Nylon
This is the most commonly used fiber in carpet today because it is strong, easy to dye, and readily available. Nylon is
a synthetic fabric made from petroleum products. It was developed in the 1930s as an alternative to silk. Nylon is
valued for its light weight, incredible strength, durability, and resistance to damage. It also takes dye easily, making
nylon fabrics available in a varity of colors. There is still no stronger carpet fiber on the market today. If you have any
high traffic paths at all, I strongly recommend you buy a nylon carpet.
PET Polyester
This is a new type of fiber that has this long chemical name: Polyethylene Terephthalate, but still falls in the class of
fibers known commonly as polyesters. This PET fiber, however, is "not your daddy's polyester". This fiber has natural
and permanent stain resistance. PET fiber is stronger than the old polyester and has better abrasion resistance.
Unlike the old polyester, the PET product has a higher melting point and is more resistant to abrasion.
The fiber is made from PET chips, some of which come from recycled plastic containers, hence the name "pop bottle
carpet". Recycling does not affect the quality if the fiber, thus this product could be a future fiber that could be
recycled over and over.
Olefin or Polypropylene
This is one of the most color fast fibers on the market. It also is one of the most naturally stain resistant. Thus, this
fiber is best suited for indoor-outdoor carpet in both loop and grass styles. Olefin is a cheap fiber. It performs well in
wear tests if the profile of the pile height is low.