| HS Code | 504670 |
| Product Name | PET staple fiber for needled carpet |
| Material | Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) |
| Fiber Form | Staple fiber |
| Fineness Range | 3-18 D |
| Cut Length Range | 38-150 mm |
| End Use | Needled carpet |
| Color | Raw white, white, black, or dope-dyed colors |
| Cross Section Shape | Round, trilobal, or hollow |
| Density | 1.38-1.40 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 255-260 °C |
| Softening Point | 230-240 °C |
| Tenacity | 2.5-6.0 cN/dtex |
| Elongation At Break | 20-60% |
| Crimp Number | 8-15 crimps/25mm |
| Crimp Ratio | 10-30% |
| Moisture Regain | 0.4-0.8% |
| Oil Content | 0.2-0.5% |
| Heat Shrinkage | ≤5% at 100°C |
| Uv Resistance | Good |
| Abrasion Resistance | Good |
| Acid Resistance | Good |
| Alkali Resistance | Moderate |
| Antistatic Property | Can be antistatic treated |
| Flame Retardancy | Can be flame-retardant treated |
As an accredited 3-18D*38-150mmPET staple fibers for needled carpet factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied in 250 kg compressed bales, wrapped in woven polypropylene and secured with PET straps for transport. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Container Loading (20′ FCL): About 10–12 tons of 3-18D*38-150mm PET staple fibers for needled carpet, depending on packaging and bale density. |
| Shipping | Shipping description: PET staple fibers, 3–18D × 38–150 mm, for needled carpet. Packed in PP woven bags/bales on pallets, shrink-wrapped. Non-hazardous, moisture-sensitive. Keep dry, away from direct sunlight and ignition sources. Transport by truck, rail, or sea in clean, ventilated containers. Handle with care to avoid package damage. |
| Storage | Store indoors in a cool, dry, well-ventilated warehouse. Keep original sealed packaging on pallets, away from moisture, direct sunlight, heat, flames, oils, chemicals, and dust. Maintain humidity below 65% and temperature below 40°C. Stack securely without excessive compression. Follow first-in-first-out inventory. Protect from pests, contamination, and prolonged UV exposure. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is 12 months when stored dry, cool, ventilated, in original packaging, protected from moisture, sunlight, and contamination. |
In automotive main-floor needled carpet and trunk liner constructions, 3–18D × 38–150 mm PET staple is selected because carding throughput and dimension stability under compression molding are the controlling parameters, rather than fill power or resilience alone. The fibre charge for floor covering is typically 4–6D × 51–76 mm PET at 80–100 wt%; the balance, where present, is 4D × 51 mm low-melt bicomponent PET/PET binder activated in a hot-air chamber at 140–160 °C. Recycled PET content is limited to 30–50 wt% only after VOC screening, because VDA 278 total VOC and fogging limits can be exceeded if the recycled fraction carries degraded spin finish above 0.3 wt% or unsaturated polyester contaminants. Compliance anchors are FMVSS 302 and ISO 3795 for burn rate, VDA 278 for emissions, and GADSL with REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Annex XVII for declarable substance restrictions. On a production-scale line, bale openers and weigh-pan feeders feed a 2.5–3.5 m wide single-cylinder card; cross-lapping builds 350–600 g/m² webs; a single- or dual-board needleloom with 5,000–7,000 needles/m working width operates at 250–350 P/cm² and 11–13 mm penetration. At punch densities above 400 P/cm², needle breakage increases and the web surface shows needle pick-out defects when using 4D fibre shorter than 51 mm. Staple crimp is maintained at 8–12 crimps per 25 mm and spin finish at 0.12–0.22 wt% to limit card clothing lapping and static generation; bales stored at RH above 75% are pre-dried because equilibrium moisture above 0.4 wt% can contribute to card web edge irregularities. The needled substrate is back-coated with SBR or acrylic latex at 80–120 g/m² dry add-on, cured at 130–150 °C for 1–2 min, then die-cut and compression-molded into main floor carpets, trunk liner mats, rear shelf coverings, and seat-back substrates.
The limiting process variable in contract carpet tile and broadloom production is the interaction between low-melt binder fibre activation and hot-air circulation across a 2.5–4.0 m web. In this segment, the fibre charge is typically 70–80 wt% 6–15D × 64–102 mm PET and 20–30 wt% 4D × 51 mm PET/PET bicomponent binder fibre. The processing boundary is narrow: if bonding-oven temperature exceeds 165 °C, the binder sheath migrates toward the surface and creates a visible resin film that alters surface friction; below 140 °C, inter-fibre bond strength is insufficient and the finished tile delaminates under the adhesion requirements referenced in EN 14041. Compliance is assessed under EN 14041 and EN 1470, with electrostatic propensity tested to ISO 6356 and electrical resistance measured under ISO 10965. The production route uses a carding/cross-lapping line to form 300–800 g/m² webs, then needle punching at 180–280 P/cm² and 10–12 mm penetration, followed by hot-air bonding at 140–160 °C for 45–60 s. Because industrial hot-air ovens show ±5 °C transverse temperature deviation across 4 m widths, the upper setpoint is normally pulled back to 155 °C to avoid edge overheating while still meeting the bonding threshold. At ambient relative humidity below 30%, static charge accumulates on card clothing and causes web-edge build-up, so mills apply an antistatic spin finish at 0.1–0.25 wt% or controlled humidification in the carding hall. The bonded felt is then cut and attached to a bitumen, PVC, or polyolefin tile backing at 2.5–3.0 kg/m². Finished types are 500 mm × 500 mm contract carpet tiles, 2 m broadloom for hospitality corridors, and entrance mat sections.
| Application segment | Linear density and staple length | Cross-lapped basis weight | Punch density | Thermal or coating condition | Reference standard |
| Automotive main-floor | 4–6D × 51–76 mm | 350–600 g/m² | 250–350 P/cm² | SBR/acrylic latex 80–120 g/m², cure 130–150 °C | FMVSS 302, ISO 3795, VDA 278 |
| Contract tile | 6–15D × 64–102 mm | 300–800 g/m² | 180–280 P/cm² | Hot air 140–160 °C, 45–60 s | EN 14041, EN 1470, ISO 6356, ISO 10965 |
| Exhibition roll | 6–9D × 76–102 mm | 200–350 g/m² | 120–200 P/cm² | Latex 20–40 g/m² | EN 13501-1, DIN 4102-1 B2 |
| Outdoor/marine | 9–15D × 76–150 mm | 500–800 g/m² | 250–350 P/cm² | Acrylic latex 60–100 g/m² | ISO 105-B02, ASTM D4329, ISO 846, IMO FTPC Part 5 |
| Acoustic underlay | 12–18D × 76–150 mm | 600–1,200 g/m² | 300–450 P/cm² | Calendered to ±0.5 mm, 50–80 kg/m³ | ISO 354, ASTM C423, ISO 9053-1, EN 13501-1 |
| Hospitality rugs | 6–9D × 64–102 mm | 180–400 g/m² | 150–220 P/cm² | Thermal 110–130 °C, transfer print 200–220 °C | 16 CFR 1630/1631, ASTM D5252, EN 1470 |
For exhibition and event roll carpet, a 100% solution-dyed PET staple at 6–9D × 76–102 mm, sometimes with 10–20 wt% recycled PET to lower raw-material cost, is carded at 2.5–4.0 m working width, cross-lapped to 200–350 g/m², needle-punched at 120–200 P/cm², and finished with a 20–40 g/m² latex or acrylic binder applied by kiss roll to stabilize roll edges, so that the material meets EN 13501-1 class Bfl-s1 or DIN 4102-1 class B2 floor covering fire certification for temporary floor installations; end products include 1–2 m × 25–50 m roll carpet, aisle runners, and stage covering.
Because outdoor deck temperatures above 70 °C can soften low-melt sheath fibre and cause pile loss, marine and outdoor needled carpet grades shift to 9–15D × 76–150 mm solution-dyed PET, whose coarser filament cross-sections resist flattening under foot traffic and maintain colour after wet-dry cycling. In this application, the fibre charge is typically 100 wt% UV-stabilized PET; masterbatches contain hindered amine light stabilizers at 0.2–0.5 wt% and carbon black or selected organic pigments at 1.0–2.5 wt% in the polymer melt, although published supplier data for exact stabilizer loadings varies. Compliance anchors include ISO 105-B02 for light fastness with a minimum rating of 7 after xenon-arc exposure, ASTM D4329 for accelerated weathering, ISO 846 for fungal resistance, and IMO FTPC Part 5 where the carpet is installed on passenger vessels. Process parameters on a production line: carding builds 500–800 g/m² webs across 2.5–3.5 m width, needle punching at 250–350 P/cm² and 12–15 mm penetration creates a dense low-pile surface; acrylic latex backcoating at 60–100 g/m² dry add-on is preferred over thermoplastic binder fibres because of the deck-heat limitation above 70 °C. Operational boundary: PET hydrolyzes in extended hot-water exposure above 60 °C, so steam pressure-washing is excluded and the carpet must be installed with drainage to avoid prolonged ponding. Finished goods are boat cabin carpet, RV floor covering, and outdoor patio rugs.
The processing window for acoustic needled carpet underlay is defined by airflow resistivity and absorption coefficient versus longitudinal thickness variation across cross-lapped webs. The fibre charge often contains 60–90 wt% coarse 12–18D × 76–150 mm PET staple and 10–40 wt% reclaimed PET fibre or edge trim, with up to 10 wt% 4D bicomponent binder for surface stability. Compliance measurements are carried out under ISO 354 for sound absorption coefficient in a reverberation room, ASTM C423 for noise reduction coefficient, ISO 9053-1 for airflow resistance, and EN 13501-1 or EN 14041 for floor assembly fire certification. Production uses a high-weight carding/cross-lapping line to form 600–1,200 g/m² webs at 2.5–4.0 m width; needlelooms run at 300–450 P/cm² and 13–15 mm penetration with 15–18 gauge triangular barb needles. At the upper needle density limit, the web can lose 5–10% thickness through fibre breakage and needling compaction, so the line is set to a target density of 50–80 kg/m³ and airflow resistance measured to 100–600 kPa·s/m² for underlays. Thickness tolerance is controlled to ±0.5 mm by a two-roll calender with closed-loop gap control after needling. Needle boards above 350 P/cm² require forced-air cooling because needle friction heat can exceed 120 °C and degrade spin finish on coarse PET. The finished formats are 2–10 mm acoustic carpet underlay rolls, die-cut floor insulation mats for multi-family housing, and laminated wall panel backings.
| Segment | Standard | Test designation or requirement | Limit or condition |
| Automotive | FMVSS 302 / ISO 3795 | Horizontal burn rate for interior materials | ≤100 mm/min under FMVSS 302 |
| Automotive emissions | VDA 278 | Thermal desorption analysis of organic emissions | OEM-specific VOC/FOG threshold |
| Contract tile | EN 14041 / EN 1470 | Essential characteristics and needled floor covering classification | Use-intensity class per EN 1470 |
| Outdoor/marine | ISO 105-B02 | Xenon-arc light fastness | Minimum rating 7 |
| Acoustic underlay | ISO 9053-1 | Direct airflow resistance measurement | 100–600 kPa·s/m² |
| Hospitality rugs | 16 CFR 1630 / 16 CFR 1631 | Surface flammability of carpets and rugs | Pass |
When disperse transfer printing replaces latex backing in hospitality and residential decorative rugs, the fibre charge shifts to 100% PET at 6–9D × 64–102 mm because print definition and surface abrasion resistance are required simultaneously. The formulation may include 5–10 wt% low-melt binder fibre only when the rug is printed with disperse dye transfer paper at 200–220 °C, where surface bonding prevents fibre pull-out under hexapod testing. Compliance is under 16 CFR 1630 and 16 CFR 1631 for floor covering flammability, ASTM D5252 for appearance retention, and EN 1470 for classification of needled floor coverings without pile. In downstream processing, the fibre is carded to 180–400 g/m², cross-lapped, needle-punched at 150–220 P/cm² with 9–12 mm penetration, and then thermally stabilized between 110–130 °C for 30–45 s before printing. Without a latex backing, the rug remains flexible but edge fraying is a known limitation, so manufacturers ultrasonically seal cut edges or apply a 20–30 g/m² edge binder only at the perimeter. Finished products are printed area rugs, hotel room bath mats, and vacuum-packed retail accent rugs.
Competitive 3-18D*38-150mmPET staple fibers for needled carpet prices that fit your budget—flexible terms and customized quotes for every order.
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Product designation 3-18D*38-150mm PET staple fibers for needled carpet identifies a round cross-section polyester staple fiber range with linear density from 3 denier to 18 denier (3.3 dtex to 20.0 dtex, tested according to ISO 1973-1:2021) and cut length from 38 mm to 150 mm (tested according to ASTM D5103-07(2018)). The product is intended for dry-laid needle-punched floorcoverings, including automotive interior carpet, entrance matting, contract area rugs, exhibition carpet, and carpet tile face layers. Because the range spans fine 3–6 denier staple for dense low-void surface webs and coarse 12–18 denier staple for resilient batt cores, the product differs from conventional mono-denier polyester staple by permitting a single specification to cover stratified batt constructions. Typical fiber tensile values are 3.0–5.5 cN/dtex tenacity at break and 25–55% elongation at break under ISO 5079:2020. Crimp frequency is normally 8–14 crimps per 25 mm under ASTM D3937. The spin finish is a non-silicone carding/needling system; extractable finish content is controlled in the range of 0.10–0.25% by mass.
Carding of this range is governed by cut length rather than denier alone. For 38–64 mm staple in the 3–8 denier zone, high-speed nonwoven cards with working widths of 2.5–3.5 m and cylinder surface speeds up to 1200 m/min operate acceptably when the carding hall is maintained at 55–65% RH. Relative humidity below 40% can raise electrostatic potential on doffer webs above 2 kV, causing web transfer collapse and irregular cross-lapper selvedges. For cut lengths above 90 mm, especially 120–150 mm, cylinder speed is usually reduced below 900 m/min. At lengths above 120 mm, crimp frequencies above 14 crimps per 25 mm tend to increase cylinder wrapping at the worker-stripper interface; field-line adjustment requires wider worker-to-cylinder settings and reduced production speed.
Batt formation typically uses cross-lappers with feed-apron widths matched to the card, placing webs at 100–800 g/m² before needling. Long-fiber fractions above 100 mm improve cross-lap uniformity in high-loft batts, but lapper draft ratios below 1.02 can produce edge build-up and folded selvedges. Draft ratios in the 1.02–1.08 range are applied to hold selvedge tension without excessive web extension. When the batt mass exceeds 600 g/m², cross-lap edge profiling becomes necessary to prevent selvedge over-density; failure to profile the edge produces a hard band after needling and reduces carpet tile flatness.
Needle-loom parameters form the main processing boundary. Punch densities from 200 cm⁻² to 800 cm⁻² are common for PET needled carpet; penetration depth is selected in the 8–15 mm range according to batt thickness and denier distribution. Fibers below 6 denier require wider barb spacing, typically not tighter than 3.2 mm, because dense barb engagement cuts the fiber bundle rather than reorienting it. Raising punch density from 400 cm⁻² to 800 cm⁻² increases machine-direction tensile strength but reduces elongation at break; above 800 cm⁻² on 6 denier face webs, needle-hole marking and face pilling increase. Needle boards using 15×18×36×3.2 R regular barb needles are used in high-output lines, while 3–4 denier face webs often require high-density needle boards and lower stroke frequencies.
Card clothing selection follows denier. For 3 D fiber, flexible fillet wire with point densities of 500–600 ppsi reduces short-fiber generation; for 15–18 D fiber, semi-rigid wire with 200–300 ppsi opens the coarser bundles. Improper wire selection increases short-fiber content, which is transferred to the needle loom and appears as face pilling after 1000 cycles of simulated wear. The interaction between 38 mm cut length and 3.2 mm barb spacing can pull staple free rather than entangle it; in such cases, barb spacing should be increased or the 38 mm fraction should be limited to the surface layer only.
| Fiber parameter | Declared range or typical value | Test method |
|---|---|---|
| Linear density | 3–18 denier (3.3–20.0 dtex) | ISO 1973-1:2021 |
| Cut length | 38–150 mm | ASTM D5103-07(2018) |
| Crimp frequency | 8–14 per 25 mm | ASTM D3937 |
| Tenacity at break | 3.0–5.5 cN/dtex | ISO 5079:2020 |
| Elongation at break | 25–55% | ISO 5079:2020 |
| Intrinsic viscosity | 0.62–0.68 dL/g | ASTM D4603-18 |
Lot-to-lot variation within the declared window changes needling response. A ±0.5 denier shift in a 12 D×90 mm lot changes fiber count per unit mass by approximately 4%, and a ±3 mm length shift alters entanglement frequency at constant punch density. Needle looms do not compensate automatically; fabric breaking force should be checked on each lot under ISO 9073-3. When low-denier lots are run at the same batt mass, thickness recovery can be maintained by increasing punch density approximately 10%, but the upper limit must remain below the pilling threshold identified for the face-web denier.
Compared with PET staple marketed for fiberfill or hygiene nonwovens, the 38–150 mm cut-length window differentiates this product by allowing face and backing layers to be sourced from one bale group. The product also differs from siliconized hollow conjugate PET staple because the solid round geometry reduces needle friction in compacted batt zones and avoids void collapse under punch densities above 600 cm⁻². Unlike PET/coPET bicomponent staple containing a low-melt sheath of 110–180 °C, this fiber is not designed for thermal self-bonding; dimensional stability in needled carpet is developed through needle entanglement or secondary binder application.
In needled floorcovering, tensile development is anisotropic. Machine-direction breaking strength after needling at 600 cm⁻² is typically 20–40% higher than cross-machine breaking strength because fiber orientation follows carding direction. Cross-lapper angle and draft ratio can reduce this anisotropy. For carpet tile products requiring low curling, a 90° cross-lap with draft ratio 1.05 is commonly used, although published data for the full denier range is limited and fabric squareness must be verified on the line.
For acoustic and airflow-controlled automotive carpet, fine 3–6 D webs increase airflow resistance at equivalent thickness, measured under ISO 9053-1:2018; coarse 12–18 D webs reduce airflow resistance and improve compression recovery. The denier range therefore permits tuning of sound absorption and cushion recovery within the same fiber specification, but the exact airflow resistivity curve must be measured for each batt construction because published data for the complete range is limited.
The principal differentiating variables are density, melting peak, tensile behavior, and moisture uptake. PET density of 1.38 g/cm³ is higher than polypropylene at 0.91 g/cm³ and nylon 6 at 1.14 g/cm³, so a batt of equivalent mass per square metre is thinner unless loft is adjusted through denier and crimp. The PET melting peak is 250–260 °C, compared with 160–170 °C for polypropylene and 215–225 °C for nylon 6 under ISO 11357-3:2018. This places PET needled carpet in installations where service temperatures exceed the softening point of polypropylene, such as enclosed automotive transmission tunnels and high-solar-gain glazing zones.
Tensile behavior differs most in elongation at break. PET staple typically shows 25–55% elongation, polypropylene 60–150%, and nylon 6 40–70% under ISO 5079:2020. Polypropylene absorbs needling energy through high elongation, which reduces fiber breakage at similar punch densities; PET requires tighter needle-depth control but yields lower batt stretch during needling and greater dimensional stability after stretching. Moisture regain at 65% RH and 20 °C is approximately 0.4% for PET, 0.05% for polypropylene, and 4.0% for nylon 6. Nylon 6 provides higher toughness recovery after compression but is more affected by humidity cycling, while PET retains drier-fiber processing and lower humidity-induced growth.
Because PET density is 1.38 g/cm³, a needled carpet of equal thickness and fiber volume consumes more polymer mass than polypropylene. The difference is approximately 52% greater mass for PET at equal volume, which must be offset by a lower batt thickness or a higher resilience target. This density penalty is one reason PET is selected where temperature stability, compression recovery, or recycled content outweigh mass minimization. PET also differs from polypropylene in thermal stability: polypropylene is not suitable for exposure above 120 °C in stretched batt form, while PET staple retains dimensional integrity through 150 °C if heat-set. PET is not intended for acid-dye printing; PET requires disperse dye chemistry, whereas nylon 6 accepts acid dyes. This difference matters in carpet tile applications where decorative patterning is applied by inkjet or dye infusion.
| Characteristic | PET staple | Polypropylene staple | Nylon 6 staple | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.38 g/cm³ | 0.91 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ | ISO 1183-1:2019 |
| Melting peak | 250–260 °C | 160–170 °C | 215–225 °C | ISO 11357-3:2018 |
| Tenacity at break | 3.0–5.5 cN/dtex | 2.0–4.0 cN/dtex | 3.5–6.0 cN/dtex | ISO 5079:2020 |
| Elongation at break | 25–55% | 60–150% | 40–70% | ISO 5079:2020 |
| Equilibrium moisture regain | 0.4% | 0.05% | 4.0% | Supplier data at 65% RH, 20 °C |
Fine 3–6 denier PET staple increases fiber count per unit batt mass. A 3 denier fiber has approximately three times the fiber count per kilogram of a 9 denier fiber, which raises inter-fiber contact area and needle penetration force. On high-speed needle looms, stroke frequencies above 1200 min⁻¹ can generate needle-board surface temperatures above 80 °C when processing 3 D face webs at punch densities above 600 cm⁻². Sustained operation above 80 °C may volatilize low-molecular-weight spin finish fractions and increase needle-to-fiber friction, producing needle streaks and local fiber fusion. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, so production lines monitoring needle-board temperature should set alarm thresholds at 75–80 °C.
Pilling resistance is controlled by cut length, denier, and needling depth. Fibers below 38 mm are excluded from the face-layer range because short anchor length increases fiber pull-out under wear. Blending 120–150 mm staple with 6 D face fiber can create long anchor points that reduce pile surface abrasion loss, but blends containing more than 30% by mass of 150 mm fiber can bridge between needle barbs and generate uneven pile loops. A typical face-layer blend is 70% 6 D×64 mm and 30% 15 D×90 mm, although published line data for this specific configuration is limited and each needle loom must be characterized with a preliminary punch-density sweep.
Barb spacing and needle throat depth interact with cut length. A 64 mm fiber engaged by a needle with 3.2 mm barb spacing can be reoriented through multiple barbs without complete withdrawal; a 38 mm fiber at the same setting can be pulled free, reducing entanglement efficiency. Needle friction is lower for the 12–18 D component, but when that coarse component is blended into a fine face web, denier contrast can create visible pile streaks if blending is not uniform. Weigh-belt blending accuracy below ±1.5% is required for 3 D/15 D face-layer blends; otherwise local fiber count differences appear as banding after needling.
Bale storage should be held at 20 ± 5 °C and 55 ± 10% RH. Bales exposed to relative humidity above 75% for more than 48 h should be reconditioned before opening to avoid carding static and web splits. The fiber is incompatible with antistatic coatings that raise surface resistivity above 1012 Ω/sq, evaluated by ASTM D257-14, because doffer transfer becomes erratic. Needle looms set with penetration depths above 15 mm for 3 D staple increase needle deflection and breakage, particularly at stroke frequencies above 800 min⁻¹. Batting lines using recycled PET with intrinsic viscosity below 0.60 dL/g, measured by ASTM D4603-18, should limit punch density to 400 cm⁻² to control fiber breakage and pilling.
Wet-cleaning alkaline exposure should be restricted to pH below 9 and temperature below 60 °C; prolonged alkaline hydrolysis above these limits reduces ester-chain integrity and lowers fabric tensile strength. The round solid cross-section also means that binder adhesion in latex-backed carpet tile is governed by surface finish oil content rather than fiber surface porosity; finish content above 0.25% by mass can interfere with pre-coat adhesion and should be corrected before coating.
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