MARKETS
Carpets Get That N e w Look Fast-developing uses e x p a n d m a r k e t for n y l o n , r a y o n , other synthetics; r a w materials status a m p l e _N YLOX CARPETING promises
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come one of the biggest developments in the poly amide since the silkworm lost the hosiery market. Wool h a s been supreme in this field and many still regard it as such. Over the past two years or so, how ever, inroads into the rug and carpet market by nylon, rayon-acetate, a n d other synthetic fibers have become con siderable, in pounds and dollars. Data for nylon are not available, b u t Du Pont says that last year's carpet nvlon sales expanded 100% over 1954, and that 1956 should double again in 1957. Other manufacturers may have had a similar experience. Sales of rayon-acetate for carpet making have also gained and last year amounted to 84 million pounds of staple and tow. These sales totaled 15 million pounds five years ago. • Acryiic Developments. Chernstrand's Acrilan and Carbide's Dynel, both acrylics, are also entering the car peting field. Like nylon, they have the essential properties—resiliency, wear-resistance, and "cleanability." Their last virtue is at least equal to that of wool. Rayon makers, meanwhile, are making a bid for even greater par ticipation in floor coverings through specially tailored cellulosic products. Late in 1956 American Viscose took the wraps from its Super-L, a rayon carpet fiber with loop construction a n d bulking properties for improved carpet texture and appearance. Tests b y AVC show that it wears 25% better than regular carpet rayon. Nylons development in the carpet field has bordered on the dramatic with economics as well as technology play ing top roles. A few years ago it w a s doubtful that nylon carpeting could be brought down to the prices prevailing for wool products. An all-nylon carpet now sells for $10.95 to $14.95 per square yard, prices which compete with wool carpets. • Wear Resistance. D u Pont's ori ginal long-term experiments were con ducted in its own hotel in Wilmington. One nylon carpet there showed little sign of wear after a six-year beating from 4 million pairs of feet. This carpet was all nylon, and the 100% product has continued to grow. Meanwhile, blends containing about one-third nylon with wool have also come into use. The first all-nylon floor covering ap peared in 1947; at present some 20 112
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manufacturers are making the 10O 7c nylon product. T h e polyamide fiber reached its major impetus in 1956 as a result of the heat-set twist method, which adds last ing textured effects. It is said that 20 r A nylon-wool blends provide 30 to 50 f v wear-life to carpets, plus better texture retention, luster, and hand. Blends of 50r'< nylon improve crush recovery and cleanability. Nylon is also combined with rayon to obtain these properties. A price cut for the staple late in 1955 added another push to nylon carpets in 1956. >- Nylon Properties. Nylon carpet ing has its disadvantages. One of them is static. When this becomes annoy ing antistatic sprays can be used. Ny lon will also "shade" like other carpet fibers. Drawbacks, however, are far outweighed by the advantages. Nylon recovers from crushing quickly. The fibers offer resistance to stains, retain less soil after vacuuming, and their moth, mildew, and rot resistance is said to be unequaled. High fiber strength enhances spinning efficiency at the mill. A resilient new Dynel acrylic fiber for carpets, developed by mills and by Carbide & Carbon, was shown in Chi cago in January. Mohawk Carpet Mills introduced the fiber in a patented Wilton weave, while C. H. Masland & Co. displayed Dynel carpeting in a textured loop-pile Wilton weave. The Dynel floor coverings possess many of the properties listed for nylon, and offer a variety of carpet constructions. Among them are loop or cut pile, sculp tured effects, velvets, or tufts. Dynel also has good dyeability and its colors remain fast to cleaning, sunlight, and to crocking. • New Rayon Products. In addition to Super-L, American Viscose made solution-dyed rayon staple available in a wide color range this year for use in carpets and rugs. A similar product was brought out by Hartford Rayon, a division of Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Co. Later American Viscose announced a new and improved rayon carpet staple it calls Kolorbon and Industrial Rayon Corp. began production of a delustered nylon staple in the 8- and 15-denier sizes. Synthetic fibers for carpeting are favored by a more than ample raw ma terial position. Various projects are under way for expanding nylon pro
ducing capacity. A total of 382 mil lion pounds of rayon and acetate staple and tow was shipped to consumers in 1956, and Rayon Organon shows that only abou- 20r/c was shipped to carpet and rug m^ CTS. In addition, some 91 or 92 mill> JII ' ^ jnds of staple were imported. • Wool Consumption. It is shown that 20 9£ of the world wool supply is of the coarser carpet type, the re mainder being apparel wools. In terms of volume for the 1956-57 season the carpet wool was 537 million pounds, and apparel 2.27 billion pounds. T h e coarser type is said to originate chiefly in Argentina with less important production by India, New Zealand, Turkey, and Uruguay. Statistics do not indicate that domes tic carpet wool consumption is losing ground as a result of the synthetic de velopments. Its use here last year has been placed at 144 million pounds, or 9fr higher than 1955. This is the high est for carpet wool since 1950. It will be difficult to overturn a practice cen turies old. Synthetic fiber makers will probably continue to beat a heavy bass drum on the properties of their carpet mateIs, also give increasing attention to loring them to that application. Du rout's special nylon carpet staple and AVC's Super-L are two examples of the trend. Consumption of Rayon & Acetate Ί Staple In Carpets "X* -O-'-^tv J
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• Λ ' Millions of Poinds lOOj
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