Acrylic
Also known as: Polyacrylonitrile, PAN, Synthetic wool
Soft, wool-like chemical fibre made from polyacrylonitrile, warm and dimensionally stable, often used as a wool substitute.
Description
Acrylic is a synthetic fibre consisting of at least 85 % polyacrylonitrile (PAN), produced by wet or dry spinning. It was introduced in 1948 by DuPont™ under the brand name Orlon® and served from the outset as an affordable, dimensionally stable wool substitute.
Acrylic is soft, elastic and pleasantly warm; the fibre dyes very well and is light and weather resistant. It is used mainly for knitwear, sweaters, blankets, plush, fake fur and home textiles. Technical applications such as filter fabrics and awnings also exploit its UV resistance.
- Soft, wool-like hand
- Very good dyeability and colour brilliance
- Dimensionally stable, hardly creasing
- Thermally insulating, but less breathable than wool
Disadvantages are low moisture absorption, which can lead to rapid sweating, and a tendency to pilling. Recycled acrylic fibres are so far rarely available.
Properties
| Fibre type | Fully synthetic (PAN) |
|---|---|
| Origin | Petroleum (acrylonitrile) |
| Look / hand | wool-like, soft |
| Typical use | Knitwear, blankets, fake fur |
Related product categories
Sources & references
3- Wikipedia: Acrylic fiber Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_fiber
- OEKO-TEX OEKO-TEX Association https://www.oeko-tex.com/
- Textile Exchange Textile Exchange https://textileexchange.org/
