Welcome to the acrylic fiber directory section of the Apparel Search website. In this section, you will find educational information and links to resources relevant to acrylic fibers. If you work in the apparel industry or simply have an interest in acrylic textiles, this is the area for you. If you do not find enough information in this section of our acrylic fibers guide, you may wish to check the textile section or go back to the fiber directory main page for additional textile fiber choices.
If you work for a company that supplies acrylic textile products, you can use the add your company link at the bottom of this page to create a listing on the Apparel Search acrylic directory pages.
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Acrylic fibers are synthetic fibers made from a polymer (polyacrylonitrile) with an average molecular weight of ~100,000, about 1900 monomer units. For a fiber to be called "acrylic" in the US, the polymer must contain at least 85% acrylonitrile monomer. Typical comonomers are vinyl acetate or methyl acrylate. DuPont created the first acrylic fibers in 1941 and trademarked them under the name Orlon. It was first developed in the mid-1940s but was not produced in large quantities until the 1950s. Strong and warm, acrylic fiber is often used for sweaters and tracksuits and as linings for boots and gloves, as well as in furnishing fabrics and carpets. It is manufactured as a filament, then cut into short staple lengths similar to wool hairs, and spun into yarn.
A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of acrylonitrile units.
Asahi-Kasei
(Japan): Asahi Kasei fibers is the core operating company for all fibers
and textiles operations of the Asahi Kasei Group. A wide and expanding range
of innovative materials for apparel and industrial applications are produced
with the know-how gained through eight decades of industry leadership. Main
business: Roica polyurethane fibers, Eltas spunbonds, Lamous artificial
suedes, Bemliese cupro nonwovens, Bemberg cupro fibers, Leona nylon 66 fibers,
polyester filaments.
Mitsubishi Rayon
Group: their acrylic fibers, using acrylonitrile as the principal
raw material, are classified into the wet-spun and dry-spun type, according
to the production method. Such fibers have the look and feel of wool, and
are used in a wide range of clothing, including sweaters, sportswear, underwear
and socks, as well as stuffed toys, blankets, and carpets.
Solutia Inc.
Solutia is the largest producer
of acrylic fibers in the United States. Their Acrilan fiber is perfect for
hand-knit and crocheted designs due to its soft hand and excellent colorfastness.
The popular Remember fibers and Bounce-Back fibers provide unique benefits
because they maintain their original shape wash after wash. Acrilan and
Bounce-Back make yarns "smart." Solutia Now a Subsidiary of Eastman
Chemical Company: Eastman announced the completion of its acquisition of
Solutia Inc. (NYSE:SOA). The approximately $4.7 billion acquisition
supports Eastman's growth strategy to increase revenues and profit
margins by expanding the company's geographic reach, especially in
emerging markets, and establishing a more diverse and sustainable
product portfolio. Address: 3391 Town Point Drive Suite 200
Kennesaw, GA 30152 Phone # 770-951-7600
Toray: Toray Group fuses nanotechnology
into its operations, using organic synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry
and biochemistry as its core technologies. In addition to the Foundation
Businesses of fibers & textiles and plastics & chemicals, Toray
likewise promotes the global development of IT-related products, carbon
fiber composite materials, pharmaceuticals and medical products, environment &
engineering including water treatment and progress in other pivotal business
fields. The features of Toray's fibers & textile business are: (1) their
product line encompasses all three major groups of synthetic fibers nylon,
polyester, and acrylic; in this business,(2) Toray is known for its capacity
to meet requests for supplying a diverse range of products, from filament
yarns and staple fibers to textiles and garments; (3) applications for their
products widely range from apparel to industrial materials including car
airbags, seat belts, and bag filters. On the top of that, sales of advanced
materials, such as fluorine fiber and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) fiber,
are also expanding. Utilizing global manufacturing bases such as filament
yarn, staple fiber, and textile manufacturing facilities, Toray not only
facilitates production and sales in the most appropriate regions, but also
provide a global operational structure that organically links these bases.
To create a business structure that ensures steady earnings, Toray's fibers &
textile business as a Foundation Business is developing new products, constructing
a new supply chain management system, expanding its sewn products business,
and broadening its overseas operations.
- Nylon fiber
- Polyester fiber
- Acrylic fiber
Acrylic is lightweight, soft, and warm, with a wool-like feel. It can also be made to mimic other fibers, such as cotton when spun on short staple equipment. Some acrylic is extruded in colored or pigmented form; other is extruded in "ecru", otherwise known as "natural," "raw white," or "undyed." Pigmented fiber has the highest lightfastness. Its fibers are very resilient compared to both other synthetics and natural fibers. Some acrylic is used in clothing as a less expensive alternative to cashmere, due to the similar feeling of the materials. Some acrylic fabrics may fuzz or pill easily, though there are low-pilling variants. Acrylic takes color well, is washable, and is generally hypoallergenic. End-uses include socks, hats, gloves, scarves, sweaters, home furnishing fabrics, and awnings. Acrylic can also be used to make fake fur and to make many different knitted clothes.