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8. Additional Synthetic Yarns for Hosiery Production |
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| Yarns for Fine Hosiery | ||||
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The invention of the highly elastic polyurethane by I.G.-Farben in 1939 was the basis of Elastomere or Elasthane, which was later used in hosiery production. |
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The American company Du Pont began developing a highly elastic yarn - "Fiber K" in 1948. After 10 years of continuous improvement, this yarn was trademarked under the name "Lycra". This yarn can be stretched 8 times its initial length and then completely returns to its original form. |
Advertisement for Latex yarn, 1960.
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Newly developed yarn containing Elasthane - called "Spandex" in the U.S. and northern Europe - appeared on the market in 1959, and was mainly used in the production of fine support stockings and support pantyhose. This material could not be used in its pure form. Though the material was highly elastic, it was not stabile and very brittle and could therefore only be used for covering or as a blend with other fibers. The most important trademarks were "Lycra" by Du Pont and "Dorlastan" by Bayer. |
Uhli Corsage stockings (a support stocking using Elasthane yarn, early 1960's).
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Diagram of possible uses of Lycra in the production of elastic yarn.
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In 1964, "Cantrece" nylon by E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company appeared on the market. This nylon type - a continuous filament with natural crimping - was specifically developed for the hosiery industry and the production of seamless stretch pantyhose. The natural, non-mechanically produced crimp of this new hosiery yarn, which does not disappear with long wear or frequent washing, lends "Cantrece" stockings high and lasting elasticity and an excellent fit. This 2-component yarn owes its natural spiral crimp to the differing heat shrinkage of two polymers. |
"Uhli-Cantrece"- lady's fine stockings, 1964.
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Approximately at the same time, new yarns were being developed - for example "Ultrason". "Ultrason" is a nylon yarn which is treated by ultrasound in a sonic-chemical bath and then unraveled. As a filling yarn, this fiber has qualities similar to natural fibers - high elasticity, gloss and water absorption. |
Microscopic view of untreated nylon yarn (...(left) and yarns treated with the Ultrason process. Excerpt from an ad campaign, app. 1964).
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"Uhli-Ultrason"- lady's fine stockings, app. 1964.
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| In the mid-60's, a new process for treating flat nylon fibers appeared. "Agilon" was produced with nylon fibers in a stretch yarn process. The process draws nylon filament fibers over a hot knife-edge to impart crimp and curl. The result was a spiral yarn with two-way high elasticity - lengthwise and crosswise - pitched as "2-way-stretch" in advertisements. The hosiery industry also developed its own yarn types - for example "Chinchillan" by the Immenstadt-based company Kunert in 1965. Mitte der sechziger Jahre kam ein neues Verfahren zur Behandlung von glatten Nylonfasern auf. "Agilon" wurde aus Nylonfäden, die über eine erhitzte Trommel und anschließend über eine scharfe Klinge geführt wurden, hergestellt. Das Ergebnis war ein spiralförmiges Garn von hohe Elastizität in zwei Richtungen - längs und quer - was als "2-way-stretch" in der Werbung angepriesen wurde. Eigene Firmengarne wurden auch in der Feinstrumpfindustrie entwickelt, etwa 1965 das der Immenstädter Firma Kunert. |
Advertising supplement for lady's fine stockings (...made of "Agilon", app. 1965).
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"Uhli-Agilon" - lady's fine stockings, app. 1965.
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With the advent of the oil crisis in 1974 and resulting sharp price increases of synthetic fibers, the use of natural fibers, including in hosiery production, was reborn. Synthetic fibers now played a secondary role and the return to natural fibers began. |
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