ABNORMAL
CRIMP- A relative term for crimp that is either too low or too high in
frequency
and/or amplitude or that has been put into the fiber with
improper angular characteristics.
ABRADED
YARN- A filament yarn in which filaments have been cut or broken to
create hairiness
(fibrillation) to simulate the surface character of spun yarns. Abraded yarns
are usually plied or twisted
with other yarns before use.
ABRASION
MARK- An area where a fabric has been damaged by friction.
ABRASION
RESISTANCE- The ability of a fiber or fabric to
withstand surface wear and rubbing.
ABSORBANCE-
The ability of a substance to transform radiant energy into a
different form, usually with a
resulting rise in temperature. Mathematically, absorbance is the negative logarithm to the
base 10 of transmittance.
ABSORBENCY-
The ability of one material to take up another material.
ABSORPTION-
The process of gases or liquids being taken up into the pores of
a fiber, yarn, or
fabric.
ACETIC
ACID- An organic acid (CH3COOH)
widely used in textile applications. It is used in textile wet
processing, dyeing and printing, and in the manufacture of cellulose acetate
and cellulose
triacetate.
ACETIC
ANHYDRIDE- Anhydrous acetic acid [(CH3CO)2O].
It is used in the acetylation process in the
manufacture of cellulose acetate.
ACETONE-
Dimethyl ketone (CH3COCH3). One of the most powerful organic
solvents. Acetone dissolves
secondary cellulose acetate and other derivatives of cellulose. It is miscible with water and has
a low boiling point (55-56°).
ACID-DYEABLE
VARIANTS- Polymers modified chemically to make them
receptive to acid
dyes.
ACIDIC-
A term describing a material having a pH of less than 7.0 in
water.
ACID
RECOVERY- A reclamation process in chemical
processing in which acid is extracted from a raw
material, by-product, or waste product. In the manufacture of cellulose
acetate, acetic acid is a major
by-product. Acid recovery consists of combining all wash water containing appreciable acetic
acid and concentrating it to obtain glacial acetic acid.
ACID
RESISTANCE- The property of withstanding contact or
treatment with any acids normally
encountered in use. The type of acid should be stated (i.e., organic or
inorganic).
ACRYLIC
FIBER- A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is any
long chain
synthetic polymer
composed of at least 85% by weight of acrylonitrile units [-CH2-CH(CN)-] (FTC definition).
Acrylic fibers are produced by two basic methods of spinning (extrusion), dry and wet. In the dry spinning method, material to be spun is dissolved is a solvent. After extrusion through
the spinneret, the solvent is evaporated, producing continuous filaments which later may be cut
into staple, if desired. In wet spinning, the spinning solution is extruded
into a liquid coagulating
bath to form filaments, which are drawn, dried, and processed.
ACTION
STRETCH- A term applied to fabrics and garments that
give and recover in both the lengthwise and the
widthwise directions. Action stretch is ideal for tight-fitting garments such
as ski pants.
ACTIVATED
CARBON- Charcoal, mostly of vegetable origin, of high adsorptive
capacity. It is used for
decolorizing liquids and other adsorption purifications. Usually made by carbonization and
chemical activation.
ADDITION
POLYMERIZATION- A reaction yielding a polymer in which the
molecular formula of the
repeating unit is identical with that of the monomer. The molecular weight of a polymer so formed
is a simple sum of the molecular weight of the combined monomer units. Combination occurs
by means of rearrangement of the chemical bonds.
ADDITIVE-
A supplementary material combined with a base material to
provide special properties. For example, pigments are used as dope additives to
give color in mass dyeing.
ADHESION-
The force that holds different materials together at their
interface and resists separation into two
layers.
ADHESION
PROMOTERS- Products used to treat the smooth
fiber-face of closely constructed base fabric to
provide a chemical bonding site for subsequent coating. This step is done
because it is difficult to
get good coating adhesion via strikethrough and mechanical bonding in closely constructed
fabrics. Products containing the isocyanate group are the most widely used promoters.
ADHESIVE
ACTIVATED YARNS- Yarns treated by the fiber manufacturer to
promote better adhesion to another
material such as rubber and/or to allow easier processing.
ADHESIVE
MIGRATION- In nonwovens, the movement of adhesive
together with its carrier solvent in a fabric
during drying, giving it a non-uniform distribution within the web, usually increasing to the
outer layers.
ADHESIVES-
In textiles, materials which cause fibers, yarns, or fabrics to
stick together or to other materials.
ADIPIC
ACID- 1,4-butanedicarboxylic acid [COOH(CH2)4COOH].
It is used in the polymerization
reaction to form nylon 66 polymers and in the manufacture of polyurethane foams.
ADSORPTION-
The attraction of gases, liquids, or solids to surface areas of
textile fibers, yarns, fabrics, or any material.
ADVANCED
COMPOSITE- Polymer, resin, or other matrix-material
system in which reinforcement is
accomplished via high-strength, high-modulus materials in continuous filament form or is
discontinuous form such as staple fibers, fibrets, and in-situ dispersions.
AESTHETICS-
In textiles, properties perceived by touch and sight, such as
the hand, color,luster, drape, and
texture of fabrics or garments.
AFFINITY-
Chemical attraction; the tendency of two elements or substances
to unite or combine, such as
fiber and dyestuff.
AFTERGLOW-
The flameless, glowing combustion of certain solid materials
that occurs after the removal of an
external source of ignition or after the cessation of combustion of the
material.
AFTERTREATMENT-
Any treatment done after fabric production. In dyeing, it refers
to treating dyed
material in ways to improve properties; in nonwovens, it refers to finishing processes carried
out after a web has been formed and bonded. Examples are embossing, creping,softening,
printing, and dyeing.
AGEING-
1. Deterioration of textile or other materials caused by gradual
oxidation during storage and/or
exposure to light.
2. The
oxidation stage of alkali-cellulose in the manufacture of viscose rayon from
bleached wood pulp.
3. Originally,
a process in which printed fabric was exposed to a hot,
moist atmosphere. Presently, the term is applied to the treatment of printed fabric in moist
steam in the absence of air. Ageing is also used for the development of certain colors in dyeing,
e.g., aniline black.
AGER-
A steam chamber used for ageing printed or padded material.
AGGLOMERATION-
A cluster of particles or fibers.
AGITATE-
To stir or to mix, as in the case of a dyebath or solution.
AIR
BAG- An automatically inflating bag in front of riders in an
automobile to protect them from pitching
forward in an accident. End use for manufactured textile fibers.
AIR
BRUSHING- Blowing color on a fabric or paper with a
mechanized pneumatic brush.
AIR
CONDITIONING- 1. A chemical process for sealing short, fuzzy
fibers into a yarn. Fabrics made from
air-conditioned yarns are porous. Because they allow more air circulation, these fabrics are
also cooler. 2. Control
of temperature and/or humidity in work or living space.
AIR
FORMING- A process in which air is used to separate
and move fibers to fashion a web such as the Kroyer®
process for short fibers, usually of wood pulp; or the Rando-Webber® process for
staple-length fibers.
AIR
JET SPINNING- A spinning system in which yarn is made by wrapping
fibers around a core stream of fibers with compressed air. In
this process, the fibers are drafted to appropriate sliver
size, then fed to the air jet chambers where they are
twisted, first in one direction, then in the reverse direction
in a second chamber. They are stabilized after each twisting
operation.
AIR-LAID
NONWOVENS- Fabrics made by an air-forming process
(q.v.). The fibers are distributed by air
currents to give a random orientation within the web and a fabric with
isotropic properties.
AIR
PERMEABILITY- The porosity or the ease with which air
passes through material. Air permeability
determines such factors as the wind resistance of sailcloth, the air resistance
of parachute cloth,
and the efficacy of various types of air filters. It also influences the warmth
or coolness of a fabric.
AIRPLANE
FABRIC- A plain, tightly woven, water-repellent fabric traditionally
made of mercerized cotton.
During World War I, the fabric was treated with a cellulose acetate dope and used to cover the wings, tail, and fuselage of airplanes. Today, similar fabrics made from nylon or polyester/cotton
blends are used in rainwear and sportswear.
AIR-SUPPORTED
ROOF- A fabric-based roofing system that is supported and held in place
by air pressure.
ALBATROSS-
A soft, lightweight wool or wool blend fabric in a plain weave
with a napped, fleecy surface that
resembles in texture, the breast of the albatross. It is usually light-colored
and is used in
negligees, infants’ wear, etc.
ALGINATE
FIBER- Fiber formed from a metallic salt (normally calcium) of alginic
acid, which is a natural
polymer occurring in seaweed. Alginate fiber is soluble in water.
ALKALINE-
A term used to describe a material having a pH greater than 7.0
in water.
ALKYLATION-
The introduction of an alkyl radical into an organic molecule.
ALLOY-
A solid or liquid mixture of two or more metals; or of one or
more metals with certain nonmetallic
elements formed by fusing the components.
ALPACA-
1. Long, fine hair from Alpaca sheep. 2.
A fabric from alpaca fibers or blends,(originally a
cotton cloth with alpaca filling) that is used for dresses, coats, suits, and
sweaters. It is also used as a
pile lining for jackets and coats. (The term has been incorrectly used to describe
a rayon fabric.)
ALPACA
STITCH- A 1 x 1 purl-links stitch that is knit so that the courses run
vertically instead of horizontally as the fabric comes off the knitting machine. A
garment made with an alpaca stitch is not always
100% alpaca; it can
be made of other natural or manufactured fibers.
ALPHA
CELLULOSE- One of three forms of cellulose. Alpha
cellulose has the highest
degree of polymerization and is the chief constituent ofpaper pulp and
chemical dissolving-grade pulp.
ALSIMAG®-
Registered trademark of American Lava Corporation for ceramic materials.
These materials are used in guides and discs on textile processing machines and fiber
manufacturing equipment.
ALTERNATING
TWIST- A texturing procedure in which S and Z twist are alternately
inserted
in the yarn by
means of a special heating arrangement.
AMINE
END GROUP- The terminating (-NH2) group of a nylon polymer chain. Amine end groups provide dye
sites for polyamides.
AMORPHOUS-
Noncrystalline, lacking regular geometrical shape. Used to
describe certain regions in
polymers.
ANGORA-
1. The hair of the Angora goat. The long, fine fibers are so smooth
and soft that they must be combined
with other fibers in weaving.
2. The
hair of the Angora rabbit. The fine,lightweight hair is
warm, and it is often blended with wool to decrease price and to obtain novelty effects in weaving.
By law, the fiber must be described as Angora rabbit hair.
ANHYDRIDE-
A compound formed by abstraction of water, usually from an acid.
Example-
acetic anhydride,
which is used in converting cellulose to cellulose acetate.
ANIDEX
FIBER- A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is any
long chain synthetic polymer
composed of at least 50% by weight of one or more esters of a monohydric alcohol and acrylic
acid, (CH2=CH-COOH) (FTC definition).
ANIMAL
FIBERS- Fibers of animal origin such as wool, alpaca, camel hair, and
silk.
ANISOTROPIC-
Not having the same physical properties in every direction. In
the plane of a
fabric, it is
related to a non-random distribution of fibers.
ANTIBACTERIAL
FINISH- A treatment of a textile material to make it resistant to, or to
retard growth of,
bacteria.
ANTICHLOR-
A chemical, such as sodium thiosulfate, used to remove excess
chlorine after
bleaching.
ANTIFELTING
AGENTS- Products that prevent or minimize matting and compaction of
textile materials.
ANTIFOAMING
AGENT- An additive that minimizes the formation of bubbles within or on
the surface of a
liquid by reducing the forces that support the bubble’s structure.
ANTIOXIDANT-
A substance to retard deterioration (of fiber, fabrics,
finishes, etc.) resulting
from reaction with
oxygen.
ANTISOILING
PROPERTIES- The properties of textile materials whereby
they resist
deposition of dirt
and stains.
ANTISTAINING
PROPERTIES- The ability of a textile to resist the
deposition of oil- or
water-borne stains.
ANTISTATIC
PROPERTIES- The ability of a textile material to
disperse an electrostatic
charge and to
prevent the build up of static electricity.
APPLIQUE-
A design made separately and then sewn on a cloth or garment.
ARACHNE
MACHINE- A machine for producing loop-bonded
nonwovens. The fabric is
formed by knitting
a series of warp yarns through a fiber web processed on a card.
ARAMID
FIBER- A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming material is a
long chain
synthetic polyamide
having at least 85% of its amide linkages (-NH-CO-) attached directly to two
aromatic rings (FTC
definition).Aramid fibers
exhibit low flammability, high strength, and high modulus. Fabrics made from aramid fibers
maintain their integrity at high temperatures, such fabrics are used extensively
inhot-air filters.
Aramids are also found in protective clothing, ropes and cables, and tire cord.
ARGYLE-
A pattern consisting of diamond shapes of different colors knit
in a fabric.
ARTIFICIAL
TURF- A manufactured carpet having the appearance of grass. Used to
replace
grass in sports
arenas, yards, etc.
ART LINEN- A
plain-weave, softly finished fabric used either bleached or unbleached as a
base
fabric for
needlework.
ASBESTOS-
A nonmetallic mineral fiber, which is nonflammable. The fiber is
woven into fabrics and used
for theater curtains and industrial uses where flame-resistant materials are
needed.
ASPECT
RATIO- 1. The ratio of length to diameter of a fiber
or yarn bundle. 2. In
tire production, the
ratio of the height of the tire to its width. 3. In
a rectangular structure, the ratio of
the longer
dimension to the shorter.
ASTRAKHAN
CLOTH- A thick knit or woven fabric with loops or curls on the face.
The base
yarns are usually
cotton or wool and the loops are made with fibers such as mohair, wool, and
certain
manufactured fibers. The face simulated the pelt of the astrakhan lamb.
ATACTIC
POLYMER- A type of polymer molecule in which substituent groups
or atoms are arranged randomly above and below the backbone
chain of atoms, when the latter are all in the same plane
(e.g., in polypropylene).
ATMOSPHERIC
CONDITIONS- In general, the relative humidity,
barometric pressure, and temperature existing at a given time.
ATTRITION
MILLS- Machines for reducing materials into smaller particles by
grinding down
by friction. In the
manufacture of acetate and triacetate fibers, equipment used in shredding pulp
prior to
acetylation.
AUTOCLAVE-
1. An apparatus for carrying out certain finishing operation, such
as pleating and heat setting, under
pressure in a superheated steam atmosphere. 2. Apparatus
for polymerizing condensation
polymers such as nylon or polyester at any pressure above or below atmospheric.
AVERAGE
STIFFNESS- The ratio of change in stress to change in
strain between two points
on a stress-strain
diagram, particularly the points of zero stress and breaking stress.
AXIAL
YARN- A system of longitudinal yarns in a triaxial braid that are
inserted between bias
yarns.
AXMINSTER
CARPET- A machine-woven carpet in which successive weft-wise rows of
pile are inserted during weaving according to a predetermined
arrangement of colors. There are four main types of
Axminster looms-
Spool, Gripper, Gripper-Spool, and Chenille.
AZLON
FIBER- A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance consists
of any regenerated naturally occurring proteins (FTC definition). Azlon
is not currently produced in the United States.