Spandex

Spandex, also called elastane, is a synthetic fiber made from segmented polyurethane. It stretches substantially and recovers its shape, making it useful in close-fitting clothing.

Segmented polyurethane: A polyurethane polymer containing flexible soft segments and reinforcing hard segments. Its alternating segments create the elastic structure from which spandex fibers are made.
Stretch fabric: A textile engineered to extend under force and return toward its original dimensions. Spandex supplies stretch and recovery when incorporated into textile yarns or fabrics.
Joseph Shivers: An American chemist who developed the first commercially successful spandex fiber at DuPont. Shivers led the research that produced the fiber later marketed as Lycra.
Rubber: An elastic polymer material that can be natural or synthetic. Rubber also stretches, but spandex provides elastic performance in fine, lightweight textile filaments.
Polyurethane: A family of polymers formed by reactions that create urethane linkages. Spandex is a specialized polyurethane whose segmented structure gives it unusually high stretch.
Swimwear: Clothing designed for swimming and other water-based activities. Spandex helps swimwear fit closely and move with the body.
DuPont: An American chemical company founded in 1802 that developed many industrial materials. DuPont developed and commercialized Lycra, bringing spandex into clothing manufacture.
Latex: A dispersion of polymer particles in water, including natural rubber latex from plants. Latex can provide stretch in clothing, but it differs from spandex in composition and fiber form.
Polymer: A substance made of molecules composed of repeating chemical units. Spandex’s long polymer molecules deform under tension and help the fiber recover afterward.
Athletic clothing: Garments designed to support movement and performance during physical activity. Its stretch allows athletic garments to accommodate movement while retaining their shape.

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