Acrylic fibres are synthetic fibres made from a polymer
Polyacrylonitrile. The polymer is formed by free-radical
polymerization in aqueous suspension. The fibre is produced
by dissolving the polymer in a solvent such as N,N-dimethylformamide
or aqueous sodium thiocyanate, metering it through a multi-hole
spinnerets and coagulating the resultant filaments in an
aqueous solution of the same solvent (wet spinning) or evaporating
the solvent in a stream of heated inert gas (dry spinning).
Washing, stretching, drying and crimping complete the processing.
Practically all acrylic fibres are produced in staple fibre
from with lengths varying from 38 to 64 mm for the cotton
system and 75– to 125 for worsted system. The deniers
range from 1.2 to 3.0 for normal application and 5, 7 &
15 for special applications.
Acrylic is lightweight, soft, and warm, with a wool-like
feel. It has excellent colourfastness. It is resilient,
retains its shape, and resists shrinkage and wrinkles. Acrylic
is used in clothing as an alternative to wool.
