Polyester matte stretch sports fabric: a double breakthrough in texture and function

In the excellent performance system of polyester matte stretch sports fabric, spandex, as the core elastic component, has become the key to driving the fabric to achieve high elasticity and strong recovery with its unique molecular structure. This seemingly ordinary fiber actually contains exquisite molecular design. Through the special structure of alternating soft and hard segments, a cyclic mechanism of elastic deformation and recovery is constructed at the microscopic level, bringing a fitting and free wearing experience to athletes.
The molecular structure of spandex is essentially the crystallization of the wisdom of block copolymers, which is composed of two segments with different properties, soft segments and hard segments, alternating. The soft segment is usually composed of polyether or polyester segments. Such segments lack a regular crystalline structure and have weak intermolecular forces, giving the spandex molecular chain natural flexibility and stretchability. The hard segment is generated by the polymerization reaction of diisocyanate and short-chain diols. There are strong hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces between these rigid segment molecules, which interact to form physical crosslinking points, providing spandex with the necessary structural stability and recovery driving force.
The molecular structure of alternating soft and hard segments makes spandex present a spiral curled shape in a microscopic state. This curl is not a disordered stacking, but a stable configuration with the lowest energy under the combined action of intermolecular forces and thermodynamic equilibrium. When the polyester matte stretch sports fabric is subjected to external force, the spandex fiber in the fabric bears the brunt of the tension. The helical structure of the spandex molecular chain is gradually stretched and unfolded, and the soft segment can be stretched to several times its initial length due to its excellent flexibility, providing sufficient extension space for the fabric to ensure that the clothing will not be tight and bound due to movement.
Once the external force is eliminated, the physical cross-linking points in the spandex molecular structure begin to play a core role. The hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces between the hard segments quickly pull the stretched molecular chains back to the initial state. This recovery process is not only rapid, but also highly reversible, which can almost completely restore the spandex fiber to its original curled shape, driving the synchronous recovery of the fabric. During running, the high-frequency contraction and relaxation of leg muscles will produce periodic stretching force on the fabric. Spandex fibers can rebound quickly after each force, ensuring that the clothing always fits the body curve, preventing the fabric from loosening and shifting, and reserving sufficient elastic space for the next stretch, forming an efficient cycle of "stretch-recovery".
In the actual production of polyester matte stretch sports fabrics, the scientific ratio and precise weaving of spandex and polyester further strengthen this elastic cycle mechanism. By embedding spandex in the polyester woven structure in a suitable proportion, the elastic advantages of spandex can be fully utilized, and the high strength and wear resistance of polyester can be used to ensure the overall performance of the fabric.