Wool
Wool is the original carpet fibre, the oldest in use. A natural
fibre, it has many desirable characteristics. It offers good
serviceability and beauty, takes dye well and has good resiliency.
It is warm, soft and comfortable. Wool is highest in price
of all fibres, and is only available in limited styles. It
is also not as durable as most synthetics. However, many of
the more economical man-made fibres can equal wool in most
respects.
Polyamide or Nylon
Nylon is the strongest of all man-made fibres and carpeting
of nylon is economical to produce. It offers excellent abrasion
resistance and good crush resistance. It dyes well, is easy
to clean and is available in a wide variety of styles and
textures. "Natura Lustre" type yarns combine the appearance
of wool with the advantages of nylon. All in all, nylon makes
an outstanding carpet fibre ... so good that over 80% of carpet
produced today is made with nylon. Quality for quality, a
nylon carpet will outlive any other carpet you can buy.
Not all nylons are alike, however. The development of carpet
nylon is expressed in terms of generations. The First generation
of nylon was designed to "hide" dirt by reducing the transparency
of the fibre. In the Second generation of nylon, the shape
of the fibre was altered, which better reflected light, increasing
its soil hiding appearance while enhancing its strength and
resiliency. The introduction of specially designed filaments
into the fibre in the Third generation nylons-virtually eliminated
the problem of shocks from static electricity build-up. And
finally, after 10 years of development and testing, Allied
Corporation introduced Anso IV, the first Fourth generation
nylon, which has soil and stain resistance built into the
fibre itself, in addition to having the static shock resistance
and other advantages of the Third generation nylon.
Acrylics
Often compared to wool, acrylics are light and bulky and feel
more like wool than any other fibre. They offer fair abrasion
resistance and good crush resistance. Carpet of acrylic is
more expensive to produce than nylon. Acrylics are usually
found in velvet and level-loop constructions. The use of acrylic
in carpeting has declined over the years.
Polyester
Polyester feels somewhat like wool and offers good abrasion
resistance and bulk. It has fair to good crush resistance
and is less static-prone than other man-made fibres, but is
more susceptible to oil-based stains and soil.
Olefin or Polypropylene
Olefin is used primarily in applications where its resistance
to fading and staining is most important. It offers good abrasion
resistance and strength, but poor resiliency. In production,
olefin approaches nylon in economy.
What about Soil-Resistant Treatments?
Many residential carpets are produced with special surface
treatments. These topical treatments are sprayed onto the
carpet, and act as a shield, helping the carpet stay clean.
But with cleaning and use, the treatments can wear away. The
soil and stain resistance of the new Fourth generation nylons,
however, is built right into the fibre, so its protection
is always there.
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