Felt

Woman's hat
MFA# 2001.677

Description

Man's hat
MFA# 44.186

A nonwoven textile composed of matted Cotton, Wool, or Hair fibers matted together with through mechanical, chemical, or thermal processes, such as heat and moisture. The oldest known fabric samples, excavated in Turkey, are made of wool felt and date to at least 6500 BCE. Felt was usually made from sheep's wool, Goat hair, or Camel hair. Occasionally vegetable fibers (e.g., Cotton, Kapok), rags, recycled paper or synthetic fibers are used for felt. Felt is a good insulator for both temperature and noise. It has been used to make hats, blankets, rugs, insulation, filtration, polishing cloths, and absorbent cloths, as well as to line boxes and instrument cases.   Synthetic fibers used for felting include acrylic, polyaramide (Nomex), polyester, polypropylene and Rayon. See also Polypropylene felt, Polyester felt and Acrylic felt.

Synonyms and Related Terms

fur felt; wool felt; polyfelt (for synthetics); Filz (Deut.); feutre (Fr.); vilt (Ned.); fieltro (Esp.)

Applications

• Blankets, hats, rugs, table cloths, placemats
• Insulation, filtration, geotextiles
• Polishing cloths, absorbent cloths
• Protective liners, padding, fillers
• Crafts, toys, decorations

Properties

Property	Fiber Composition	Texture	Durability	Collection Risks	Personal Risks	Recorded tests Brand name: number (dates) See note below.
100% Wool Felt or Wool Blend	100% Wool (often Merino) Wool with Rayon or Acrylic	Soft, smooth, matte appearance	Very durable, resists pilling	Water-repellent; degrades in warm, moist environments, attracts insects	Can cause allergies
Cotton Felt	100% Cotton	Very soft, warm, stretchy	Less durable, can pill and fuzz	Very absorbent for water and vapors; breathable; biological growth	Hypoallergenic, combustible	* Acoustic Textile felt (70% cotton): 1 (2019)
Rayon/Viscose felt	regenerated cotton	Soft, smooth with silky feel and sheen, good drape	Less durable, prone to tearing, can shrink and wrinkle	Like cotton; absorbent; breathable; biological growth	Hypoallergenic, combustible
Acrylic Felt	100% Acrylic fibers	Can be fuzzy or hard, slightly shiny	Less durable, can pill and fuzz	Not water-repellent; sensitive to UV and moisture	Hypoallergenic, combustible	* World of Fabrics Acrylic Prefelt: 1(2010) * Buffalo felt: none * Kunin Felt: none
Polyester Felt	100% Polyester fibers	Slightly fuzzy, soft surface	Durable, resists tearing and fraying	Water-resistant; sensitive to UV and heat; absorb oils	Hypoallergenic	* Benchmark polyester felt: 18 (1999-2018) * Sutherland felt: 10 (2017-2019) * Severnside Fabrics Polyfelt: 6 (2012) * McMaster-Carr Polyester felt: 1 (2019) * Macflex Mac 9 felt: 2 (2008) * University Products Polyfelt: 1 (2017)
Polypropylene Felt	100% Polypropylene fibers	Can be smooth to fuzzy	Durable, resists tearing and fraying	Water-repellent; sensitive to UV and heat; absorb oils	Hypoallergenic	* Severnside Fabrics Polyfelt: 4 (2009) * McMaster-Carr Polypropylene felt: none * TenCate Geosynthetics: none * Propex: none * Fibertex: none
Polyaramide Felt	100% Aramid fibers	Soft, non-abrasive	Very strong, will no tear but may snag	Resistant to water, fire and biological growth	Hypoallergenic	* Nomex felt: 2(2009-2020) * McMaster-Carr Nomex felt: none

Note: The AIC Materials Testing Results page provides information on Oddy tests that were completed on these materials. Access their database, then the search box to locate material of interest.

Resources and Citations

• M.E.Burkett, "Felt" The Dictionary of Art Vol. 10, Grove's Publishing Inc., New York, 1996.
• Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles, Phyllis G.Tortora, Robert S. Merkel (eds.), Fairchild Publications, New York City, 7th edition, 1996
• The Dictionary of Paper, American Paper Institute, New York, Fourth Edition, 1980
• E.J.LaBarre, Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Paper and Paper-making, Swets & Zeitlinger, Amsterdam, 1969
• The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996 Comment: "Felt" M.E. Burkett
• Wikipedia: Felt (Accessed Nov. 29, 2005 and Feb. 2025)
• Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology (older version called Man-made Fiber and Textile Dictionary, 1965), Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte NC, 1990
• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982
• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996
• Edward Reich, Carlton J. Siegler, Consumer Goods: How to Know and Use Them, American Book Company, New York City, 1937
• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000