their conventional counterparts.

Any fabric, be it woven out of thick yarn or microfibre would inherit the qualities of the raw materials it is made from. Synthetic material like Nylon and Polyester possess many characteristics that can be considered advantageous over natural fibres but the value of these characteristics is really dependant on what the intended usage of the end product is. Consider the following qualities that both Nylon and Polyester share to varying degrees:

• Strong
• Resistant to stretching and shrinking
• Resistant to most chemicals
• Quick drying
• Crisp and resilient when wet or dry
• Wrinkle resistant
• Mildew resistant
• Abrasion resistant
• Easily washed
• Low absorbency

One would hardly agree that low absorbency is a desirable quality for a fabric to be used as a towel. This perhaps is one of the reasons why Polyester is still second to cotton in worldwide use; non-synthetic material still outperforms synthetic material in some functions.

The advent of microfibre fabrics is however changing this. The versatility with which microfibre can be woven enable manufacturers to create distinctly different qualities in a fabric, allowing them to enhance desirable traits, thereby increasing its scope of usage. Microfibres processed in a ‘flat’ weave for example effectively repel water and have been used effectively in the apparel industry for the manufacture of water and wind resistant coats and jackets. The same fibres can be woven a different way to become a highly absorbent fabric, trapping the water between the enormously high concentration of fibres. What became obvious is that there are tremendous advantages in compacting as many fibres as possible within a given area, in the manufacture of fabrics.
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