As children, we all heard about milk’s benefits from our mothers. But many of us don’t like it, and we didn’t bother to have it. The technology has nevertheless benefited us in a way by giving us the option of extracting milk’s benefits without actually drinking it. It is possible to wear milk in the form of fabric to feel better, and the idea itself may be comforting. Milk proteins are made from skimmed milk. There are about 15 different kinds of amino acids in this fabric, which help nourish the skin. Natural as well as synthetic fibers are incorporated into milk protein fabric to get the benefits of both. Milk protein fabric has the same glossy appearance as mulberry silk.
Fabrics may be made from either naturally spun wool alone or by blending it with cashmere, silk, spun silk, cotton, wool, ramie, and other fibers. Such fabrics are anti-allergy and anti-wrinkle. With restrained molds, its soft, subtle nature is distorted and bloated. Hydrophobic, it has vertical fibers with regular conduits that facilitate the passage of moisture from fiber to fiber. The material is green. In April 2004, it received Oeko-Tex Authentication as International Ecological Textile Standard 100.
The chemical process is something to acknowledge about. Germans discovered milk’s potential for cloth during World War I, when they were searching for some new sources of fabric. The milk forms a hard film when it dries out. The hard film could be turned into fibers. A glutinous solution is formed after skimming, after which the milk is curdled and the proteins are alienated. Through a duct, that solution is forced into tough fibers that can be spun on a reel. To make three pounds of milk fiber from 100 pounds of skimmed milk, 100 pounds of skimmed milk must be used. This accounts for the low popularity of skimmed milk.
Proteins found in casein, which come from milk, are a component of fibers. Through bioengineering, the protein solution is spiraled to resemble a disease. To produce the ultimate imminent textile, this liquid is ideal for a soggy spinning process. To make their fibers bacteriostatic and strong, producers inject a micro-zinc ion into the fibers while spinning.
There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to using milk fabrics. A few of the fiber’s characteristics include its smoothness, sheen, delicate feel, hygiene, flexibility, moisture absorption, permeability, heat resistance, and colorfastness. It is renewable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly, and can be blended with cotton, silk, and wool. The only disadvantages of this type of textile are that it gets wrinkled easily after washing, that it cannot be machine washed as it is not a very hard fiber, and that its durability is low. It was never really popular because there were so many other fabrics available, such as polyester.
Milk fabrics can be mixed with many other fibers. It is often blended with other fibers as well as milk fibers. Upon blending other fibers, the fabric acquires some new characteristics, but a characteristic that remains is its fit and eco-friendliness. Combining silk and bamboo, the fiber is cool, moisture-free, sweat absorbing, breathable, and has the appearance of coolness. Silky and smooth with an attractive sheen. Wearers of this fabric radiate grace and radiance. It is heat-protective, blending with wool and cashmere. The three-dimensional arrangement of the fiber makes it a heat-retaining fiber. As a relatively breathable and moisture-resistant material, the milk fiber can be combined with wool and tepid cashmere to create a very warm and comfortable garment.
It can be used for undergarments made of cotton and cashmere that are comfortable. The amino acids in dairy proteins help keep skin moist. Skin can resist microorganisms thanks to the amino acids they contain. As with cotton and cashmere, these natural fibers include similar characteristics, and when combined with the qualities of milk fiber, they produce a healthy and comfortable undergarment. It is usually blended with cotton or silk for home textiles.
Various uses of milk fibers can be found in clothing, bedding, sweaters, underclothing, uniforms, and T-shirts. Milk fibers are skin-friendly and in demand at high-end boutiques and spas, but their costs are prohibitive for most people.
Image Courtesy:
- https://milkgenomics.org/article/back-to-the-future-milk-fibers-in-the-21st-century/
- https://www.jerseyfashion.nl/QMilk-cotton-jersey-fabric-black-Toptex
- https://www.milkshirts.com/
- https://www.bruli.com/2018/06/17/top-5-dress-shirt-fabrics-every-man-should-know/
Written By Rafiad Ruhi
