ABSTRACT
This sector of the acrylic fiber market has undergone a marked decline in the past 20 years, particularly in the United States. The major volume loss has been in carpets, where nylon and polyester have almost completely displaced acrylic from the market. This loss has been mainly due to nylon's ease of dyeing in both beck and continuous ranges. Other markets such as blankets and draperies have suffered as well. The lone bright spot for acrylics is the upholstery market where, as noted in Chapter 2, U.S. consumption has increased from 9 to 20 million pounds in the period 1980-1991. Europe also witnessed the decline of the acrylic carpet market. However the overall importance of the home furnishings sector in Europe is much higher than in the United States. Japan has the most robust acrylic home furnishings and carpet business; it outpaces the apparel sector by several percent.
