Harmful Effects of Synthetic and High Tech Fabrics

High tech Fabrics are usually found in stores speacialising sports or hiking and camping but now scientists and fabric technologists have invested huge amounts of money into research on improving the performance of garments which means that high tech elements are finding its way into mainstream clothing.


Nylon
  • Nylon is a synthetic manmade fiber derived from petrochemicals which is used extensively throughout the fashion industry
  • Nylon polymers are made from coal derivatives
  • Although more polyester than nylon is produced, the manufacturing of nylon is energy and water intensive
  • Nylon's manufacture produces nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide
  • Nylon is not suited to natural dyes and lowest impact chemical dyes, meaning that the process of colouring the fiber creates significant water pollution

Polyester

  • Polyester is petrochemical based and it became popular in the 20th century for it easy care and low price compared to other fabrics
  • It is the biggest selling fibre in the world with over 70% of the world's market
  • High quality polyester yarn with advantages is often incorporated into high tech developments
  • It is less energy intensive to produce polyester compared to nylon but it still requires more than double the energy of conventional cotton to produce
  • The production of polyester uses harmful chemicals, including carcinogens, and if emitted to water and air untreated, can cause significant environmental damage
  • The water-intensity of production is much lower than for natural fibres. However, polyester cannot be dyed using low impact and natural dyes. This means that the detrimental impact on water supplies is potentially far greater

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