🏝️ Ultra-Fine Microfibre · Silk-Like · Premium
Sea Island Series
Bicomponent island-in-sea microfibre yarn for premium fabric with a silk-like surface and ultra-soft hand feel. Black/White FDY, DTY and customisable PCP Sea Island. FOB Xiamen.
Ultra-Fine Microfibre
Premium Grade
50D – 115D
FOB Xiamen
What Is It?
Island-in-Sea. Ultra-Fine.
Sea island yarn (also known as island-in-sea or IIS yarn) is a bicomponent fiber technology where dozens of ultra-fine polymer "islands" are embedded within a dissolvable "sea" polymer during spinning. After weaving or knitting, the sea component is dissolved — leaving behind extremely fine microfilaments that are impossible to produce by conventional spinning alone.
The result is fabric with a suede-like or velvet surface, exceptional softness comparable to natural silk, and excellent drape. Sea island fabric has a distinctive premium appearance and hand feel that standard microfibre cannot replicate.
Cross-Section: Island-in-Sea Structure
Dark islands = ultra-fine polyester filaments (0.05–0.1 dpf after splitting)
Blue sea = alkali-soluble polymer — dissolved during fabric finishing
After dissolution: dozens of ultra-fine filaments per original fibre
Key Properties
Why Sea Island Fabric Stands Apart
Ultra-Soft Hand Feel
Microfilaments 0.05–0.1 dpf produce a softness and drape that rivals natural silk and suede — unachievable with standard polyester.
Silk-Like Lustre
Ultra-fine filaments create a natural, subdued sheen — not the synthetic shine of regular bright polyester. More similar to silk or high-end modal.
Excellent Dye Absorption
High surface area of ultra-fine filaments means deep, rich colour saturation — more vibrant colours with lower dye quantities than standard polyester.
Superior Moisture Management
Dense microfibre structure provides excellent capillary wicking — moisture moves away from skin rapidly for superior comfort in activewear.
Product Range
Sea Island Product Types
Sea Island FDY — Black & White
50 DEN · 65 DEN · 75 DEN
Fully drawn sea island yarn for woven fabric production. Higher tenacity and uniform tension suitable for warp application. Available in raw white and dope dyed black. Produces smooth, woven microfibre fabric with silk-like drape.
50 DEN
65 DEN
75 DEN
Raw White
Dope Dyed Black
Woven Grade
Sea Island DTY — Black
95 DEN – 115 DEN
Draw textured sea island yarn in black. The textured structure produces a softer, more voluminous fabric — ideal for velvet-type, knit microfibre cloth and brushed fabric. Dope dyed black for consistent, wash-fast colour.
95 DEN
105 DEN
115 DEN
Dope Dyed Black
DTY Textured
Sea Island DTY — White
50 DEN · 115 DEN
Draw textured sea island yarn in raw white. For fabric that will be dyed or printed after weaving/knitting. The raw white base allows flexible dyeing into any colour while retaining the ultra-fine microfibre hand feel.
50 DEN
115 DEN
Raw White
Dyeable
PCP Sea Island Yarn
Custom Colour & Style
Customisable sea island yarn where colour, denier and yarn structure can be specified to order. Suitable for premium fabric brands and niche applications requiring specific colour or performance combinations. Contact us for custom specifications and sampling.
Custom Denier
Custom Colour
Custom Structure
Made to Order
🏝️ Note on Sea Island Processing
Sea island yarn requires an alkali reduction process (caustic soda treatment) during fabric finishing to dissolve the sea component and release the ultra-fine microfilaments. This is typically done at 98–100°C in a NaOH solution. The weight loss is 20–30%. Most microfibre fabric mills have this process in-house. Contact us if you need process guidance.
Specifications
Complete Specification Table
| Product | Form | Denier | Colour | Structure | MOQ | Key Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Island FDY White | FDY | 50 / 65 / 75 DEN | Raw White | Island-in-Sea | 1,000 kg | Woven microfibre fabric |
| Sea Island FDY Black | FDY | 50 / 65 / 75 DEN | Dope Dyed Black | Island-in-Sea | 1,000 kg | Black microfibre woven fabric |
| Sea Island DTY Black | DTY | 95 / 105 / 115 DEN | Dope Dyed Black | Island-in-Sea | 1,000 kg | Velvet, brushed, knit microfibre |
| Sea Island DTY White | DTY | 50 / 115 DEN | Raw White | Island-in-Sea | 1,000 kg | Dyeable knit/woven microfibre |
| PCP Sea Island | FDY / DTY | Custom | Custom | Custom | Contact Us | Premium custom fabric |
All prices FOB Xiamen. Sea island yarn requires alkali reduction during fabric finishing. Contact us for process guidance and current pricing.
Fabric Results
What Fabric Can You Make?
🟫
Artificial Suede
Sea Island FDY + Alkali Reduction + Sanding
The most popular sea island fabric application. Ultra-fine microfilaments create a dense, velvet-like nap after buffing. Used for shoe upper material, sofa fabric, garment suede, and luxury accessories.
🪞
Peach Skin Fabric
Sea Island DTY + Alkali Reduction + Finishing
Extremely soft peach-skin surface produced from sea island DTY. Ultra-fine filaments create a barely perceptible surface texture — premium casualwear fabric with a luxurious, slightly matte hand feel.
🧽
Premium Microfibre Cloth
Sea Island FDY/DTY + Alkali + Knit
Superior cleaning cloths, glass wipes and precision cleaning fabric. Sea island microfilaments clean at a molecular level — far superior to standard microfibre. Used in optics, electronics and premium household products.
Applications
Where Sea Island Fabric Performs
Shoe Upper Material
Artificial suede from sea island yarn is the dominant material for premium athletic and fashion shoe uppers globally.
Sofa & Upholstery
Suede-effect upholstery fabric for premium sofas, car seats and furniture — durable, cleanable, and luxurious.
Handbags & Accessories
Luxury bag linings, outer surfaces and accessory fabric — sea island's silk-like surface elevates the perceived value of fashion accessories.
Premium Casualwear
Peach-skin and microsuede fabric for premium casual shirts, jackets and trousers where a luxurious hand feel is a key selling point.
Medical & Clean-Room
Ultra-fine microfilaments trap particles at sub-micron level — precision wiping cloth for medical, pharmaceutical and electronics.
Automotive Interior
Seat fabric, headliner material and door trim in premium vehicles — sea island provides luxury feel with durability.
Premium Sportswear
White sea island DTY for premium performance fabric — ultra-soft against skin with excellent moisture management.
Optical & Glass Cleaning
Microfibre cloth for glasses, screens and optical instruments — sea island's ultra-fine filaments clean without scratching.
Why Yaakan
Why Source Sea Island Yarn from Us
01
Black & White Available
Both dope dyed black and raw white sea island yarn in stock — FDY and DTY. Dope dyed black ensures consistent, wash-fast colour without the risk of uneven dyeing in the alkali reduction process.
02
Custom PCP Available
Beyond standard black and white, we offer PCP sea island yarn with custom denier, colour and structure. Share your fabric design requirement and we will produce a trial sample to confirm performance before bulk order.
03
Process Guidance Provided
Sea island yarn requires a specific alkali reduction process. We provide recommended process parameters — NaOH concentration, temperature, time and weight loss targets — with every order to ensure the best fabric result.
04
FOB Xiamen
All sea island yarn ships FOB Xiamen. Regular sailings to Vietnam, Bangladesh, Turkey, Korea and all major textile market ports. Transit time 4–18 days depending on destination.
05
Mill Quality Certificate
Quality certificate confirming denier, tenacity, island count and sea/island ratio provided with every shipment. SGS pre-shipment inspection available on request for larger orders.
06
Free Samples
Samples available before bulk order. Sea island performance can vary significantly between suppliers — we encourage you to request samples and conduct reduction tests before committing to a full order.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Island-in-sea (IIS) yarn is a bicomponent fibre where many ultra-fine polymer "islands" are embedded within a dissolvable "sea" polymer during melt spinning. After weaving or knitting, the sea component is dissolved in an alkali solution (caustic soda), leaving behind extremely fine microfilaments — typically 0.05 to 0.1 denier per filament. These ultra-fine filaments produce fabric with suede-like surface texture, exceptional softness and silk-like appearance that cannot be achieved by conventional spinning.
Sea island yarn requires an alkali reduction process (caustic soda treatment) after weaving or knitting to dissolve the sea component and release the microfilaments. This is done in standard jet dyeing or jigger machines at 95–100°C using 3–8% NaOH solution. Most microfibre fabric mills have this process. The yarn can be woven or knitted on standard machines without modification — the sea component is only dissolved during finishing. We provide full process parameters with every order.
Sea island FDY (Fully Drawn Yarn) has higher tenacity, lower elongation and consistent tension — best for woven fabric where warp tension stability is critical. It produces smoother fabric surfaces, ideal for suede and microfibre cloth. Sea island DTY (Draw Textured Yarn) has a textured, bulkier structure with higher elongation — best for knit fabric, velvet and brushed fabric where bulk and softness are more important than warp stability. Choose FDY for woven microfibre; DTY for knit or velvet microfibre.
Sea island yarn is difficult to dye evenly in black after the alkali reduction process because the ultra-fine microfilaments absorb dye unpredictably — uneven dyeing and surface streaking are common issues with post-dyed black sea island fabric. Dope dyed (solution dyed) black sea island yarn solves this completely: the black pigment is incorporated into the polymer during extrusion, so colour is perfectly consistent, wash-fast (4–5 grade), UV resistant, and unaffected by the alkali reduction process. Virtually all black sea island fabric uses dope dyed yarn.
MOQ is 1,000 kg per specification for all sea island yarn types. We strongly recommend samples before bulk order — sea island yarn quality varies significantly between suppliers, and alkali reduction trials are important to confirm the fibre splitting performance with your specific process. Samples (0.5–1 kg) are available free of charge — you pay DHL courier cost only. We also provide recommended process parameters for alkali reduction with each sample. Contact us via WhatsApp or email with your specification.
Enquire About Sea Island Yarn
Tell us your product (FDY/DTY), denier, colour (black/white/custom) and quantity — we'll respond with pricing and samples within 24 hours.
