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Soy
First heralded as a high performance material by car creator Henry Ford in the 1930s, soy has only been
used to create clothing commercially for the past 10 years.
Soy is an especially eco-friendly material as it is not only an easily grown crop, but the soy fibre is actually
created from re-using waste from the creation of other soy products.
The process.
Recycled
Waste from the creation
of other soy products,
including tofu, soy milk
and soy oil is collected,
ready for processing.
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Extract
This soy waste is then processed, extracting the soy protein that is to then be used to create soy fibre. Although this is a chemical-heavy process all chemicals are recyclable, so it is a closed-end practice and remains eco-friendly. The leftover soy product from the protein extraction can also be recycled and used as fertilizer.
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Spin
The soy proteins that have been extracted are then put through a process called ‘wet-spinning’ where they are liquefied and forced through a shower-head-like spinneret to create liquid soy. The liquid soy then solidifies, creating the soybean fibre.
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Create
The fibre that results from the soy process is then dyed, woven and spun, often combined with cotton, to create silky, smooth soy fabric. The resulting fabric is often compared to silk, because of its lustrous finish and next-to-skin softness.
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Soy
Because soy garments are silky, soft and have natural anti-bacterial properties they are great as next-to-skin
garments. Gondwana’s range of soy products include lightweight tees and soft base layers.
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