Lycra® and Thinsulate®

Lycra® and Thinsulate® are commercial materials that have been designed to have special properties.

Lycra®

Lycra® is a stretchy artificial fibre. It is used to make sports clothing such as wetsuits, and with other fibres to make comfortable clothing with a snug fit. Its molecules have a stretchy section that make it soft and rubbery, and a rigid section that makes it tougher than rubber. Lycra® is lightweight but doesn't get damaged by sunlight, sweat or detergents - all of which can make other materials wear out.

A section of the Lycra® molecule

Thinsulate®

Thinsulate® fibres are much thinner than most other artificial fibres. They form a dense tangled web of fibres that trap a lot of air and reflect heat. This reduces heat loss, so clothes containing this material keep you very warm. The fibres also absorb very little water, so they still keep you warm if the clothes get wet.

Thinsulate® fibres are much finer than human hairs and normal fibres