On the occasion of the PITTI FILATI fair, the magazine “Top di Gamma -Valore Italia” interviewed our director Paolo Stellini about polypropylene fiber and its properties in apparel yarns. The Stellini Group spinning mill, located in the province of Milan, produces yarns and tubulars with extensive know-how in the field.
Discovering polypropylene fiber
Always devoted to innovation, Stellini Textile wants to introduce into the sphere of everyday clothing a material that is already very popular in sportswear and nautical clothing. Owner Paolo Stellini explains its characteristics and virtues.
Polypropylene, a material well known in the furniture industry due to its moisture-resistant properties, has recently made its way into the sportswear, nautical and cycling sectors where it is very popular. Taking advantage of the many qualities of this material, Paolo Stellini has also begun to use it for everyday clothing.
≪A polypropylene sweater weighs a third as much as wool and has greater insulation from cold and moisture, does not felt and is much warmer. It has significant pluses, which, however, have not been taken into account until now. We have made polypropylene yarns that can be used indifferently for upholstery and apparel fabrics≫ says Paolo Stellini, owner of Stellini Textile, a leading textile innovation company since 1947, now also focused on the upholstery sector, in which it seeks to break down the cultural barrier erected against this material, which is all too often associated with plastic. Attention to product quality and comfort is a key aspect of the company’s approach.
What characteristics do your polypropylene yarns have?
≪We produce polypropylene multifilament yarns in various sections: medium or high tenacity plain, intermingled, Bcf, twisted and air-textured (Taslan); fancy yarns and cordonnets. Also included are outdoor furniture components such as knitted tubulars and accessories. All spinning products are available with light-stabilizing additive and flame retardant for superior weather resistance and safety. For us, customization is at the core of our offer: production and adaptable to any requirement to create unique tailor-made solutions, following the customer’s style with colors developed upon request. In the company a team of experts is ready to provide all the necessary information to create unique solutions≫.
What advantages do polypropylene yarns offer over other materials?
≪Polypropylene yarns are produced by extrusion already dyed with very low emissions to the environment and without the use of water. The garment is very comfortable, strong and durable because of the unique characteristics of this fiber, which has the lowest specific gravity of all (0.91 gr/cm3), even lower than the specific gravity of water (1gr/cm3) so it floats, which is not unimportant for sportswear.
It also has the lowest moisture-absorption value of all fibers, the fabric comes out of the washing machine’s spin cycle already very drained of water, so it dries faster, plus it requires no ironing. It has a draining effect, as it does not absorb moisture, it is pushed outward where it can evaporate or be absorbed by other fibers. In the case of fabric in contact with the skin there is superior comfort as the feeling is warm and dry, body moisture is pushed to the outside of the fabric where in contact with the air it evaporates.
It possesses the lowest thermal conductivity of all fibers both synthetic and natural, this characteristic minimizes the dispersion of body heat ensuring optimal temperature thermoregulation. In addition, in the case of hollow fiber, due to the air contained within each individual filament, the insulating properties are further increased. The fiber is anti-allergenic, completely inert and does not cause irritation. For example, all baby diapers are made of polypropylene demonstrating absolute biocompatibility with the most delicate skin.
Polypropylene is also used to make suture threads and nets used in surgery to reconstruct and reinforce parts of human body organs. It is naturally bacteriostatic and therefore does not release unpleasant odors in the presence of perspiration. Through additives it is possible to activate anti-bacterial or anti-viral functions. It is extremely soft to the touch and in contact with the skin due to its low coefficient of friction≫.
As for its resistance to the passage of time, how does it perform?
≪It has excellent resistance to abrasion and wear, and the colors have high fastness, as the dyeing takes place before the extrusion and spinning process. The fabric therefore retains its appearance even after many washes. And it is easy to clean and maintain because dirt does not adhere to the fiber and can therefore be removed with little detergent, low temperature and reduced water waste. The fiber does not absorb oil or water and is resistant to chlorine and acids. For these reasons, polypropylene fabrics are considered simplified maintenance≫.
CUSTOMIZATION:
“The production is adaptable to any requirement to create unique tailor-made solutions following the customer’s style with colors developed on demand.”
In what other areas is it suitable?
≪The yarn is naturally stain-resistant, great for baby products. And guaranteed for food use (except the flame retardant version), most of our dyes are non-toxic, bozzima oil and for food use. And 100 percent infinitely recyclable. In fact, it can be recovered to make other plastic products for various industrial uses≫.
You are a company that is particularly focused on sustainability. What path do you follow?
≪In view of the new European directives, we are gradually optimizing our production process: some of the electricity used to produce our yarns is generated by a new solar panel plant. In addition, the “bulk” dyeing process is much less polluting than traditional yarn dyeing systems and uses absolutely no water, consequently having a production with less impact on the ecosystem than other yarns. The state-of-the-art machinery used to produce the yarn is designed and built by 4M Plants with the aim of promoting productivity and the best use of energy≫ resources.
INNOVATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
Collaboration with passionate professionals who are always looking for new opportunities and techniques is a distinguishing feature of the company and enables it to constantly improve its offerings. The highly qualified staff works with great attention to detail. This approach makes it possible to produce high-quality products that make a difference for customers. Stellini’s production is ISO 9001 and ISO 50001 certified. A wide selection of products is Oekotex Standard 100 Class 1 certified. Stellini Textile is headquartered in Magnago (Mi).
Interview taken from the magazine “Top of the Range, Valore Italia.” – Special Pitti Filati
June 2024, Golfarelli Editore
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