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Here are a few basics about carpet that will help you make the right choice for your next carpeting project, no matter what your lifestyle or budget. A Little Carpet History Natural Fibers It is important to understand carpet construction in order to apply the variables that affect performance of a specific installation. Tufted carpet consists of the following components: the face yarn, which can be cut pile, loop pile, or a combination of cut and loop pile; primary backing fabric; a bonding compound, usually SB latex, but may be polyurethane, PVC, or fabric; and (often) a secondary backing fabric. Wool and cotton are the predominant natural (animal and plant) fibers used in carpet production today. Cotton is used primarily for rugs and bath mats. Although wool represents less than one percent of the fiber used to make carpet today, some still perceive it to be the premier fiber. It is often more expensive by virtue of the low production of wool worldwide. New Zealand, Argentina, China, and Britain are the major wool-producing centers. Sisal, jute, coir, and hemp fibers also are used in rugs. The development of the broadloom tufting machine and the introduction of synthetic carpet yarns in the early 1950s transformed the American carpet industry from low-volume production of woven luxury products to mass production of high quality and comfortable, yet popularly priced, goods. The explosive growth of carpet sales in the United States in the ensuing years paralleled the continual development of tufting technology, the proliferation of high-speed tufting machines, and the development of synthetic carpet fibers and alternative backing systems. As a result, today's carpet is both better and less expensive. Almost all carpet produced is manufactured from one of six pile fibers: nylon, olefin (polypropylene), acrylic, polyester, wool, or cotton. The major fibers for commercial carpet are nylon, olefin, and wool. Each fiber's variations influence where it is most functional. 20 | albertahardwood.com Synthetic Fibers Synthetic fibers are formed by a process in which molten polymer is extruded or forced through tiny holes in a spinneret, or metal plate. After the filaments emerge from the spinneret, they are cooled, drawn, and texturized, to add bulk and cover. Synthetic fibers can be extruded in different shapes or cross sections, such as round, trilobal, pentalobal, octalobal or square, depending on the design and shape of the spinneret holes. These crosssectional shapes can affect many properties of carpet, including luster, bulkiness, texture retention, and soil-hiding abilities. Fiber manufacturers may mix additives with the melted polymer prior to or during extrusion to produce various properties. Such additives may be a colour pigment to produce solution-dyed colour, or delustering, additives to produce whiter and less transparent fibers with a more natural look.