Acrylic Fiber Carpets

The fiber also known as art wool was seen as a wool substitute.

Acrylic fiber carpets.

Acrylic is a synthetic fiber made from acrylonitrile a clear plastic. 1 most of today s carpets are tufted rather than woven. Acrylic carpets became popular in 1960s. Acrylic fiber which is used for their manufacture is called nitron.

Of all synthetics acrylic is closest to wool in appearance and feel. The primary disadvantage is a lower durability making it unsuitable for high traffic areas. Acrylics are usually not a good choice for high traffic areas. The main difference between acrylic carpeting is that pure wool products are made by hand.

Carpets are made by looping the fiber yarns through the backing material in a manner similar to how a button is sewed onto a shirt. Acrylic carpets are produced at the factory which significantly affects their cost. The fiber has fair to good abrasion resistance and good resistance to staining chemicals mildew and fading. This synthetic material is resistant to infestation fire stains fading static electricity and mildew.

If you are looking for a cheap alternative to wool acrylic is the answer. A plastic fiber made from acrylonitrile acrylic became a substitute for wool in a number of carpets after the 1950s. However acrylic fibers are not as durable as the other three major types of carpet fibers. It was less expensive than wool resistant to mold and mildew easy to dye in bright colors fast drying and fairly stain resistant.

There are many types of fiber used in carpet but the most common are nylon polyester polypropylene acrylic and wool. Companies that first developed acrylic like dupont quickly made profits on acrylic carpet. It s cheaper than wool and has some desirable characteristics. Most acrylic carpets use a mixture of wool and acrylic.