What is triexta carpet fiber?
What Is Triexta? Triexta is a synthetic carpet fiber made from polytrimethylene terephthalate, which has some similarities to polyester.
Is triexta as durable as polyester?
In fact, many in the industry consider triexta to be as durable as nylon carpet fiber, which has long been considered the king of synthetic carpet fibers. The appearance of triexta is more similar to nylon than to polyester. Polyester has a higher luster, giving it a shinier look than other fiber types.
What is triexta?
Triexta is a synthetic (manufactured) material developed by DuPont. While it shares many characteristics with polyester, triexta has several important differences in its chemical makeup that makes it a subclass of polyester.
Does DuPont still make triexta?
Today, DuPont continues to be the sole producer of triexta and Sorona. Mohawk Industries uses triexta/Sorona to make the SmartStrand carpet marketed to consumers. Stain resistant: Triexta carpet is engineered to resist stains not on its coating, but within its very fiber.
What material is Triexta?
Triexta is a synthetic (manufactured) material developed by DuPont. While it shares many characteristics with polyester, triexta has several important differences in its chemical makeup that makes it a subclass of polyester.
What is better Triexta or polyester carpet?
Triexta is also called PTT, a subclass of polyester. Triexta is considered more durable and resilient than polyester carpet. Even though the fiber lacks a long track record, some industry experts also consider its performance superior to nylon. Triexta is cost-competitive with both nylon and polyester.
Is Triexta carpet environmentally friendly?
Triexta places less reliance on non-renewable resources and generates fewer greenhouse gases to produce than nylon. In fact, greenhouse gas emissions from the production of DuPont's triexta brand, Sorona, are 63% lower than nylon – making it a great eco-friendly option.
Does Triexta off gas?
Another type of polyester carpet, SmartStrand is PTT (Triexta) instead of PET. Polyester carpets are consistently lower in offgassing since they are treated with fewer chemicals.
How do you clean a Triexta?
With a vacuum cleaner on the wet setting, you can deep clean your triexta fiber carpets. Use the carpet shampoo as directed on the label, and scrub out grime from your carpets. Use the vacuum cleaner on the wet setting to suck up excess moisture before allowing the carpet to air dry.
Is SmartStrand the same as Triexta?
Triexta is a relatively new carpet fiber to the market that you'll see called several different names. Sorona, SmartStrand, or PTT are all different names for triexta. For now, the primary manufacturer of triexta carpet is Mohawk, under the name SmartStrand.
Is Triexta sustainable?
Using a technique in which corn glucose is fermented, Triexta is made using 37% of this plant based polymer. This renewable resource is much more sustainable and improves upon the production of nylon, polypropylene, polyester and PET which are petroleum based products.
How do you know if your carpet is making you sick?
3 Signs Your Carpet Is Making You SickYou have respiratory problems. If you are having difficultly breathing while at home, your carpet could be the issue. ... Your allergies are acting up. If your allergies seem worse whenever you are at home, your carpet could be causing the flare up. ... You've noticed skin problems.
What is the most durable carpet material?
NylonNylon is the most durable and stain resistant carpet fiber available, when treated with stain protection. It is the fiber of choice for homes with pets and children and for those who entertain a lot. Because of it's durability, nylon carpet is perfect for heavy foot traffic areas like hallways and stairs.
Are synthetic rugs toxic?
Synthetic carpets contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) -- which account for that "new carpet" smell -- that may cause health problems ranging from allergies to nausea. And virtually all synthetic varieties are backed with a latex mix containing styrene, a possible human carcinogen.Healthy Carpet and Rug Tips | Martha Stewarthttps://www.marthastewart.com › healthy-carpet-and-rug-t...https://www.marthastewart.com › healthy-carpet-and-rug-t...Search for: Are synthetic rugs toxic?
Is Triexta carpet good for stairs?
In order to appeal to a number of scenarios throughout the home, carpets come in many materials, from natural fibers like wool and sisal to synthetics like nylon, polyester, triexta, and olefin. Of these, a synthetic nylon carpet may be your best bet for safety, stain-resistance, and strength on stairs.Solved! How to Select the Best Carpet for Stairs - Bob Vilahttps://www.bobvila.com › articles › best-carpet-for-stairshttps://www.bobvila.com › articles › best-carpet-for-stairsSearch for: Is Triexta carpet good for stairs?
Can rugs be toxic?
Many rugs use toxic, high-impact dyes to color the fibers. Formaldehyde, a probable carcinogen and ear, nose, and throat irritant, is found in adhesives used to make many building products and furniture including area rugs. Stain and water repellent treatments are often made from perfluorinated compounds (PFCs).Everything You Need to Know About Choosing a Non-Toxic Rug - Fed & Fithttps://fedandfit.com › non-toxic-rughttps://fedandfit.com › non-toxic-rugSearch for: Can rugs be toxic?
What is Triexta Carpet?
Triexta is a synthetic (manufactured) material developed by DuPont. While it shares many characteristics with polyester, triexta has several important differences in its chemical makeup that makes it a subclass of polyester.
Triexta Carpet Pros
Stain resistant: Triexta carpet is engineered to resist stains not on its coating, but within its very fiber. To prove its point, Mohawk Industries let 10 large zoo animals and 43,000 zoo visitors trample on SmartStrand for two weeks. The result: The triexta carpet was totally cleaned with just hot water extraction.
Triexta Carpet Cons
Can be hard to vacuum: Triexta carpet fibers are more dense than other carpet materials. The best way to get your triexta carpet good and clean (without tiring out your arm!) is to choose a high-quality vacuum cleaner that lets you adjust the beater brush height.
Quality and Durability
Both nylon and triexta are available in carpets of many different qualities. Thus, carpets made with one fiber are not going to be unilaterally better than carpets made with the other fiber.
Warranties
In terms of the warranties offered on the two types of fibers, triexta typically comes out the winner. Warranties vary depending on the quality of the carpet and the manufacturer, but overall, triexta warranties are generally longer and more comprehensive than nylon warranties on carpets of similar quality.
Cost
Generally speaking, triexta is less expensive than nylon. Once again, that is not to say that all nylon carpets will be more expensive than triexta carpets. However, because the nylon fiber itself is more costly to produce than the triexta fiber, a given nylon carpet will likely be more expensive than a triexta carpet of equivalent quality.
Environment
The vast majority of triexta in the marketplace is sold under Mohawk’s SmartStrand label, which features rapidly renewable corn glucose in place of petroleum (up to 37 percent). This benefits not only the outside environment but also your indoor environment, as there will be fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from the carpet.
Stain Resistance
Triexta is inherently stain resistant, as the fiber itself is hydrophobic (meaning it tends not to absorb water-based substances). The fiber can often be cleaned with just water, which could be seen to add to the environmental benefits of triexta, as it reduces the potential use of chemical-laden spot treatment products.
Overall
Triexta has several advantages over nylon, with the exceptions being resilience and durability. In the coming years, as more and more triexta carpets reach an advanced age, nylon's durability advantage over its rival will be reinforced or relinquished.

Ptt/Sorona/Smartstrand
PTT vs. Pet
- The root chemical for triexta (PTT) is the same as that for polyester (PET), so originally, triexta was defined as a polyester. However, it differs so significantly from polyester in terms of the final product that DuPont, along with Mohawk Industries, lobbied to have the differences recognized by approving a new generic name for PTT.
FTC Classification
- In 2009, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission(FTC) officially recognized triexta as a new generic name for PTT, a subclass of polyester. Basically, that means that the chemical structure of the two fibers is similar enough that triexta could not become an entirely new classification of fiber (in the way that polyester or nylon is), but that PTT and PET are different enough that PTT could no…
Characteristics
- There are several reasons why triexta stands out from polyester. The first is that triexta is recognized as being more durable and resilient than conventional polyester. In fact, many in the industry consider triexta to be as durable as nylon carpet fiber, which has long been considered the king of synthetic carpet fibers.
Appearance
- The appearance of triexta is more similar to nylon than to polyester. Polyester has a higher luster, giving it a shinier look than other fiber types. Triexta, like nylon, has a more matte finish.
Stain Resistance
- Triexta is naturally very stain resistant. Many spills can be cleaned with only water, rather than using a spot cleaner. The primary reason for triexta’s high level of stain resistance is that the fiber is hydrophobic, meaning that it does not absorb moisture. Triexta has actually been used in the clothing industry longer than it has been used in the carpet industry – in the clothing industry trie…
Softness
- Another advantage to triexta is that it is significantly softer than both polyester and nylon. Its softness is due in part to the fact that it does not have chemicals applied to the fiber for stain protection. Even the looped Berber styles, which can have a tendency to feel rough when made of nylon or olefin fiber, feel soft to the touch and very comfortable underfoot.
Environmental Advantage
- One of the most appealing aspects of triexta is that it is available in an environmentally friendly version. In attempting to lower the cost of producing it, DuPont began using biotechnology based on fermentation of corn glucose. This replaces the use of petroleum in the production of the fiber, up to 37 percent in DuPont Sorona. As a renewable resource, corn glucose is much more sustai…
Cost
- The cost to produce triexta is lower than that of nylon, so triexta, generally speaking, is very competitively priced. It is typically priced somewhere between polyester and nylon, although the high-end SmartStrandSilk styles may be more expensive.
Warranty
- Triexta, like almost all fibers, is available in various qualities and price points. However, even the entry-level qualities of triexta feature impressive warranties from the manufacturer, so overall triexta offers good value for the money.
Quality and Durability
Warranties
- In terms of the warrantiesoffered on the two types of fibers, triexta typically comes out the winner. Warranties vary depending on the quality of the carpet and the manufacturer, but overall, triexta warranties are generally longer and more comprehensive than nylon warranties on carpets of similar quality. For example, an entry-level triexta in the Mohawk SmartStrand collection offers …
Cost
- Generally speaking, triexta is less expensivethan nylon. Once again, that is not to say that all nylon carpets will be more expensive than triexta carpets. However, because the nylon fiber itself is more costly to produce than the triexta fiber, a given nylon carpet will likely be more expensive than a triexta carpet of equivalent quality.
Environment
- The vast majority of triexta in the marketplace is sold under Mohawk’s SmartStrand label, which features rapidly renewable corn glucose in place of petroleum (up to 37 percent). This benefits not only the outside environment but also your indoor environment, as there will be fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from the carpet.1 VOCs a...
Stain Resistance
- Triexta is inherently stain resistant, as the fiber itself is hydrophobic (meaning it tends not to absorb water-based substances). The fiber can often be cleaned with just water, which could be seen to add to the environmental benefits of triexta, as it reduces the potential use of chemical-laden spot treatment products. Nylon must be treated to resist stains, and stains that penetrate …
Overall
- Triexta has several advantages over nylon, with the exceptions being resilience and durability. In the coming years, as more and more triexta carpets reach an advanced age, nylon's durability advantage over its rival will be reinforced or relinquished. In the meantime, triexta is without question a viable and worthwhile alternative to nylon, especially in regard to cost, eco-friendlines…