Felt is a textile that is produced by matting, condensing, and pressing fibers together. It can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood pulp–based. Felt is highly moisture-wicking and absorbent, and it has sound-dampening properties. It is also highly durable and flame retardant. Felt is used in a wide range of industries and manufacturing processes, from the automotive industry and casinos to musical instruments and home construction, as well as in gun wadding, either inside cartridges or pushed down the barrel of a muzzleloader. Felt is frequently used in industry as a sound or vibration damper, as a non-woven fabric for air filtration, and in machinery for cushioning and padding moving parts. Felt can be used in home furnishings like table runners, placemats, coasters, and even as backing for area rugs. It can also be used for framing paintings as a protective measure to avoid damage from rubbing to the edge of the painting. Felt is a man-made fabric, created from natural fibers. It is not made by weaving, but instead, fibers are subjected to high levels of pressure and heat, with water added to the process to compress them into what we can recognize as felt fabric. The production process makes felt a durable material with a dense consistency as the fibers become permanently compressed and interlocked together.