Wearing milk rather than drinking it

Introduction

We all have heard from our mothers about the advantages of consuming milk. But we never bothered to have it just because many of us don't like it. Anyhow, technology has benefited us in the way by providing us the alternative to extract milk's advantages without actually drinking it. We can wear milk in the form of milk fabrics and the idea itself may make us feel better. Milk protein fabric is made out of skimmed milk. This fabric contains around 15 types of amino acid extracts that help in the nourishment of the skin. Milk protein fabric is an ideal blend of nature and technology that has benefits of natural as well as synthetic fibres. It has a glossy appearance as of mulberry silk.

It can either be naturally spun alone or blended with cashmere, silk, spun silk, cotton, wool, ramie and other fibres to make fabrics. The fabric helps in keeping away allergies and wrinkles. It is bloated and fragile in nature with restrained moulds, which makes it soft and subtle. It helps absorb moisture being hygroscopic and has vertical fibres with regular conduits providing ample space for the moisture to pass from fibre to fibre. It is an environment-friendly product. The International Ecological Textile Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Authentication approved it in April 2004.

Chemical process

During World War I, when the Germans were looking out for some newer sources of fabric, it was then that they discovered milk's potential for cloth. They observed that when milk dries out it makes a hard film. There was a possibility of deriving fibres out of that. After skimming, the milk is curdled, the proteins alienated and intensified into a glutinous solution. That solution is forced through a duct and is then toughened into hard fibres that can be spun around a reel. A hundred pounds of skimmed milk is required to make three pounds of milk fibre. This is the reason for its low popularity.

The elements of the fibre include casein proteins, which are extracted from the milk itself. It is feigned by spiraling protein solution through a bio-engineering procedure. This liquid is apt for soggy spinning procedure in the course of which the ultimate imminent textile is prepared. While spinning, a solution is used by producers and micro-zinc ion is implanted into the fibre to make it bacteriostatic and strong.

Advantages & Disadvantages

The fibre's advantages include high smoothness, sheen, delicate feel, hygiene, flexibility, moisture absorption, permeability, resistance to heat, colour fast and easily dyeable. It can be blended with cotton, silk and wool and is a renewable, biodegradable and eco-friendly fabric.

Some of its disadvantages are getting wrinkles easily after washing, no scope for machine washing as it is not a very hard fibre and low durability.

Due to abundance of other fabrics like polyester, milk fabric never really became popular.

Milk fibre blended with other fibres

Milk fibres are blended with many other fibres. When combined, the ensuing fabric adopts some new characteristics of other fibres but a quality that is preserved in all the blends is of being a fit and eco-friendly fibre.

Blends with silk and bamboo: It is a cool fibre, free of moisture, a sweat exhibitor, comfortable and aerated, which has the chattel of coolness. It is soft and silky with an attractive sheen. The dazzling grace is reflected in the person wearing this fabric.

Blends with wool and cashmere: It is a heat protective fibre. Milk fibre has a type of three-dimensional arrangement. With permeability and humidity resistant properties, the milk fibre when combined with wool and tepid cashmere, turns out to be extremely warm material and is comfortable and healthy.

Blends with cotton and cashmere: It is suitable for comfortable undergarments. The milk protein contains ample amino acids and moisture protecting genes. It is competent enough to resist microorganisms. The natural fibres of cotton and cashmere also contain similar characters and combined with milk fibre, these traits churn together to make a healthy and comfortable undergarment.

Blends with cotton and silk: It is used for making home textiles. Milk fibre, when mixed with cotton or silk, turns comfortable, robust and graceful, making it perfect for home furnishings.

Milk fibres have many commercial uses as these are appropriate for apparel, bedding, sweaters, underclothing, uniform and T-shirts. These are skin-friendly and are in demand at high-end boutiques and spas. But as the price of the products made from these fibres is too high, most people prefer drinking milk.

References:

http://fabmanindia.com/milk-fabric.html

http://www.teonline.com/articles/2008/11/wear-milk-if-you-cant-drink-it.html