Chitosan: The Ingredient of Comfort
So what exactly is the ultra comfortable Everyday T-Shirt from TBô made up of? Mostly bamboo (66%), a bit of spandex (6%), some modal (19%) and a pinch of Chitosan (9%) which is going to be demystified in this article.
What exactly is Chitosan?
If one has to sound geeky, it is a product of natural polysaccharide chitin to remove part of the acetyl group. To super simplify it, it is a naturally occurring polysaccharide, basically a sugar that is found in the hard outer skeleton of shellfish, crab, lobster or shrimp. It is super functional, known for its biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, antibacterial, anti-cancer, lipid-lowering and immunological enhancement. But how does it matter in your T-Shirt? Let’s explore the details.
Can Chitosan be used for clothing?
Chitosan was originally used for medical purposes, TBô co-operated with the fabric mill which was started to make chitosan fibers and the non-woven fabrics for wound dressings. Chitosan as a wound dressing material is more antimicrobial than a lot of other available materials and this helped for faster healing. The Chitosan used in Everyday T-Shirt makes it mildew resistant and anti-microbial. This keeps the T-shirt well preserved even when you don’t use it “everyday”! This combined with the breathable bamboo material is a delight for the body. Chitosan is an environmentally friendly agent that is used to achieve the antimicrobial properties of textiles. Here are some of the features of the Everyday Bamboo T-Shirt that uses Chitosan which makes it feel softer, lighter and also antibacterial:
- Super light, feels like a feather
- Moisture absorbent + breathable
- Keeps the germs away as Bamboo is naturally bacteria resistant and Chitosan adds to the antimicrobial properties of the fabric
- Soft and comfortable making it ideal for everyday and activewear
What can Chitosan be used for?
Chitosan can be used for multiple purposes: It is used widely for it’s medicinal properties. This includes but is not limited to the treatment of high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, wound healing and the research to support it’s functionality for these purposes is on-going. It is also used as a filler in tablets to improve the dissolution of drugs and to mask bitter tastes. It also helps the food last longer.
It is also used in clarification of fermented alcoholic beverages like beer and wine. It is known to rapidly clear the haze and cloudiness from these drinks. Apart from this, it is also an approved pesticide that is used in crop production as a plant-growth enhancer and a plant defense booster. There are various other uses for which the research is ongoing.
Where does Chitosan come from?
Chitosan comes from “Chitin”, a natural origin compound obtained from the shells of crabs and shellfish. They may have been obtained for food or as a part of the production waste. The shells of snow crabs from Alaska and Canada are used in TBô’s products. The Chitosan material is obtained by recovering the shells of the crabs and processing them through wet spinning which dissolves the raw materials into a solution. Then it is solidified to be converted into fibres through equipment and this is how 100% Chitosan fiber is produced. Here’s a quick graphical representation of how Chitosan fabric is spun.
Do you need a license or certifications to produce Chitosan?
Oh yes, TBô meets the global standards of doing this and here are the details of the certification, here it is: ISO9001, ISO13485, ISO14001, Oeko-Tex standard 100, Global Recycled Standard.
Did this clear some of the questions you may have had about Chitosan? Leave any questions you may have in the comments section below.
