Faux Fur Information
Faux fur is fur that is made from synthetic fibers rather than real animal fur. Many people prefer fake fur over real fur because there are no animals hurt to make the item and fake fur is much cheaper to obtain. There is a lot of interesting information regarding fake fur including how it is made, its history, and some benefits and drawbacks to using faux fur.
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History
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Fake fur was first introduced in 1929. Fake furs at this time were actually not synthetic but made from alpaca fur. The furs were usually grey or tan and did not wear well or look anything like the "real" furs. It wasn't until the 1950s that manufacturers were able to make a truly synthetic fur. These furs were typically made from acrylic polymers, which is actually a kind of plastic. After the 1950s, faux fur became more acceptable because of its cheaper expense and the ability to dye the synthetic fur any shade desired. Modern fur is typically made from modacrylics, which is a mixture of acrylic and other polymers.
Materials
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Modern synthetic fur is made from a variety of materials. Most synthetic fur fibers are made from acrylics and modacrylics. These products are created from petroleum, coal, water, vinyl and even limestone. An involved heating and chemical mixture process is involved in creating these materials. Sometimes real cloth, such as cotton, silk and wool, is mixed in with the synthetic fibers to create a more natural-looking faux fur. Rayon and polyester are also used to supplement the acrylic fibers. Cotton, polyester and polypropylene are typically used to make the backings for synthetic furs.
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Manufacturing
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The manufacturing process for faux fur is fairly long and complicated. First, the synthetic fibers must be created. Faux fur actually starts as a white powder which is then dissolved into a liquid by the addition of acetone. The liquid is then dried and stretched into individual fibers. The fibers are cut and colored. The fibers are then stitched or woven to a backing.
Benefits
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There are many benefits to using faux fur over real fur. By using synthetic fabrics, the animals that would have originally been killed to create fur items are allowed to live. In some cases, this can prevent the extinction of these animals. Synthetic fur can also last longer than real fur, which tends to deteriorate and mold over time.
Warning
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Even though faux fur has many benefits, there are a few drawbacks as well. Faux fur typically sheds much more than real fur. The weaving that holds the fabric into place is usually weak at best, which can leave you with synthetic fibers all over your house and clothing. Synthetic fibers also do not produce as much warmth as real fur.
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References
- Photo Credit fur #2 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
