Felt

== Description ==
A nonwoven textile composed of matted cotton, wool, or hair fibers matted together with through mechanical, chemical, or thermal processes, such as heat and moisture. The oldest known fabric samples, excavated in Turkey, are made of wool felt and date to at least 6500 BCE. Felt was usually made from sheep's wool, goat hair, or camel hair. Occasionally vegetable fibers (e.g., cotton, kapok), rags, recycled paper or synthetic fibers are used for felt. Felt is a good insulator for both temperature and noise. It has been used to make hats, blankets, rugs, insulation, filtration, polishing cloths, and absorbent cloths, as well as to line boxes and instrument cases.
  
Synthetic fibers used for felting include acrylic, polyaramide (Nomex), polyester, polypropylene and Rayon. See also polypropylene felt, polyester felt and acrylic felt.
== Synonyms and Related Terms ==
fur felt; wool felt; polyfelt (for synthetics); Filz (Deut.); feutre (Fr.); vilt (Ned.); fieltro (Esp.)
==Applications==
* Blankets, hats, rugs, table cloths, placemats
* Insulation, filtration, geotextiles
* Polishing cloths, absorbent cloths
* Protective liners, padding, fillers
* Crafts, toys, decorations
==Properties==
Property 	Fiber Composition 	Texture 	Durability 	Collection Risks 	Personal Risks 	Recorded testsBrand name: number (dates)See note below.
100% Wool Felt or Wool Blend	100% wool (often Merino)Wool with Rayon or Acrylic	Soft, smooth, matte appearance 	Very durable, resists pilling 	Water-repellent; degrades in warm, moist environments, attracts insects	Can cause allergies 	
Cotton Felt 	100% Cotton 	Very soft, warm, stretchy 	Less durable, can pill and fuzz 	Very absorbent for water and vapors; breathable; biological growth 	Hypoallergenic, combustible	* Acoustic Textile felt (70% cotton): 1 (2019)
Rayon/Viscose felt 	regenerated cotton 	Soft, smooth with silky feel and sheen, good drape	Less durable, prone to tearing, can shrink and wrinkle	Like cotton; absorbent; breathable; biological growth 	Hypoallergenic, combustible	
Acrylic Felt 	100% Acrylic fibers 	Can be fuzzy or hard, slightly shiny 	Less durable, can pill and fuzz 	Not water-repellent; sensitive to UV and moisture 	Hypoallergenic, combustible	* World of Fabrics Acrylic Prefelt: 1(2010)* Buffalo felt: none* Kunin Felt: none
Polyester Felt 	100% Polyester fibers 	Slightly fuzzy, soft surface 	Durable, resists tearing and fraying 	Water-resistant; sensitive to UV and heat; absorb oils 	Hypoallergenic 	* Benchmark polyester felt: 18 (1999-2018)* Sutherland felt: 10 (2017-2019)* Severnside Fabrics Polyfelt: 6 (2012)* McMaster-Carr Polyester felt: 1 (2019)* Macflex Mac 9 felt: 2 (2008)* University Products Polyfelt: 1 (2017)
Polypropylene Felt 	100% Polypropylene fibers 	Can be smooth to fuzzy 	Durable, resists tearing and fraying 	Water-repellent; sensitive to UV and heat; absorb oils 	Hypoallergenic 	* Severnside Fabrics Polyfelt: 4 (2009)* McMaster-Carr Polypropylene felt: none* TenCate Geosynthetics: none* Propex: none* Fibertex: none
Polyaramide Felt 	100% Aramid fibers 	Soft, non-abrasive 	Very strong, will no tear but may snag 	Resistant to water, fire and biological growth 	Hypoallergenic 	* Nomex felt: 2(2009-2020)* McMaster-Carr Nomex felt: none
Note: The AIC Materials Testing Results page provides information on Oddy tests that were completed on these materials. Access their database, then the search box to locate material of interest.
== Resources and Citations ==
* M.E.Burkett, "Felt" The Dictionary of Art Vol. 10, Grove's Publishing Inc., New York, 1996.
* Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles, Phyllis G.Tortora, Robert S. Merkel (eds.), Fairchild Publications, New York City, 7th edition, 1996
* The Dictionary of Paper, American Paper Institute, New York, Fourth Edition, 1980
* E.J.LaBarre, Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Paper and Paper-making, Swets & Zeitlinger, Amsterdam, 1969
* The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996 Comment: "Felt" M.E. Burkett
* Wikipedia: Felt (Accessed Nov. 29, 2005 and Feb. 2025)
* Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology (older version called Man-made Fiber and Textile Dictionary, 1965), Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte NC, 1990
* Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982
* Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996
* Edward Reich, Carlton J. Siegler, Consumer Goods: How to Know and Use Them, American Book Company, New York City, 1937
* Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
Category:Materials databaseCategory:MWGCategory:CushioningCategory:Comparisons