Types Of Synthetic Carpets

Nylon Carpets – First produced by the DuPont Chemical Company in the late 1930s, nylon went through many phases of development and eventually became the first artificial fiber to be adopted by carpeting companies.

The first several versions of the substance had a number of weaknesses, such as being vulnerable to becoming stained. The subsequent iterations of the product were covered in a mill coating that dealt with this disadvantage, allowing the carpets to resist liquid and dirt to a great degree. These features became a huge advantage that helped launch nylon fibers as one of the top carpeting materials.

Further refinement saw the addition of chemicals that prevented acid dies from breaching the surface and staining the fibers from within. This made the carpets highly resistant to almost any kind of stain, so long as proper measures are taken to clean it within a reasonable time frame.

A quick tip, to test a nylon carpet for stain-resisting chemicals, you can snip a few pieces of carpet and drip a mixture of oil and water onto the surface. The liquid beading indicates that there are indeed hydrophobic elements in the coating.

Too see if it also contains acid blockers, take a few more snippets, like before, and prepare a cup of something proven to cause stains (like red-colored drink mix) and place the fibers in the cup for several minutes. After removing them, clean them with a neutral detergent. If there are no stains visible after you finish, the material contains chemicals that can block dyes.

Polyester Carpets – Polyester first made its way onto the garment scene in the 1950s, and by the end of the 60s, it was being used in the carpeting industry. Though it outwardly looks and feels much like nylon, it is not as resilient.

Polyester is all but invulnerable to water-based spills, including colored drinks and even urine, but it is still susceptible to oil spills. Additionally, it is hypo-allergenic and less vulnerable to mildew.

At the time of the late 1940s, acrylic fibers were in use in carpeting, but saw a short stint of inactivity between the 80s and 90s, where more popular types of materials crowded it out. It returned to moderate popularity soon after. The main draw of the material is that it’s a close analog to wool, very nearly matching the appearance and texture, but being more resistant to damage, and easier to clean than other types of fibers.

As the newest artificial fiber to be used in carpets, modern olefin has quite a few applications in carpeting, such as both the primary material or the backing of carpets.

Keeping a carpet in good condition can be a challenge. For carpet repair and installation in Denver CO, be sure to contact Nip & Tuck Flooring!

Home & Family, acrylic, Carpet, carpeting, history, nylon, olefin, polyester, synthetic fibers