What is microfibre fabric?
What is microfibre fabric? A synthetic cloth made of incredibly fine fibres is known as microfibre. These fibres typically have denier weights under 0.7 D and widths of less than 10 micrometres. A single strand of silk weighs about 1 D, making microfibre one of the finest types of textile fibre in the world.
Microfiber was made well-known for its usage in cleaning solutions, and as a result of its unrivalled softness, microfibre clothing and accessories have become increasingly popular. Additionally, microfibre is quite resilient, fairly absorbent, and water-repellent. Microfibre shines as a filtering system due to its excellent electrostatic properties, which has recently sparked a spike in interest in using this fabric as a protective face mask material.
Microfibre materials have undergone extensive development by textile producers over the years, and new uses for this material in a variety of industries are popping up. The environment is adversely affected by microfibres notwithstanding their amazing positive attributes.
| Fabric name | Microfibre |
| Fabric is also known as | Microfiber |
| Fabric composition | Ultra-fine synthetic fibres such as polyester, polyamide, or polypropylene |
| Fabric possible thread count variations | 200-1,800 |
| Fabric breathability | High |
| Moisture-wicking abilities | High |
| Heat retention abilities | Medium |
| Stretchability (give) | Medium |
| Prone to pilling/bubbling | Medium |
| Country, where fabric was first, produced | Contested—either Sweden or Japan |
| Biggest exporting/producing country today | China |
| Recommended washing temperatures | Machine wash cold or warm |
| Commonly used in | Cleaning cloths, floor mops, insulation, tablecloths, upholstery, athletic wear, jerseys, skirts, jackets, bathrobes, bathing suits, imitation suede, wallets, handbags, shoes, book covers, backpacks |
History of microfibre fabric
Since the early 1950s, textile manufacturers have experimented with very low-denier fabric fibres. The ability to control the length of the fibres generated limited the potential uses of this new textile technology, despite early attempts to manufacture ultra-thin fibres being largely successful.
The transition away from the melt-spinning process, which is still the principal way to make other synthetic textiles, and toward the use of bi-component polymers with a variety of textile plastics was the first significant step toward mass-scale microfibre production. These polymers proved to be significantly more durable than single-component plastics, which decreased the breakage that had previously happened when extruding incredibly thin textile fibres.
The renowned Japanese textile business Toray began mass-producing microfibre fabric in the 1960s. Dr Toyohiko Hikota and Dr Miyoshi Okamoto worked together to manufacture a range of microfiber fabrics for Toray, including Ultrasuede, one of the first microfibers to gain widespread acceptance. Ultrasuede was the first microfiber to achieve universal popularity.
However, until the 1990s, when Swedish textile manufacturers started creating a wide range of different microfiber materials, the use of microfibre fabrics remained notably restricted in scope, with the notable exception of Ultrasuede. Nearly immediately, microfiber gained popularity as a fabric for clothing across Europe, and it also found new uses in the fields of manufacturing and cleaning.
Microfibre fabric today
Throughout the 1990s, microfiber continued to grow in popularity in Asia and Europe. By the beginning of the 2000s, this fabric had also gained favour in North America and the rest of the world. Microfibre is a fabric that has become a standard for washcloths, kitchen towels, mopheads, and many other cleaning supplies because of its exceptional cleaning capabilities. Even if it didn’t catch on in the rest of the globe the way it did in Europe in the 1990s, microfiber clothes and accessories are still rather common in a few specialised applications.
Due to the current debate around microfiber pollution, the popularity of microfibres has recently taken a big knock. Microfiber cloth is not the biggest source of microfibre contamination, despite the somewhat deceptive naming, and More than microfiber fabric, ordinary materials like rayon and polyester are to blame for this ecological catastrophe. Consumer opinion of this practical and affordable cloth has deteriorated, in part because of its moniker and also because microfibre does, in fact, contribute to microfiber pollution.
How is microfibre fabric made?
The majority of microfiber textiles are made of polyester and polyamide blend (nylon). These two fibres are created separately by textile makers, who then use heat to fuse them together.
Structure of microfibres
Polyester may be formed into a wide range of shapes due to its comparatively high tensile strength. The majority of microfibres have polyester cores, which are frequently shaped like stars or asterisks.
The gaps between these polyester fibres’ “points” are subsequently filled with polyamide by textile makers. In comparison to polyester, polyamide is significantly less dense and has lower tensile strength. Because of this, polyamide is challenging to form into intricate shapes, yet this cloth makes a great filler.
Together, polyester and polyamide give microfibres their structure and bulk. Polyester provides the scrubbing action in cleaning cloths, whereas polyamide adds absorbency and increases the thickness of the fabric.
The microfibre production process
Textile manufacturers cannot extrude the polyester fibres used in microfibre manufacturing through conventional spinnerets because microfibres can be as small as 0.2 deniers in diameter. Instead, they use lengthy metallic tubes, allowing the polyester fibres to cool before being heated to fuse them with tiny polyamide strips.
Currently, microfibres can be dyed or given chemical treatments to increase their heat resistance or give them other desirable properties. The finished microfibres are then delivered to factories that make finished goods after being woven into extensive sheets of cloth.
How is microfibre fabric used?
Microfiber fabrics are employed in a wide range of settings. Here are a few instances of how people from all over the world use this distinctive fabric:
Cleaning
Cleaning with microfibre is particularly effective. To provide a synergy of tensile strength and absorbency, the fabric’s initial creators blended polyester and polyamide.
Microfibre cloth can gather up more dirt and filth than other varieties of cloth because of the special way its fibres are made. According to scientific research, microfiber might even be helpful for cleaning surfaces of harmful viruses and germs.
Homewares
Fabric manufacturers use microfibre because it is strong and highly absorbent to create a variety of towels. Microfibre is a very well-liked towel material, used in anything from kitchen towels to washcloths to bath towels.
Due to its exceptional softness and absorption, microfibre is also utilised, albeit less frequently, in the production of sheets and pillowcases. Due to its combined absorbency and moisture impermeability, microfibre is occasionally used by furniture producers as an upholstery material. Rugs and throw blankets frequently contain microfibre as a fabric.
Industry
The electrostatic qualities of microfiber make it a superior filtration material. As a result, this substance is employed in a wide range of applications as an industrial filtering fibre. Due to the high fibre density of microfibre, some builders and contractors also utilise it as insulation.
Apparel & Accessories
Softness, durability, and moisture-wicking capabilities are three of microfibre’s main qualities that make it ideal for clothing and accessories. Microfibre is popular for its stain resistance and is typically used to create women’s skirts and jackets. When compared to genuine or imitation leather, some types of microfibre also reasonably resemble the hand of leather textiles, making this material ideal for belts, wallets, handbags, and other accessory items.
Where is microfibre fabric produced?
China is the world’s epicentre of synthetic textile production. As a result, the majority of the world’s microfibre products originated in China with the United States and European Union also being significant microfibre producers.
What different types of microfibre fabric are there?
There are quite a few different types of microfibre. Here are a few of the most popular forms of this unique fabric:
1. Flat-weave microfibre
One of the most resilient types of this fabric is flat-weave microfibre, however, it is less absorbent than split-weave microfibre. The majority of microfiber clothing and accessories use flat-weave versions of this fabric.
2. Microfiber with a split weave
Split-weave microfibre is made of fibres that are split during manufacture, causing innumerable tiny loops to develop on the fabric’s surface. Split-weave microfibre sticks to your skin when touched, whereas flat-weave microfiber is soft and smooth.
3. Micromodal
Due to the tiny diameter of its fibres, a micro modal is technically a form of microfibre. It is a 100 percent polyamide fabric that acts as a softer, finer substitute for traditional modal fabric. Micromodal fabrics are more stretchy and less enduring than fabrics made of polyester-polyamide microfibres.
4. Ultrasuede
Ultrasuede is a substitute for real suede leather and was one of the first microfibre goods to be created. Despite having fibres that are typically a little wider than those used in other microfibre fabrics (under 1 denier in diameter), Ultrasuede is still regarded as a form of microfibre.
5. Proven
A fabric with the logo Proven is made entirely of polypropylene. This fabric is a little softer than fabrics made of polyester-polyamide microfibres and can have elastic properties that range from high to low.
6. Terry microfibre
One of the most prevalent towels weaves is terry, and many microfiber towels have terry weaves. Less frequently is this sort of microfibre utilised for purposes other than towels.
7. Waffle weave microfibre
Waffle weave microfibre, so named because of its raised, grid-like design, is very well suited for cleaning glass. The waffle pattern of this kind of microfibre decreases surface contact, increasing glide and decreasing friction.
8. Chenille microfibre
The thick, finger-like protuberances of fibre that make up the chenille microfibre are held together by a thin foundation fabric. Chenille microfibre is frequently used to produce sponges and car wash gloves and is virtually entirely utilised for cleaning purposes.
9. Suede microfibre
This kind of microfibre, which is intended to be soft like suede, has an amazingly low pile. Numerous types of clothing, accessories, and furniture include suede microfibre because it is great for cleaning glasses lenses.
How does microfibre fabric impact the environment?
Microfibre textiles have a very bad environmental impact. Despite the fact that only a small part of synthetic textiles are produced globally as microfibres, this material is contaminating at every stage of its life cycle.
Numerous hazardous, man-made substances that are either difficult to dispose of properly or completely impossible are used in the manufacture of polyester and polyamide. Plastic microfibres from microfiber fabric are released into the hydrosphere during use, damaging rivers and adding to plastic pollution. Since neither polyester nor polyamide degrades naturally after use, microfibre contributes to landfill overflow or turns into a material that pollutes the environment.
Microfibre fabric certifications are available
The Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certification may be available for microfiber clothing made from recycled fibres. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) additionally issues certificates for different microfibre fabric grades and varieties.
How much does microfibre fabric cost?
One of the most affordable textiles is microfibre. While it can cost a little more than simpler varieties of polyester or polyamide, it is significantly less expensive than silk, cotton, or other natural fibres.