Another new fibre, this time from milk
11/02/2009
Italian yarn manufacturer Maclodio has resurrected a 75-year-old idea to extend its product range. Milkofil is a 'new' fibre, but is based on an idea that Italian chemist Antonio Ferretti first came up with in 1934.
As the name suggests, it is a yarn derived from milk, and its gentleness and compatibility with the human skin make it particularly suited to base-layer garments for sports and outdoor activity, as well as for baby clothes, bedding and everyday underwear, according to Maclodio.
Daniele Beringheli, a senior consultant at the company, told sportstextiles.com that Maclodio had begun making Milkofil six or seven months ago. He said that Antonio Ferretti's idea had come at a time when Italy wanted to use only Italian fibres (a stipulation of the regime at the time) and that, by 1939, two million kilos of it were produced. However, restrictions on fibre imports disappeared after World War II, and the fibre made from casein, the main protein in milk, was forgotten.
Maclodio has said that Milkofil benefits from milk amino acids, which are naturally present in it; these can offer wearers simple and constant skin treatment. "It creates light weaves with a lovely silky look that allows the skin to breath and humidity to be absorbed," it adds.
Mr Beringheli said he thought it would take some time for the market to become "passionate" about Milkofil, but that there had been plenty of early interest.
Maclodio is already incorporating the new product into a range of blends, including a 70-30 mix with cotton, a 35-35-30 mix with cotton and linen, a 35-55-10 blend with viscose and silk, and a 35-55-10 blend with cotton and cashmere.
Mr Beringheli said he tought cotton-Milkofil mixes were particularly good for sports applications such as polo shirts.
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