High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont`s Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia. When first introduced, it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry.