Learn about synthetic fibers used in rugs

Fibers can either originate from plants such as flax, cotton, jute, sea grass, or spun from the fleece of sheep, alpaca, llama and goats. Oh and don't forget the fine silk spun from silk worms! Rayon, a man-made fiber, is synthesized from trees. Nylon and polypropylene are synthesized from petroleum and natural gas.

Polypropylene or Olefin

Polypropylene or Olefin fibers are petroleum products, derived from propylene and ethylene gases. The polypropylene fiber is characterized by its resistance to moisture. It is strong, abrasion resistant, quick drying, colorfast, mildew resistant, and soil and stain resistant. Its fibers have the lowest density of all manufactured fibers giving olefin textiles a very lightweight quality. Polypropylene is inexpensive and due to its lightweight nature, not very resilient to long term wear.

Rayon

Rayon is made of cellulose, which is in the walls of all plant cells, and is the main substance of wood. The first rayon fiber was produced by Count Hilaire de Chardonnet, known as the "Father of rayon," in 1884. It was this inventive Frenchman's dream to produce an artificial silk. Production involves collecting wood chips and putting them through several chemical process that eventually yields viscose. The viscose is pushed through a spinneret, a metal plate with many small holes. The viscose strands shoot out of the spinneret into an acid bath where they harden into fibers. The size of the holes in a spinneret determines the fiber's denier or thickness. Spun rayon is very much like silk and was known for many years as "artificial silk."

Nylon

Nylon is a manufactured fiber that is extremely strong, elastic, abrasion resistant and lustrous. The first commercial production of nylon was begun in the United States in 1939 by the du Pont de Nemours Company, (Du Pont.) The raw materials of nylon are petroleum, natural gas, air, and water. The elements are combined by chemical processes into long-chain polymers that constitute the fiber-forming substance known as polyamides. The polyamide is melt spun and drawn after cooling to give the desired properties for the floorcovering fiber.