Synthetic clothing consists of a blend of different textiles. Synthetic materials have been around since the mid-twentieth century and have become the most used fibers over the past few decades.

Invented in the early 1970s by Miyoshi Okamoto, Alcantara is a synthetic suedelike material made up of 68 percent polyester and 32 percent non-fibrous polyurethane. The material is common on high-end ...

Synthetic fabrics made of nylon and polyester are modern essentials. They are also a major cause of microplastic pollution in oceans. Around 500,000 metric tons of microfibers released from synthetic ...

Researchers at University of Toronto Engineering have observed that handwashing synthetic fabrics in water with higher total dissolved solids (TDS) leads to more microplastic fibers (MPF) being ...

Elastane, commonly known as spandex, is a petroleum-based fiber known for its long-adored stretch and comfortable feel. Lycra is another familiar name for this fabric, although this is not a synonym ...

For millennia, humans have used natural materials—such as plants, animals and minerals—to imbue fabrics with vibrant colors. But synthetic dyes, first developed in the mid-19th century, have since ...

A team of University of Toronto Engineering researchers, led by Professor Kevin Golovin, have designed a solution to reduce the amount of microplastic fibres that are shed when clothes made of ...

Wool, wood, cotton, cocoons, coal, and petroleum are natural resources used to make fabrics. The reason each of these very different things can become fabric is that they all share a common chemistry.