What are the types of felt?

Felt, accepted as one of the oldest known textile products, is produced in different types for various uses due to its durability, flexibility, and wide range of applications. What are the types of felt? Each of these types is produced in different thicknesses and with different materials and is used in many different fields. Felt has many varieties depending on its area of use or purpose.

Areas of Use of Felt

• The use of felt in the industrial sector is quite extensive. Some of these areas include:
• Thermal insulation due to its resistance to heat and moisture,
• The industrial sector,
• The footwear industry thanks to properties such as being odorless and breathable,
• The weaving and apparel industry due to its fabric structure,
• Medical material packaging,
• The automotive industry.

Felt is widely used in many fields because it is:

• Resistant to heat and moisture,
• Flexible and not easily deformed,
• A long-lasting material.

Types of Felt

The most commonly used types of felt today are as follows:

Synthetic Fabric Felt

Unlike felt produced by traditional methods, this type is manufactured in factories using machines. It is a type of felt produced mainly for industrial needs. Since it is one of the lowest-cost textile products, it is frequently used by many sectors. In addition, synthetic fabric felt can be produced in different weights, colors, and thicknesses. Felts used for decorative purposes or as colorful hobby felts are also synthetic fabric felt types. Moreover, these felt types are quite environmentally friendly.

Dry (Needle) Felt

As the name suggests, dry felt is a type of felt obtained through a production technique that does not use water. In this type, wool fibers are brought together without wetting and are pierced with a needle so that the fibers interlock with each other. The tip of the needle causes the wool fibers to tangle and bind together, forming felt. Machines containing thousands of needles are used to produce dry felt. Today, people who use felt as a hobby create various felt figures using this method, known as needle felting.

Wet Felt

Unlike dry felt, wet felt is produced using wool that is moistened with warm water during the production stage. The wool soaked with warm water is subjected to a process called fulling, in which the fibers interlock and are compacted until felt is formed. Afterward, the thoroughly interlocked wool is dried to obtain felt.

As Keçe Dünyası, one of Turkey’s leading felt manufacturers, we have tried to answer the question “What are the types of felt?” in detail in this article. We hope it has been useful. For more detailed information about felt and felt types or to learn about felt prices, you can contact us.