In the competitive textile and fashion industry, metallic yarn—often referred to globally as Lurex or lurex yarn—adds unmatched brilliance, contrast, and premium value to fabrics. However, for textile engineers and procurement managers, selecting the wrong specification leads to costly downtime: yarn breakage on high-speed looms, scratchy skin-feel in knitwear, or color bleeding after piece-dyeing.

Whether you are designing luxury jacquard fabrics, high-gauge knitwear, or activewear, this guide breaks down the essential technical criteria for selecting metallic yarn, helping you balance aesthetic appeal, structural integrity, and cost-efficiency.

1. Selecting by Structure: M, MX, MH, and ST-Type Metallic Yarns

The mechanical performance of metallic yarn depends heavily on how the slit metallic film is supported by or core-twisted with base filaments.

• M-Type (Unsupported Slit Film): Pure, flat metallic film slit into ultra-fine ribbons (e.g., 1/69″, 1/100″, 12µm).
  • Best For: Direct weft insertion in weaving, embroidery, or as raw material for custom twisting.
  • Technical Consideration: Low tensile strength; requires controlled tension during processing.
• MX-Type (Double-Covered Metallic Yarn): An M-type film supported by two ends of nylon or polyester yarn (wrapped in opposite directions).
  • Best For: High-speed rapier and air-jet looms, heavy jacquard, and warp knitting.
  • Technical Consideration: Delivers maximum tensile strength and dimensional stability to withstand high loom tension without snapping.
• MH-Type (Single-Covered / Twisted Metallic Yarn): An M-type film twisted with a single end of polyester, nylon, or rayon filament.
  • Best For: Flat knitting, circular knitting, seamless bodywear, and hosiery.
  • Technical Consideration: Exceptional flexibility and soft hand-feel; integrates seamlessly with cotton, wool, or synthetic base yarns.

2. Application-Driven Selection: Knitting vs. Weaving

Different textile machinery requires specific yarn characteristics to maintain peak operational efficiency:

Technical Metric	Knitting (Circular & Flat Bed)	Weaving (Rapier & Air-Jet)
Recommended Type	MH-Type, ST-Type, Fine MX-Type	MX-Type, M-Type
Primary Property Needed	Softness, elongation, flexibility	Tensile strength, friction resistance
Skin Contact Concern	High (Requires soft polyester/nylon cores)	Low-Medium (Protected by weave structure)
Tongyang Solution	Ultra-soft MH series for zero-scratch garments	High-tenacity MX series for 800+ RPM looms

3. Calculating Yarn Yield and Production Cost

Accurate yield calculations ($Meters/Kg$) are critical for cost estimating and inventory management. The schematic below shows how film thickness, width, and core denier dictate total yarn yield:

4. Environmental Resistance & Dyeing Compatibility

If your fabric undergoes post-weaving processing or garment dyeing:

• High-Temperature Dyeing: Specify Polyester-core MX/MH yarns engineered to withstand disperse dyeing conditions up to 130 °C without loss of metallic luster.
• Chemical Resistance: For swimwear, outdoor gear, or activewear, verify that the metallic film features a protective resin coating resistant to chlorine, salt water, and acidic perspiration.

Elevate Your Fabrics with TONGYANG YARN

As a leading manufacturer of specialized metallic yarns, TONGYANG YARN delivers precision-engineered M-Type, MX-Type, MH-Type, and custom fancy metallic yarns to global mills and garment brands.

Why Global Mills Partner with TONGYANG:

• Consistent Quality: Superior color fastness and uniform tension for zero-defect production on high-speed looms.
• Customization: Tailored film thicknesses , custom color matching, and eco-friendly Oeko-Tex compliant coatings.
• Global Supply Chain: Rapid sampling, bulk volume capacity, and dedicated technical support for overseas buyers.

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