Fibre converting company Teijin Frontier‘s new functional fabric called Solotex Liberte is designed specifically for sportswear and casual wear and is described as having a unique span-like texture and exceptional stretchability, as well as colourability, lustre and natural swelling.

Solotex Liberte is a sustainable fabric due to its incorporation of plant-derived raw materials. The fabric uses a polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) fibre, which incorporates a proprietary low-shrinkage technology. Teijin Frontier has also employed a distinctive yarn processing method to maximise the properties of PTT while controlling the raw yarn’s heat-shrinking properties.

The fabric uses a side-by-side composite yarn developed by Teijin Frontier, combining a PTT polymer as the core yarn with a newly developed low-orientation, low-shrinkage PTT monocomponent as the sheath yarn.

This combination results in a blended yarn with two different shrinkage properties. The core and sheath yarns are then knitted using high-density knitting equipment, producing the Solotex Liberte fabric.

Technical details for Solotex Liberte:

Original yarn

  • Core yarn: Made of side-by-side PTT polymer composite yarn
  • Sheath yarn: low orientation and low shrinkage PTT single component raw yarn

Yarn processing

  • Random core-sheath different shrinkage combined filament yarn technology

Knitting

  • Appropriate knitted fabric structure design technology
  • High-density knitting technology

Processing

  • Low tension dyeing technology
  • Processing technology that imparts high colour development and a soft texture

Teijin Frontier explains its new fabric aims to cater to the evolving demands of the sportswear and casualwear market where performance, sustainability and style are key.

As sustainability continues to gain prominence in the apparel industry, Teijin Frontier says its incorporation of plant-derived raw materials into Solotex Liberte demonstrates its commitment to environmentally friendly practices.

Teijin Frontier enabled the efficient removal of polyurethane elastomer fibre from polyester fabrics, making it possible to recycle these materials into new products.