What are the types of acrylic fiber?

There are four main types of acrylic fabric available in the market:

• Acrylic
This is considered as normal acrylic fiber which is manufactured from at least 85% pure acrylonitrile. They are manufactured by either wet or dry spinning method. They are texturized to give a light bulky wool-like hand and aesthetics. Acrylic fibers are resistant to acid and sunlight. Some of the common trade names for acrylic fibers include Acrilan, Creslan, Orlon, Sayelle, and Zefran.

• Modacrylic
Modacrylic fiber is a variant of acrylic fiber that is partially composed of acrylonitrile and contains a high degree of vinylidene chloride. Modacrylics have a warm pleasing hand and better drapability, resiliency, and wrinkle resistance. Modacrylic fabric also has better pilling, flame, and abrasion resistance than acrylic fabric. The shape retention ability, wrinkle resistance, and crease retention of modacrylic fabric are better than acrylic fabrics. Modacrylic fabrics are used in specialty applications. Some of the common trade names of modacrylic fibers include Elura, SEF, Verel, and Zefran.

• Nytril
Unlike the other variants of acrylic fiber which are manufactured using acrylonitrile, nitrile is primarily composed of vinylidene dinitrile. Nitrile fibers are manufactured using polymers containing at least 85% vinylidene dinitrile units and co-monomer of vinyl acetate. Nitrile is more famous in the Asian market rather than the UD market. Nitrile fibers are difficult to dye. Nitrile is not a popular fiber and hence it is produced in very small quantities in the world.

• Lastrile
Lastrile fibers are manufactured by mixing the copolymers of acrylonitrile and a diene such as butadiene. Lastrile contains 10%-50% of acrylonitrile units and is an elastic variant of acrylic fiber. Lastrile fibers are used in those applications where greater elasticity is needed in acrylic fibers.
Lastrile is an elastic form of acrylic that is made by mixing a type of chemical called a diene with acrylonitrile. This fabric is used in similar applications to acrylic in which greater elasticity is desired.
Lastrile fibers are fibers formed from copolymers of acrylonitrile and a diene such as butadiene and contain 10%-50% acrylonitrile units. Lastrile fibers have not been commercially produced.