Alcantara. What is ultra microfiber?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Aggressive resistant non-woven fabric with a woven surface and the presence of polyurethane foam is Alcantara. What is ultra microfiber? In fact, this is an artificial material developed in the early 70s in Japan.

Composition and characteristics of the fabric

In 1972, Italian furniture manufacturers took Japanese technology as a basis, adding their own nuances, and began to produce their own material, which was called Alcantara. What is high quality original fabric and what is its composition? The material is 80% non-woven polyester and 20% polyurethane fiber. We can say that the fabric is very similar to faux suede and has the same characteristics. But at the same time, the material is resistant to fading and staining. It looks the same from both the front and back sides. It can be machine washed. The fabric is soft, velvety, pleasant to the touch, breathable. It does not rub, does not shine, is resistant to burning.

Applications

Mass production and sale of the original material is carried out by Alcantara SpA. itthe most popular and prestigious materials for car upholstery, in the aircraft industry and in the production of upholstered furniture. Most luxury cars use Alcantara. What is a car interior decorated with a similar fabric? This is a modern design, beauty, comfort, variety of textures, richness of colors. The use of fabric knows no bounds.

Due to its flame retardant properties, it is successfully used in the decoration of racing cars and aircraft interiors. Expensive hotels and restaurants use this material for decoration. Finally, the fashion industry successfully uses the products described in the manufacture of clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry and individual parts of wooden musical instruments. When buying expensive products made from a material such as Alcantara (the photo of which is presented in the article), you should contact trusted representatives on the sales market and beware of cheap fakes. Products are marked with original labels from the inside - three pieces per linear meter.

Self-adhesive alcantara

Actually, Alcantara is the name of a brand name for a synthetic material similar to suede. The original product is produced only in Italy, and it is expensive. Japanese developers have established fabric production in Korea. This is how the Korean self-adhesive analogue of Alcantara appeared. In terms of its properties and quality, artificial fabric almost does not differ from the original. It is a synthetic fiber with a low stretch factor. The elasticity of the material allows pastingsurface with curves of any complexity. The material is pleasant to the touch, velvety and soft. At the same time, self-adhesive Alcantara has practicality, wear resistance and durability. These qualities allow it to be used in car tuning. For dashboards - material without backing. With textile backing - for seats. Self-adhesive with a foam rubber base will go to the ceiling and pillars of the car. A strong and reliable adhesive layer allows the material to be used for furniture design, as well as various miniature products.

Leather or faux suede?

Among the elite finishing materials for car interiors, genuine leather occupies the first place. Alcantara - artificial suede with a directed pile and an adhesive base - is in no way inferior to it. The seat made of genuine leather gets very hot in the heat and causes not very pleasant sensations in cold weather. Suede fabric has the same thickness, which is convenient when decorating complex and uneven parts of a car interior: dashboard, door cards, subwoofer and others. It can be glued without removing the standard trim. As an adhesive base, an acrylic-silicone mixture with high adhesion (stickiness) is used. Strongly keeps on any surface - a tree, plastic or metal. Faux suede may have perforations. It can be both large and small, in the form of square or round holes.

Features and care

The popularity of the material is growing due to the wonderful properties, the originalappearance and ease of maintenance and care. Velvety suede adds warmth and comfort to the car interior. It is unpretentious in care and does not require much attention. You can use a soft clothes brush, dry cloth or vacuum cleaner. Easy to clean with a damp cloth and soapy lather. To remove stains, there is a whole list of relevant recommendations. The material is produced in large rolls, with a width of 150 cm to 300 cm. Alcantara has a number of advantages over other types of fabric. What are combo options? This is the use of Alcantara with genuine leather or leatherette. The materials complement each other perfectly. Alcantara is widely used in interior design, to decorate mobile phones or laptops. What to choose - you decide. It depends on how the updated car interior, new shoes and a handbag or tablet will look like.