Cosetex, an Italian company known for working with silk staple fiber, has developed a new silk microfiber called Micron Silk in partnership with the Politecnico di Milano.

By studying the molecular structure of silk and drawing on its long experience with production techniques, Cosetex has identified specific ultrafine silk fibers that can maintain stable fineness. The result is a fiber that is thinner, lighter and has a softer, more cohesive structure.

Silvio Mandelli, owner of Cosetex, said the new natural silk microfiber offers a balance of science and comfort, bringing together the qualities of traditional silk with the accuracy of technical materials. Micron Silk comes in various types, such as ultra-fine Mulberry silk with fiber measurements between 8 and 11 microns, and ultra-fine wild tussah silk fibers ranging from 6 to 12 microns, among others.

He added that laboratory tests by the Politecnico di Milano’s Department of Information, Electronics and Bioengineering showed that the filaments of their ultrafine silk fibers perform similarly to high-tech microfibers, without the major drawbacks of synthetic microfibers.

The project has produced a high-performance, ultra-fine natural silk microfiber suitable for smart textiles and sustainable comfort materials, including padding applications.