Characteristics of Acrylic

Acrylic is a fine, soft and luxurious fabric used in many rugs to give striking colours as well as good stain resistance. Acrylic fabric is a man-made fibre which gives the appearance and feel if wool. It dyes well, taking color beautifully. The fabric breathes, it absorbs and releases moisture quickly. Crucially for rugs Acrylic resists moths, oil and chemicals, and also sunlight degradation.

The first Acrylic fabric was first developed by DuPont in 1944 and in 1950 it was commercially produced for the first time. Initially it was used for outdoor purposes but with the advancement of technology, acrylic has come a long way, and is now commonly used in apparel and carpets.

Japanese Acrylic is widely regarded as the best in its class although to the layman the difference between Japanese and Chinese fabrics is not noticeable.

Characteristics of Acrylic

It is lightweight, soft, and warm.

It dyes to bright colors with excellent fastness.

It absorbs and releases moisture quickly, thus allowing the fabric to “breathe”.

It is resilient, retains its shape, and resists shrinkage and wrinkles.

It has flexible aesthetics for wool-like, cotton-like or blended appearance.

It is resistant to moths, oil and chemicals, and sunlight degradation.

Acrylic rugs offer a similar texture to wool at a lower price-point. The material is very resistent to stains and damage with excellent colour fastness. Lower grades can suffer from static and piling.