Silk the first and unique natural microfiber
Silk the first and unique natural microfiber
Microfibres are not all the same: discover the advantages of using silk
Lately we often hear about natural fabrics. The concept of “Bio“, recently spread among healthy food consumers, is also expanding to fabrics in general, clothing and household goods.
The term Silk generally refers to a natural fiber which is also unique, innovative and connected with our history.
The term microfiber generally means a synthetic/artificial fiber with a reference to lightness and finesse.
- Silk is a microfiber
- The first microfiber ever produced
- The only natural microfiber.
Silk (microfiber) and synthetic microfibers
Silk can be divided in a wide range of types based on the two elements that nature has placed as “raw materials” for its production: the type/breed of the moth that produces it and its nutrition. In terms of fineness, silks has a range between 20 microns up to 7/8 microns.
Synthetic microfibres appeared on the market in the early 1980s as the evolution of a variety of inventions or improvements on synthetic and/or artificial fibers, especially on those fibers invented by man, inspired by the production techniques of silk (extrusion), in an attempt, never denied and never succeeded in replacing the natural material with easily producible low cost fibers.
Viscose, nylon, and later on polyester, polypropylene, polyamide, became the major components of modern microfibers, highly use in cleaning products and only subsequently will dominate many areas of textiles/clothing.
What is a microfiber technically? What are its plus points?
Microfiber is technically defined as a fiber which, on the basis of the UNI 10714 standard dated April 1999, has a titration of less than or equal to 1 Dtex.
The Dtex titration system does not take into consideration the fineness of the fiber, but it defines how many meters of a certain material are contained within 1 gram of weight.
By analogy and extension, fibers that have a micronage of less than 10 microns are considered microfibres (the micron is equal to one thousandth of a millimeter)
The reduced micronage allows to obtain final soft products with an exponential presence of fibers per square centimetre, guaranteeing high levels of thermal performance and absorption of liquids.
What is the tre value of synthetic microfibres?
The advantages and the disadvantages of synthetic microfibers must be related to the materials that compose them.
On one side, the production of fabrics with a higher density of fibers determines a physiological increase in the maintenance of heat.
On the other side, the qualities of synthetic and/or artificial raw materials used in apparel sectors and technical clothing, (fabrics and padding), do not guarantee breathability and the ability to absorb and release excess water vapour, becoming therefore a real physical barrier, which can lead to dangerous deposit on the body.
The same theoretical advantage to absorb liquids becomes a significant limit by not being related to the ability of balancing and releasing excess quantities externally, precisely because of the materials used.
The same undeniable feature that has made them dominant in the cleaning sector, as the ability of capturing and retaining dirt, tiny dust and particles, it turns into a dangerous disadvantage when these impurities are permanently trapped in the meshes of the synthetic fibers to which they chemically bind with.
Last but not least, a very important aspect to evaluate is the fact that synthetic microfiber is a combination of different types of fibers (in the most common polyester/polyamide form) capable of combining the most harmful elements:
- Very high levels of pollution caused by the production techniques linked to oil processing associated with the use of chemical substances;
- The release during their use of chemicals that are very harmful to health;
- The release of extremely dangerous and polluting synthetic microfibres during their use, the main causes of the presence of plastics in our seas
- Unclear decomposition times, estimated between 600 and1000 years
Silk and Silk T. Silk – Natural microfiber
Silk represents the most natural and technically performing material to find in fibers and microfibers.
From the point of view of finesse, some selected types, (genetic selection of the moth producer and of its nutrition) attributable to the Mulberry Silk family (mulberry = Mulberry as food of the Bombyx Mori moth) can reach 6/7 microns of fineness.
Natural processes and innovations resulting from researches, studies and knowledge of fiber allow Cosetex Silk and T.Silk Silk to create products with high concentrations of fibroin fibrils, (protein constituting the central part of the silk fiber), with diameters that can vary from 20 to 50 nm (1nm = 1micron/1000).
This means having a completely natural fiber which is in all respects a microfiber with characteristics of lightness, finesse, softness, typical of a microfiber associated with:
- Maintaining a high level of heat;
- High breathability;
- Temperature control;
- Absorption of high quantities of liquids and water vapour;
- Release of excess liquids and steam to the outside;
- Health and well-being of the body;
- Complete absence of any form of pollution;
- Complete lack of release of chemicals;
- Complete sustainability of the production process;
- Complete degradation in the environment being made up of proteins.
Microfiber in T.silk silk and in our products
Silk has a fiber fineness ranging from 8 to 12 microns, which is considered as a natural microfiber. The Silk of T. Silk, thanks to the innovative manufacturing processes, manages to free a high concentration of fibrils of Silk protein (Fibroin) with a diameter between 25 and 30 nm (1nm = 1micron/1000) . T.Silk silk is in all respects a microfiber.
A traditional microfiber duvet cannot be considered as an ecological duvet, even if the microfibre comes from recycling products.
A traditional microfiber duvet cannot be a natural duvet, even if it is advertised in this way. A microfiber quilt could also keep the heat but certainly does not allow the body to breathe, triggering visions of heat/sweat/cooling/cold/heat.
If you are looking for the softness of a microfibre, the naturalness of a fiber, the sustainability of a system, respect for the health of the body and for the environment, heat and breathability performance and great level of comfort, the only possible answer is Setino: the silk duvet you do not expect!