ALGAE YARN IS NOT A NATURAL FIBER

-AN OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FIBERS, BECAUSE EVEN GOOGLE GETS IT WRONG-

Another thing I discovered during this research, to my surprise, was that algae yarn is not a natural fiber but an artificial one.

-also that brown seaweed is not a plant

One might think that, when working with seaweed as a base, we are working with it in a more or less direct way, like with flax or sisal. However, to create algae yarn we don’t use the organism itself, but rather a derivative extracted from brown seaweed, which is dried and transformed into a powder called sodium alginate. What we do is buy sodium alginate, mix it with water and glycerin, and then “solidify” it through a calcium chloride bath. What happens when it comes into contact with calcium chloride is that the alginate chains -our polymer- form bonds with each other, creating a network that solidifies and becomes a thread.

This manufacturing process is what defines this alginate yarn as an artificial fiber rather than a natural one. And when I say artificial, I don’t mean synthetic. I’m going to dedicate a little part of this blog to explaining the difference between the two, so that when we read content online about algae yarn and other biomaterials, we can have a more accurate understanding of what is what -because we all know it sounds cooler and more appealing to say it’s natural and imagine ourselves swimming in a sea of seaweed. Although fantasy spoiler alert: sargassum is one of them, good luck with all that cute smell. 

We all talk about natural fibers such as cotton, wool, and linen, and synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon, but not so much about artificial fibers -or semi-synthetic- like viscose rayon or modal. Artificial fibers were, in fact, the first major innovation in the chemical transformation of natural materials for textile use.

Here´s an interesting linguistic discovery: in spanish we call them ´artificial´fibers,

in english -and perhaps the reason why google mixes them up- they call them ´synthetic´ 

or ´semi-synthetic´ , when finally more accurate.

These three types of fibers differ from each other in their composition, their properties, their relationship with our bodies, and their environmental impact.

NATURAL FIBERS

Natural fibers are obtained from materials taken directly from nature and processed for industrial or commercial use, without altering their chemical structure

TYPES OF NATURAL FIBERS - By source:

1. Plant-based, some we all know: 

• Cotton: The most widely used fiber in the world. It is obtained from the fruit of the cotton plant. Highly absorbent, soft, breathable, and my favorite fiber -my skin just loves it. Decomposition time: approx. 1-5 months *

  
  

• Flax: One of the oldest and most durable fibers. It is obtained from the stem of the flax plant. Decomposition time: 2-6 months *

  
  

• Hemp: An incredibly strong and naturally antibacterial fiber. It is extracted from the stem of the hemp plant and it's eco-friendly for some reason**. Decomposition time: 6 months to 1 year * 

  
  

  **the reason: it is a fast-growing, carbon-negative crop that requires roughly

  50% less water and significantly less land than cotton. It grows

  naturally without harmful pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and its deep

  roots enrich the soil. Additionally, it is entirely biodegradable and highly durable.

• Jute: A coarse, strong fiber obtained from the stem of the jute plant. Decomposition time: 2-6 months *

• Bamboo: Obtained from the woody stem of the bamboo plant. It is highly breathable, moisture-wicking, and temperature-regulating. Decomposition time: 1-3 years *

2. Animal-based (Protein), some we all know:

• Wool: Obtained mainly from sheep, it is highly valued for its excellent thermal insulation. Decomposition time: 1-5 years *

  
  

• Silk: A continuously spun filament produced by the silkworm, and the strongest natural fiber. Decomposition time: 1-5 years *

  
  

• Alpaca: A high-quality fiber from these South American camelids. It's hypoallergenic and water-repellent. Decomposition time: 1-3 years *

• Cashmere: Sourced from Kashmir goats, it is highly sought after for its extreme softness and lightweight insulation. Decomposition time: 1-5 years *

*These time frames apply to 100% pure fibers. The decomposition process slows down

considerably or is completely inhibited if: The fabric is blended with synthetic fibers

(such as polyester, nylon, or spandex). Or if it has finishes such as resins, coatings,

wrinkle-resistant treatments, etc.

ARTIFICIAL FIBERS (semi-synthetic or regenerated fibers)

Artificial fibers are created from natural raw materials, but chemically treated. More specifically, they are textile filaments derived from naturally occurring polymers, such as cellulose from wood or plant and animal proteins, which are chemically transformed to regenerate into uniform fibers. This process allows control of properties such as strength, absorbency, softness, and drape, while retaining some of the qualities inherent to their raw materials.

They are biodegradable, meaning they break down without harming the environment. HOWEVER: Just because a fiber is biodegradable does not necessarily mean it is sustainable; the production of some artificial fibers can involve significant water use and large amounts of toxic chemicals.

Short and sweet manufacturing process:

The raw material (such as cellulose) is treated with chemicals that dissolve it and turn it into a viscous solution. This mixture is extruded into a chemical bath where it regenerates and solidifies into filaments. (If this is confusing or you’re more of a visual person, check out this 15-second video)

TYPES OF ARTIFICIAL FIBERS - By source of the raw material:

1. Cellulose fibers / Rayon (the most common): Produced by processing cellulose.

• Viscose (or viscose rayon): The first human-made fiber, created by treating beechwood pulp to mimic silk. It is highly breathable and soft but loses strength when wet -also, my favorite type of artificial fiber. Decomposition time: 2 weeks in compost*

  
  

• Modal: Made from beechwood pulp. Very resistant to shrinkage and pilling, it is a more durable and elastic variety of rayon. Decomposition time: 1-3 months*

  
  

• Lyocell (e.g., Tencel): One of the most advanced and environmentally friendly options. It is made from wood pulp from fast-growing, sustainably managed trees, such as eucalyptus, birch, and oak. It is produced in a closed-loop system that recovers nearly all of the chemicals and water used. Decomposition time: 1-3 months*

• Acetate: Made from wood pulp. It has a lustrous sheen and is mostly used for luxurious, slippery clothing linings. Decomposition time: 1-10 years*

• Cupro: Made by treating cotton cellulose with copper and ammonia. It mimics the luxurious, lightweight drape of silk and is highly breathable. Decomposition time: 6 months-1 year*

  
  

2. Protein Fibers: These are made from animal or plant-based proteins (such as corn, soy, or milk) in an attempt to replicate the properties of wool or silk. I’ll move quickly through this one because they’re less common these days (though the idea of a fiber made from milk blows my mind).

3. Alginate Fibers - The one I care about here: They are created from alginates extracted from seaweed. Yes, this category includes the type of yarn I’m developing :) It’s not a natural fiber as one might think at first glance, but rather an artificial fiber; because we take the natural derived raw material, chemically modify it, and turn it into yarn. A woman-made fiber. Decomposition time: approx. 6 months under ideal conditions*

ARTIFICIAL VS. SYNTHETIC: Let's break this down in a nutshell

• Artificial / Semi-synthetic: Regenerated fibers produced artificially from natural polymers. They take from 2 weeks to 10 years to decompose.

  
  

• Synthetic: Produced artificially from synthetic polymers, generally derived from petroleum. They take 200 years to decompose.

  
  

  The most common synthetic fibers:

  
  

• Polyester: We all know this friend-enemy. Let me know if you want more info cause information is power.

  
  

• Polyamide: Nylon is the best-known type

  
  

• Acrylic: Designed to mimic the soft, warm texture of wool. -Attention crocheters and knitters, let me pause here for a second. It’s very common to find acrylic in the yarn we buy for crocheting/knitting/..: it won’t let your skin breathe properly. It’ll trap your body heat like plastic or polyester. Ok for mild winters, but it's a temperature incubator for the summer. Not to mention using it to hold hot objects: unlike real wool, it melts almost instantly.

  
  

• Spandex (elastane): Lycra by DuPont

  
  

  
  

That's a brief overview of the different types of fibers, a topic I’m incredibly passionate about. Since the type of fiber I'm developing in this project is an artificial fiber, I thought it was important to explain how it differs from the others, especially from synthetic fibers, because even Google tends to throw them both into the same category.

Let me know if you want more info on, for example, how to identify the composition of a textile fiber -doing what we call the combustion test -yes, by burning it. Because, unfortunately, it’s not always what the label says it is. Maybe this has happened to you: you bought a t-shirt that was supposed to be 100% cotton, only to put it on and find yourself sweating a lot. And smelling, too. It wasn't cotton. Did it develop those little hard pills after the first wash? It wasn't cotton.

Let me know if you’d like more info about the properties of each fiber and their comparisons (for example, viscose absorbs more moisture than cotton; it’s more breathable but less durable). Who knows, maybe this info will come in handy when you’re shopping for clothes, choosing what to wear based on your context (weather, daily activities, sensory needs or desires), or simply to learn about fibers and how they interact with our skin and bodies. We often talk about their environmental impact, but much less about the ways they shape our physical -and even mental- experience: sensations we live with every day but, due to a lack of knowledge, often fail to recognize. And what we cannot recognize, we cannot choose.

a special thanks a special thanks to Emily Rockarts, whose curiosity inspired me to write this post