Alcántara. What is ultramicrofiber?

An aggressive non-woven fabric with a woven surface and a polyurethane foam is an Alcantara. What is ultramicrofiber? In fact, this is an artificial material, developed in the early 70's in Japan.

Composition and characteristics of tissue

In 1972, Italian manufacturers of furniture took as a basis Japanese technology, adding their nuances, and began to produce their own material, which was called alcantara. What is a high-quality original fabric and what is its composition? The material is 80% non-woven polyester and 20% polyurethane fiber. You can say that the fabric is very similar to artificial suede and has the same characteristics. But the material is resistant to burning and staining. It looks the same both from the front and from the wrong side. It can be washed in the car. The fabric is soft, velvety, pleasant to the touch, lets in air. It is not rubbed, not glossy, resistant to burning.

Areas of use

Mass production and sale of the original material is carried out by Alcantara SpA. These are the most popular and prestigious materials for carpeting, in aircraft construction and the production of upholstered furniture. Most luxury cars use Alcantara. What is a car salon decorated with a similar cloth? This is a modern design, beauty, comfort, a variety of textures, a wealth of color. The use of tissue knows no bounds.

Thanks to its fireproof properties it is successfully used in the decoration of racing cars and airliners. Expensive hotels and restaurants for decoration use this material. Finally, the fashion industry successfully uses the products described in the tailoring of clothing, the production of footwear, bags, jewelry and parts of wooden musical instruments. When buying expensive products made from the same material as Alcantara (photo of which is presented in the article), you should contact the trusted representations in the sales market and beware of cheap fakes. The products are labeled by original labels from the inside - three pieces per running meter.

Self-adhesive Alcantara

In fact, alcantara is the name of a brand, under which a synthetic material resembling a suede is produced. The original product is produced only in Italy, and it is expensive. Japanese developers have founded fabric production in Korea. So there was a Korean self-adhesive analogue of Alcantara. By its properties and quality, artificial fabric is almost not different from the original. This is a synthetic fiber with a small stretch factor. The elasticity of the material allows you to glue the surface with bends 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 you to apply it in car tuning. For instrument panels - a material without a substrate. With textile backing - for seats. Self-adhesive with a base of foam rubber will go to the ceiling and the rack of the car. Strong and reliable adhesive layer allows you to use material for furniture design, as well as various miniature products.

Leather or artificial suede?

Among the elite finishing materials of automobile salons, the first place is occupied by natural leather. Alcantara - artificial suede with pointed nap and glue base - does not concede to it at all. Seat from a genuine leather strongly heats in a heat and causes not so pleasant sensations in cold weather. Suede fabric has the same thickness, which is convenient when decorating complex and uneven car interior parts: dashboard, door cards, subwoofer and others. It can be glued, without removing the standard plating. As an adhesive basis, an acrylic-silicone mixture with a high adhesion (adhesion) is used. Strongly holds on any surface - wood, plastic or metal. Artificial suede can have perforations. It can be either large or small, in the form of square or round holes.

Features and Care

The popularity of the material is growing due to its wonderful properties, original appearance and ease of maintenance and care. Velvety suede gives a feeling of warmth and creates a cozy atmosphere in the car. In care is unpretentious and does not require much attention. You can use a soft clothes brush, a dry cloth or a vacuum cleaner. Easy to clean with a damp cloth and soap. To remove stains, there is a list of relevant recommendations. The material is produced by large rolls, width from 150 cm to 300 cm. A number of advantages over other types of fabric have alcantara. What are the combined options? This is the use of alcantara with real leather or leatherette. The materials perfectly complement each other. Alcantara is widely used in interior design, to decorate mobile phones or laptops. What to choose is up to you. It depends on how the updated car interior, new shoes and handbag or tablet will look.