Definition:
Felt:
Felt is a textile good that is made by condensing, matting, and pressing fibers together. It can be made from natural materials such as animal fur or wool or it can be made synthetically from wood pulp-based rayon or petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile. Synthesized fibers are also common. Felt has certain properties that make it available to be used for an abundance of purposes. Felt is fire retardant and self-extinguishing. Felt absorbs sound, dampens vibration, and can hold a large quantity of water without feeling wet.
Uses of Felt:
Felt can be used in the manufacturing process of various industries, from casinos to home construction. In industries, felt is used as a sound damper, non-woven fabric for air filtration and is used by machinery for cushioning and padding movie parts. Felt can also be used as clothing as people used it to make hats and to line footwear. The music industry also uses felt as a damper for various musical instruments like using felt to make piano hammers. In arts and crafts, felt is used for framing paintings. Felt is laid between the slip mount and picture as a protective layer to avoid damaging the painting.
Different Types of Felt:
There are various types of felt available. There is industrial felt and non-woven felt available.
Industrial pressed wool felt is widely used in chemical, machinery, electromechanical and cement, and textile industries. It is used in furniture polishing, automobiles, aircraft, machine tools, and other equipment for sealing, insulation, dust prevention, thermal insulation, sound insulation.
The non-woven fabrics are made by non-woven methods, such as needling, melt blow, spun lace, etc, or dry or wet methods. While industrial pressed wool and non-woven fabrics are both non-woven fabrics, the difference between them lies in the habitual classifications. Those with high density and thickness are called industrial pressed wool felts. Those with 2-5mm are called industrial felt and those with 1mm thickness are called non-woven fabrics.
Top 10 Handmade Products From Felt: