I have tested protectors hundreds of times over the last 20 years. One thing to remember, mill protection uses the same fluorochemicals that we use. However, it is applied with high heat which provides better bonding. Directions for secondary market protectors are designed to replenish this mill protection. We instruct a much heavier application for our Maxim Advanced for wool since wool oriental rugs are not protected after construction and sporadically protected after sale.
Whenever I do a lab test, I use untreated nylon carpet squares. I gave up spraying protectors on carpet squares years ago because I doubted the results based on the probability of unequal protecting. Today, I mix up the protector at 1 to 4 and drop the carpet squares into the beaker for a few seconds to assure equal protection. My presupposition is that this level of application replicates mill level protection with any secondary market protectors. This way I can more confidently compare performance of different protectors.
It is also important to remember that virtually all protectors have had to change from a C8 to C6 chain in the last decade. In many cases the transition has resulted in different levels of performance to brand products. The transition for solvent protectors is the last group to transition from C8 to C6. Our industry is in the midst of this change. Our Maxim Fine Fabric made the change in raw material last spring.
Also protectors do 4 things: stain resistance, soil resistance, oil repellency and water repellency. No protector does all 4 things. The fiber or fabric should determine the protector used.
For example, Maxim Advanced and Advanced Protector provide excellent soil resistance which keeps carpet clean longer. Maxim Advanced does not provide surface repellency for water or oil, while Advanced Protector does provide excellent surface repellency. A test I did a few years ago, I treated samples for 2 protectors. One of them kept a drop of oil on the surface for all of 5 minutes and the Advance Protector kept that drop of oil on top for weeks in my lab. Oil immediately penetrates the surface for Maxim Advanced. However, the oil slides down the fiber and does not penetrate the fiber. Others provide a wet look as they penetrate the fiber. Maxim Advanced shines in stain resistance as it contains an acid dye resistor which fills open dye sites in nylon and wool. This limits stains as there is no place in the fiber to stain. Advanced Protector has good surface repellency against stains, however, the material will penetrate when a glass of koolaid falling from 3 feet will penetrate at the focus of impact but sit on the surface as drops spread.
The performance of protector degrades over time. Friction from foot traffic and beater bar vacuums will remove any protector over time. Cleaning also removes some protector in the process. This is why manufacturers of carpet suggest the reapplication of protector after cleaning. If protector did not work, carpet mills would not apply protectors to the carpet. Even Triexta manufacturers finally added mill protection. One brand calls it Everlast. Triexta fiber did not stain, but oil loved to bond to the fibers. They need the protector to limit this bonding of oils.
