A Synopsis of Polypropylene Carpets
- Polypropylene carpets are extremely stain proof
- Will totally resist common stains such as coffee or red wine
- Polypropylene can be cleaned with neat bleach
- Not even battery acid will damage it
- Polypropylene carpets will not fade under strong sunlight - ideal for conservatories
- Polypropylene twist pile carpets feel very similar to wool
- Feels less pleasant when made into loop pile carpets
- Loops benefit from a proportion of wool (say 20%) to lessen coarse feel
- Loops commonly featured in carpets made for landlords and offices
- Polypropylene carpets dye with a matt look, identical to wool in appearance
- Polypropylene twist piles can be prone to flattening under footfall
- Two ply yarn manufacturing techniques compensate for flattening tendency
- Most polypro[ylene twist carpets are now made with two ply techniques
- Polypropylene is a form of plastic, a thermoplastic polymer
- Polypropylene carpets are cheaper than wool
- Axminster carpets are woven from polypropylene
- Commonly mixed with wool as the 20% part - not as good as nylon mixes
Appearance
Polypropylene carpets dye just like wool. Whilst polypropylene is more transparent, like nylon, it commonly ends up opaque and doesn't have the harsher shine of nylon that many find unattractive.
<<< colours of polypropylene carpet
Stain Resistance
The main advantage of polypropylene in carpets is its unbeatable stain resistance. It cannot even be dyed once it has cured. Usual household carpet problems such as coffee and wine spillages can't damage it.
Polypropylene carpet advertising will boast about it being bleach cleanable but all polypropylene brands are the same in this respect regardless of price. Polypropylene is chemically inert and won't change or fade even under strong sunlight. This makes it ideal for conservatories. Its reputedly even undamaged by battery acid.
Comfort
Polypropylene carpets make great twist pile carpets which can be hard to distinguish from wool. Lano Carpets advertise Startwist as having a wool like point, meaning it feels just like wool. Personally I can't tell the difference once it's been trodden on for a period of time.
Where polypropylene falls down is when it is manufactured as loops rather than tufts. It feels coarse and uncomfortably "dry". To counteract this it's mixed with a proportion of wool (at least 20%). Loops make functional office carpeting where comfort is less important than wear.
Wear in Polypropylene Carpets
Polypropylene fibres can flatten under footfall, more so than wool or nylon. This can be counteracted by a carpet manufacturing technique called two fold or two ply yarn. This is when two strands of yarn are wound together before making the carpet.
It's now more common to find this technique in polypropylene carpets than the ordinary one ply method. It's wise to make sure you get two ply when buying polypropylene carpets because price doesn't change much because of it and it' s a serious wear advantage.
What is polypropylene
In a word, plastic. In 2007, the world spent 47.4 million Euros on polypropylene. For something that is used in so many products, it must be growing year on year - its in polypropylene carpets, textiles, packaging, thermal underwear, stationary, bank notes, laboratory equipment, automotive components and much more.
It's a thermoplastic polymer. Now you and I may not know what that is, but you can bet it's something you use much more than you think, everyday. Whilst it's obviously not natural, it's natural for you to use it everyday without thinking about it. It is recyclable having a resin identificationcode of 5.
You will have handled polypropylene if you've ever eaten tic tacs, the lid is made of it!
