Acrylic is an artificial fiber similar in properties to wool and was originally created as a substitute for it. Acrylic fiber is made from acrylonitrile polymer, usually with the addition of a small amount of other chemicals that improve the ability to absorb dyes. Clothing, home furnishings, and some industrial goods are made from acrylic fiber.
Material History
Acrylic fiber was first obtained in the laboratory of the American chemical company DuPont. The new substance, which was originally dubbed Fiber A, was developed as a synthetic analogue of wool and was intended to replace it. In 1950, the material was put into production at a plant in Camden, South Carolina under the brand name Orlon.
DuPont initially produced filament yarn material. However, sales were disappointing. The threads were poorly stained. Their natural yellowish gray color was suitable only for window marquises and curtains.
Since May 1952, the production of orlon in the form of a staple fiber, similar in structure to the wool, was established at the same factory. The idea was successful. In the fifties, women's sweaters made of this material came into fashion. Soon, annual fiber sales exceeded a million dollars.
In the sixties, new varieties of acrylic fibers were actively developed to meet specific needs. New combinations of fabrics, fibers for carpets were offered. These efforts, coupled with the development of the European market, allowed to maintain a high demand for acrylic fibers until the end of the seventies.
Today, acrylic fiber production is concentrated mainly in Southeast Asia, Turkey and Latin America. A number of European manufacturers, in particular Dralon and Fisipe, also continue to work. In the homeland of acrylic fiber - North America - its release was stopped in the early nineties.
