Man-Made Fibers

Floor And Floor Treatments 3 (1+2)

Lesson :13 Fibers used in floor covering and their qualities

Man-Made Fibers

MAN-MADE FIBERS

Man-made fibers differ greatly, but they have certain desirable characteristics in common. They resist moth, mildew and mold. They are also available in a variety of colors and patterns. However, they are not as superior as woolen carpets. Manmade fibers are used for carpets are as follows.

Nylon:

Nylon is the largest selling of all fibers because of its extra ordinary strength and abrasion resist­ance, and its economy. In wear-ability, nylon outstands wool by at least three times. Nearly nylon accounts 90% in carpet making. When compared to wool less quantity of nylon in weight is required for carpet making because of its high resistance to abrasion. Nylon does not show signs of wear rapidly. It has the tendency to build up static electricity charges if no anti-static finish has been applied. It’s high bulk (thickness), great elasticity, durability, and dye-ability, wash-ability and appearance make it’s application preferable for carpet construction. Nylon fiber is resilient, easily cleaned and resists mildew and moths. It is used alone or added to other fibers to give strength in carpet construction.

Being a synthetic fiber, nylon absorbs little water and, therefore, stains remain on the surface rather than penetrate the fiber itself. Dirt and soil are trapped between the filaments and are removed by proper cleaning methods. The reason for worn or thin spots is that the yarn has damaged physically by girt and soil ground into the carpet. This problem can be taken care of with proper maintenance.

Acrylic:

The acrylic fibers are long wearing and easily cleaned. This resembles wool more closely than any other man-made fibers. It is more durable than wool, less durable than nylon. It has a low soiling rate clean when highly static resistance, abrasion resistance and excellent color fastnesses. It resists sun fading and water, which makes easy cleaning and rapid drying. It has excellent resilience and crush recovery. They have good stain removal property. Acrylic's colors are brighter than wool's and are obtainable in all popular carpet styles. They are also less expensive as compared to woolen carpets. Usually mod acrylic is added to increase flame resistance. Now improved technology has created produced dyed acrylic which has made this a viable fiber for commercial and residential carpet installation. Acrylic carpet can be used wherever wool has always been customary ­living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms.

Polyester:

The look and feel of wool can be achieved in polyester. It is soft, luxurious look and a blend of beautiful colors has contributed to its desirability. It has poor recovery from crushing. However, its soil and stain resistance cannot be compared with acrylic or nylon. It gives good wear, but lacks the resilience when used for carpeting. It is resistant water soluble stains. Polyester is more common among residential carpets than for commercial carpets. It is durable and also machine washable and moth resistant, because of these attributes these polyester carpets can be used for bathrooms and as an area rugs in children's rooms.

Polypropylene:

This is notable for its high strength and exceptional abrasion resistance, mainly because of its low pile. It resists soil, chemical and water stains. It is less expensive when compared to other synthetic carpet fibers; its greatest contribution is undoubtedly economic.

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Last modified: Saturday, 25 February 2012, 5:58 AM