Flocking is a process in which a chemically treated pile is applied to the surface. The fabric resulting from this process is called flock. It is widely used in interior decoration and upholstery. We offer to buy genuine Italian flock of premium quality from our online shop. This fabric will make your interior design classy and sophisticated.
How is flock produced?
Original from English, the word "flock" means "pile". This fabric is really fleecy, as if covered with small fluff. Initially, flock was made from production wastes. This technique was created by Chinese people, who applied the fibers onto a surface lubricated with resin.
At the beginning of the 20th century, technology spread throughout the world, and flock began to be produced not from trimming fabric, but from specially prepared fibers. The production involves three levels:
• Harvesting pile (grinding or cutting).
• Coloring, which gives not only variety of color shades, but also moisture resistance and ultraviolet resistance.
• Application to the canvas. First, the pile is electrified using special equipment. Then it is sprayed onto a cloth coated with glue, and at the end it is fixed with a special composition.
Types of flock
There are several types of flock, depending on the raw material from which the pile is made. Here are the most common:
• Cotton is non-durable and therefore used mostly as a decorative material.
• Mixed fabric is a combination of nylon pile and cotton basic with synthetic fibers.
• Polyamide is fully widespread in furniture production. Upholstered furniture is most often made from it.
• Polyester. It possesses many features of polyamide, but it is difficult to paint, therefore it is usually available in black.
• Viscose is, on the contrary, easy to paint, it is great to use for decoration, but piles get wrinkled quickly.
• Acetate flock also wrinkles quickly, so it is not used for decoration and furniture, but mainly for the production of faux fur.
The most common area of flock application is the production of furniture and interior elements (e.g. home textiles), toys, jewelry, and also clothes.
Advantages and disadvantages
The material is pretty strong and, with proper care, it can serve for years without changing its properties. In addition, the flock perfectly repels moisture and allows a little airflow. You can wash, as it doesn’t damage the fabric, nor create spools on it. The material is not afraid of temperature changes. It is soft and very appealing.
However, there are a few tiny little flaws. It electrifies quite quickly, therefore it attracts dust and can be damaged by alcohol-containing liquids. There is another very important drawback which comes with cheap Chinese fabrics. During the production, cheap glue is usually used, which can release formaldehyde in an amount exceeding the norm by 20 times.
The only way to avoid such danger is to buy fabric from European manufacturers that produce fabrics in accordance with EU safety standards. In this case, the use of only those components that are completely safe for humans is guaranteed. Our online shop offer Italian fabrics which meet all the required EU quality standards to make you feel more safe and comfortable at your own home.