What Is Acrylic Fabric?

Acrylic fabric is a man-made material often used in the textile industry to produce clothing, accessories, and home textiles. It is created from polymer fibers derived from synthetic resins. Overall, acrylic is a popular material often used in clothing and textiles due to its good performance and affordable price. It is ideal for creating warm and stylish clothing for the cold season.

What is acrylic fabric? Acrylic comes in fabrics, paints, and plastics. The question arises: how can the same material be used in the composition of threads for knitting and plastic designs? To understand, ask what kind of material acrylic is and what properties make it so common in industry and households.

Popular cloth, reminding many of natural wool, is a synthetic fabric that retains its color and shape well for a long period. It is pleasant to the touch, soft, and beautiful material, differing from wool by the possibility of dyeing in brighter and clearer shades. Its most popular use is to create warm accessories and clothing, such as hats, gloves, and sweaters.

For more than 70 years, the world has known a synthetic material called acrylic fabric. Despite the emergence of new fabrics of chemical origin, acrylic firmly holds the lead in popularity due to its superior qualities and versatility.

When looking at acrylic fabric, beautiful and pleasant to the tactile sensations, it is not always immediately possible to understand that it is a cloth made of synthetic rather than natural fibers. What kind of fabric is acrylic, what is it made of, and why are clothes made of it worn in different countries? What are its main properties, pros and cons, and how to properly care for it?

In the middle of the last century, the DuPont Company (USA) was actively developing a new material that could compete with the then-popular nylon in quality and properties. DuPont first introduced this material in 1948 to create a fabric that would be competitive with nylon in its properties. This research resulted in the emergence of Orlon, a synthetic fiber isolated from polymers. The material turned out to be incredibly practical and, by many characteristics, exceeded many artificial and natural analogs at that time.

However, the new fabric had a significant disadvantage - the fibers could not be dyed. Only in 1952, four years later, Dupont chemists solved this problem. They created a new version of the previously invented synthetic fabric, which met all the requirements. And most importantly, it was perfectly dyed. A distinctive feature of the acrylic fabric is its burning behavior: it melts and emits acrid smoke with a sour smell. Although acrylic fabric has pros and cons, it is popular in the fashion and textile world due to its characteristics.

Then, the increased environmental awareness of the 1970s introduced the public to the potential dangers of plastic-based synthetic fabrics. Polyester, nylon, and acrylic continued to be widely used, but production, for example, ceased in the United States. Today, much of the production of acrylic fabric occurs in China and other Asian countries. Despite its sometimes controversial status as a synthetic fabric, it remains a popular choice for tailoring.

Polyacrylonitrile fibers are produced from acetylene and hydrocyanic acid by chemical reaction. The raw material is natural gas. In the next process step, they are woven into a smooth fabric with a clear structural pattern. Different weaving techniques are used to create the fabrics: knitted, jacquard, plain weave, corrugated, reminiscent of sacking. By design, distinguish monochrome and printed acrylic fabric with floral and geometric print. For the manufacture of winter, things are cut into narrow strips - staples, from which yarn is made. In the finished form, they resemble thick natural threads because of the similar properties of acrylic fabric, nicknamed artificial wool. Fibers pass sanitary and hygienic control at the production site, which allows sewing and knitting clothes for children.

Acrylic fabric is a synthetic material that has the following characteristics:
1. Abrasion resistance: acrylic fabric has high strength and durability, so it is not easy to wear out and requires little maintenance.
2. Resistance to sunlight: acrylic fabric has good resistance to ultraviolet radiation, making it an ideal material for outdoor use, such as seating areas or outdoor furniture.
3. Water-repellent properties: acrylic fabric can reflect water rather than absorb it, making it an excellent material for making umbrellas, canopies, and other items designed to keep out the rain.
4. Colorfastness: acrylic fabric is highly resistant to fading, even with prolonged exposure to sunlight. This allows it to retain its brightness and color saturation even after prolonged use.
5. Easy to care for acrylic fabric: It is easy to clean and wash; it does not require special care and will not fade when washed or exposed to detergents.
6. Plasticity: acrylic fabric is easy to mold and stretch, allowing you to create various patterns and designs.
7. Shape retention: acrylic fabric holds its shape well and does not wrinkle, so its products do not require special care and maintain a neat appearance.

The main advantage of acrylic fabric is its low price, making clothing accessible to everyone, regardless of wallet. Acrylic fibers, like wool, look very good, and at first glance, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two materials. The similarity to wool has made acrylic popular and widely used in the garment industry. Things made of it are soft and warming.

Another advantage of acrylic fabric is that it does not cause allergies or skin irritation, unlike many natural fibers. So, it's a great alternative for people who can't wear real wool because of allergies.

Acrylic fabric is elastic and does not crease or deform - this helps avoid long and troublesome ironing, and clothes look great all day. In addition, it does not require special care; it can be washed as usual, and since it is an artificial material, it is not interested in moths.

1. Low breathability: acrylic fabric has poor air permeability, which may cause discomfort when worn in hot weather.
2. Electrostatic charging: acrylic fabric is prone to electrostatic charging, leading to dust and hair sticking.
3. Limited thermoregulation: acrylic fabric does not have good thermoregulation and can be cold and hot in cold weather.
4. Little resistance to fire: acrylic fabric is easily ignited and burns with a bright flame, making it dangerous in case of fire.
5. Possibility of rolling: acrylic fabric can roll when worn, especially in areas with heavy friction.
6. In addition, acrylic fibers can stretch when washed - it is not common for clothing to last more than one season.

Acrylic fabrics have many applications and are used in various industries.

Some of the applications include:

1. Fashion industry: acrylic fabrics are often used to create fashionable products such as coats , sweaters, scarves, and hats. They have good thermal insulation and the ability to retain their shape.
2. Home textiles: acrylic fabrics are widely used to create home textile items such as blankets, bedspreads, curtains, and pillows. They are soft to the touch, easy to wash, and retain the brightness of color.
3. Automotive industry: acrylic fabrics are used in automobile interiors for upholstery of seats, ceilings, and doors. They are highly wear-resistant, UV resistant and easy to clean.
4. Sports and activewear: acrylic fabrics are widely used to create sports and activewear, such as sports jackets, pants , and hats. They are breathable, quick-drying, and have excellent thermo-regulating properties.
5. Furniture industry: acrylic fabrics are used for furniture upholstery, such as sofas, armchairs, and chairs. They are highly durable, stain-resistant, and easy to clean.
6. Protective coverings: acrylic fabrics create protective coverings such as waterproof raincoats, capes, and covers. They are waterproof, windproof, and have good weather resistance.

These are just a few examples of the applications of acrylic fabrics. Depending on their properties and characteristics, they can be used in various industries and activities.

Acrylic fabric can be washed in any way, but it is better to wash it by hand. Not too often and in water up to 30 degrees. The thing can stretch, deform, and lose softness at higher temperatures.

If washing machine, you need to put two or three things in the drum, putting them in a bag. This will save the clothes of acrylic fabric from the appearance of creases. To keep the fibers of the original softness, it is recommended to use a conditioner when rinsing.

It is better to do it manually so as not to disrupt the structure of the acrylic fabric when drying in a centrifuge, without twisting and not strongly wringing. If drying in the machine - do it only at minimum speed.

Clothing made of acrylic fabric should be dried horizontally, having previously straightened the folds and creases, not in the sun and away from heating devices. It is important not to overdry.

It is better to avoid this procedure. But if this is impossible, iron with a slightly warm iron through a cotton cloth or gauze. When creases form, do not apply steaming. This may stretch the edges of the garment unevenly.

Some acrylic fabric garments can be dry-cleaned. The permissive information in the form of an icon is indicated on the garment's label. The thing can not be washed with small soiling, but try to remove the stains by applying a soapy solution to them for 15-20 minutes. Then, remove the detergent residue with a sponge.