Page 45 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

Acrylic fibre
Acrylics are some of the oldest polymers used for fibres. A variation of acrylic plastic was produced in America in 1950 and made into an acrylic fibre called Orlon®. From this began the widespread use of acrylic fibres in clothing.
Acrylics are made by reacting polypropylene with ammonia. The raw material is also known as polyacrylonitrile, or PAN. This material is difficult to dissolve (and so put through a spinneret) and will not take dyes, so vinyl acetate is added. The resulting mixture is soft and makes fibres easily.
Acrylics are unique among synthetic fibres because they have an uneven surface, even when extruded from a round-hole spinneret. That makes them soft and flexible, with a
feel like wool. As a result, most acrylics are used in clothing, upholstery, and carpets as a wool substitute. Acrylics can be made and the products sold at a very small fraction of the equivalent cost of the natural fibre. They will not rot and are not attacked by insects.
Acrylics are easily washed. They retain their shape and act, as wool does, like natural wicks, transferring moisture from the body
to the air. That makes them easy to wear and prevents an unnecessary “clammy” feeling when the body sweats.
Acrylics are often blended with natural fibres such as wool and cotton to make a cheaper garment than one consisting only of pure natural fibres.
When vinyl chloride is added to acrylics, they become significantly more fire-resistant and so can be used for children’s clothing and other areas where there is potential fire risk.
Acrylics are prone to the buildup of static electricity on their surfaces.
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