The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Rubber threads, known as Lastex and Lactron, have been known since 1925, but it is only since the late 1970s and early 1980s that synthetic plastic threads based on elastomeric long-chain polyester polyurethanes with some crosslinking have had a major impact on the market. Such fibers are known collectively in the U.S. as spandex fibers, defined as polymers containing at least 85% of polyurethane.
E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc. produced the first spandex fiber in 1958. By 1959 there was sufficient demand that Du Pont decided to trademark the fiber, giving it the name Lycra. U.S. Rubber introduced an elastomeric fiber called Vyrene in the 1960s. During the 1960s there were on the market a number of other spandex fibers, including Cleerspun, Glospan, Numa, and Unel. Foreign manufacturers were also producing spandex under such tradenames as Roica, Fujibo, Kanebo, Mobilon, Opelon, and Espa, some of which found its way into the U.S. marketplace. By 1998, the U.S. spandex market was supplied by three manufacturers: Du Pont (Lycra), Globe Manufacturing Co. (Cleerspun, Glospan), and Bayer (Dorlastan).
Spandex is commonly used in such clothing articles as swimwear, foundation garments, brassieres, lingerie straps, sock tops, hosiery, and medical products requiring elasticity. Spandex is never used alone; it is always part of a blend of fibers, most frequently with nylon. It is more flexible than conventional elastic threads, and has two to three times the restraining power. It can be repeatedly stretched to over 500% without breaking and still recover instantly to its original length.