Present Day
Linoleum as a floor covering has been largely replaced with polyvinyl chloride (yet still colloquially known as "linoleum"), which has similar properties of flexibility and durability, but which has greater brightness and translucency and which is relatively less flammable. The fire-retardant properties of PVC are due to chlorine-containing combustion products, some of which are highly toxic. Dioxins are released by burning PVC. While the polymer itself is generally considered safe, additives such as plasticizers and unintentional impurities such as free monomers are considered a hazard by some: see the health and safety section of the main PVC article for more information and references.
Because it is made of organic materials and is purportedly non-allergenic in nature, high quality linoleum is still in use in many places (especially in non-allergenic homes, hospitals and health care facilities). Linoleum tiles can be made to various designs and inlaid with various colors to form patterns reflecting the shape and use of a room.
Linoleum is used in break dancing as an alternative to cardboard as it provides a large slick and durable surface.
The largest present day manufacturer of linoleum is Kirkcaldy-based Forbo Nairn, which sells the material under the trademarked name of Marmoleum. The company, which is part of the Switzerland-based Forbo Group, is the oldest manufacturer of linoleum in the world.
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—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)
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