At first glance, it looks like real silk, with a delicate pearlescent luster on the surface, but it is easier to care for than real silk and makes it refreshing and comfortable to wear. “When you hear such a recommendation, you will definitely guess that this fabric is suitable for summer – triacetate fabric.
This summer, triacetate fabric has won the favor of many fashionistas with its silk-like luster, cool feel, and excellent drape. Open Xiaohongshu and search for “triacetic acid” and you can find more than 10,000 notes to share. What’s even more endearing is that this fabric doesn’t need to be taken care of to keep it flat, and even a piece worth a hundred yuan can look like a piece worth a thousand yuan.
In recent years, triacetate fabrics have often appeared in the haute couture shows of Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, and Acne Studios. They are one of the must-have fabrics for spring and summer used by many big brands, and they are also the focus of pursuit by major luxury brands. What exactly is triacetate fabric? Can it really compete with silk? Is diacetate fabric inferior to triacetate? In this issue, we have sorted out some knowledge about triacetate fabrics for everyone to better distinguish and choose.
01 What is triacetate fiber?
Triacetate fiber is a type of cellulose acetate (CA). It is a chemical fiber made from cellulose as raw material and converted into cellulose acetate ester through chemical synthesis. Simply put, it is a regenerated fiber based on natural wood pulp. It is a new type of fiber developed by Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan that combines nature and high technology.
02 What are the advantages of triacetate fiber?
Triacetate fiber is sought after mainly because of its performance comparable to that of mulberry silk, and is called “washable vegetable silk”. Triacetate fiber has a gloss similar to mulberry silk, drapes smoothly, is very soft and has a cool touch when in contact with the skin. Compared with polyester fiber, it has good water absorption, strong quick-drying properties and is not prone to static electricity. More importantly, it overcomes the shortcomings of silk-wool fabrics that are difficult to care for and wash. It is not easy to deform when washed, is not easy to wrinkle, and is easy to care for.
In terms of sustainable development, triacetate fabrics use high-purity wood pulp as raw materials, and the raw materials come from sustainable ecological forests under good management. They are sustainable materials and eco-friendly.
03 How to distinguish between diacetic acid and triacetic acid?
Many businesses like to compare triacetate fabrics with diacetate fabrics to highlight the advantages of triacetate. In fact, diacetic acid and triacetic acid are very similar. They have the same smooth feel and drape like silk, and are as washable and easy to wear as polyester. However, the fiber of diacetic acid is slightly thicker, and the texture and style changes are not as rich as triacetic acid, but It is more cost-effective and more wear-resistant.
The easiest way to tell the difference between diacetic acid and triacetic acid is to look at the product label. Since the cost of the two fabrics is quite different, if the product ingredient is triacetic acid, the brand owner will definitely mark it out. When triacetate fiber is not specifically mentioned, acetate fiber generally refers to diacetate fiber.
Judging from the feel, the diacetate fabric feels dry and slightly adsorbed; the triacetate fabric feels smoother, has strong drape, and is closer to silk.
From a professional perspective, both diacetate fiber and triacetate fiber belong to acetate fiber (also known as acetate fiber), which is one of the earliest developed chemical fibers in the world. Cellulose acetate is made from cellulose pulp, which is acetylated to form cellulose esterified derivatives and then dried or wet-spun. According to the degree of substitution of hydroxyl groups by acetyl groups in cellulose, it can be divided into diacetate fiber and triacetate fiber.
Diacetate is formed after partial hydrolysis of type 1 acetate, and its degree of esterification is lower than that of triacetate. Therefore, the heating performance is not as good as that of trivinegar, the dyeing performance is better than that of trivinegar, and the moisture absorption rate is higher than that of trivinegar.
Triacetate is a type of acetate that does not undergo hydrolysis and has a high degree of esterification. Therefore, it has strong light and heat resistance, poor dyeing performance, and low moisture absorption rate (also called moisture regain).
04 Which is better, triacetic acid or mulberry silk?
The two fibers can be said to have their own merits. Triacetate fiber is similar to mulberry silk in appearance, feel and drape.
From a professional point of view, in terms of mechanical properties, the strength of triacetate fiber is low, the elongation at break is large, the ratio of wet strength to dry strength is low, but higher than that of viscose yarn, the initial modulus is small, and the moisture regain is Mulberry silk is low, but higher than synthetic fibers. Its wet strength to dry strength ratio, relative hook strength and knotting strength, elastic recovery rate, etc. are not much different from mulberry silk. Therefore, the performance of acetate fiber is closest to that of mulberry silk among chemical fibers.
Compared with mulberry silk, triacetate fabric is not so delicate. Clothes made from it are not easy to wrinkle, can maintain the shape well, and are easier to maintain and take care of on a daily basis.
Mulberry silk, known as the “Queen of Fibers”, is skin-friendly, breathable, smooth and soft, and noble and elegant. However, its shortcomings are also obvious. It is troublesome to care and maintain. Color fastness is also the weakness of natural fabrics.
After understanding these advantages and disadvantages, you can choose the fabric that suits you according to your needs.
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