glossery

term	explanation
A SURFACE	The exposed layer in an automotive headliner.
ABSORBTION	The ability of a fabric to take in moisture – a very important property, which affects many other characteristics such as skin comfort, static build–up, shrinkage, water repellency and wrinkle recovery.
ADHESION	The bonding strength of one material to another.
ABSORPTION	The process by which a gas or liquid is taken up by the surface of a material. An adsorbent nonwoven wicks and holds the gas or liquid between the fibers.
AIR PERMEABILIY(AIRPERM)	The rate at which air flows through a fabric. Also referred to as BREATHABILITY. Often measured in cfm (cubic feet per minute per square foot) or cm3/sec/cm2.
AIR PERMEABILIY(AIRPERM)	A nonwoven web forming process that disperses fibers into a fast-moving air stream and condenses them onto a moving screen by means of pressure or vacuum.
AMORPHOUS	Not crystalline. A random rather than a regular arrangement of chains of molecules within regions of a polymer or fiber.
ANTIOXIDANT	An additive that retards the deterioration of a material’s functional and aesthetic properties by reaction with the oxygen in the air.
ANTISTAT	An additive that reduces the accumulation or assists the dissipation of electrical charges that arise during the processing of fibers, fabrics and films and during the use of such materials.
ARAMIDFIBER	A synthetic fiber that is part of the NYLON (POLYAMIDE) family. Aramid is short for Aromatic Polyamide. META-ARAMIDS (NOMEX) exhibit very high heat resistance and PARA-ARAMIDS (KEVLAR) exhibit very high strength as well as high heat resistance. Other brand names include TWARON, TECHNORA, and HERACRON.
ASHRAE	The acronym for American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers. Most air and liquid filter manufacturers in the United States use the ASHRAE test methods.
ASTM	The acronym for American Society for Testing and Materials International. ASTM standards are used for a variety of nonwoven testing and specifications.
ATTENUATION	Drawing or pulling of molten polymer into a much-reduced diameter filament or fiber. This can add strength to the filament or fiber by making it less amorphous and more crystalline in structure.

term	explanation
BB CON	BB CON the best partner in the non-woven field. They allow their customers to focus more on their downstream markets or applications and worry less about sourcing the correct products.
B SURFACE	The middle layer in an automotive headliner. It can be made from foam or fiber glass
BACK COATING	An adhesive type substance applied to the back side of a fabric for the purpose of locking pile yarn into a carpet backing, or bonding a secondary backing to the primary backing, increasing fabric body or stiffness, or imparting flame retardancy to the fabric.
BACKING	A web, nonwoven or other material that supports and reinforces the back of a product such as carpeting or wallpaper. Backings provide dimensional stability and enhance the performance of the face fabric.
BACKING CLOTH	The material on the inner side of a composite
BALE	A compressed and bound package of fibers – a common shipping package for fibers.
BASIS WEIGHT	The mass of a unit area of fabric. Examples: grams per square meter – ounces per square yard. Basis Weight is mass per square area and is not the same a DENSITY, which is mass per cubic volume.
BATCH	A number or an amount of items forming a group i.e. a batch (amount) of fibers.
BATT, BATTING	A soft bulky assembly of fibers, usually carded. A carded web is sometimes referred to as a batt.
BICOMPONENT FIBERS	Fibers consisting of two polymeric compounds arranged in a core-sheath (concentric or eccentric) or a side by side or a matrix or ‘islands in the sea’ configuration, chosen to ensure one component softens at a sufficiently lower temperature than the other in order to maintain the structural integrity or to create specific characteristics.
BINDER	An adhesive substance, generally a high polymer in a solid form (powder, film, fiber) or as a foam, or in a liquid form (emulsion, dispersion, solution) used for bonding the constituent elements of a web or enhancing their adhesion, in order to provide the nonwoven fabric cohesion, integrity and/or strength and additional properties.
BINDER FIBERS	Generally, thermoplastic fibers used as thermal bonding fibers in conjunction with other fibers with a higher softening point or non-melting fibers. Some binder fibers that may not be thermoplastic can be activated by solvent (e.g. water).
BIODEGRADABLE	The ability of a substance to be broken down by bacteria so that it can be consumed by the environment.
BLEND	A combination of two or more fiber types in making fabrics.
BONDING	Conversion of a fibrous web into a nonwoven by chemical (adhesive/solvent) means or by physical (mechanical or thermal) means. The bonding may be distributed all over (through or area bonding) or restricted to predetermined, discrete sites (point or print bonding).
BSR REDUCTION	Buzz, squeak and rattle test. An acoustic test for determining fit and wear of automotive components.

term	explanation
C SURFACE	The inner layer of an automotive headliner that moves against the inner metal of a car or truck.
CALENDER	machine used to bond fibers of a web or sheets of fabric or film to each other or to create surface features on these sheets. It consists of two or more heavy cylinders that impart heat and pressure to the sheets that are drawn between them. The rollers can be mirror smooth, embossed with a pattern, or porous.
CALENDER BONDING	A process for thermally bonding webs by passing them through the nip of a pair of rolls, one or both of which are heated. Plain or patterned rolls may be employed (see POINT BONDING). Alternatively, a blanket calendar may be used.
CALENDERING	A mechanical finishing process used to laminate or to produce special surface features such as high luster, glazing and embossed patterns.
CARD	A machine designed to separate fibers and remove impurities; align and deliver them to be laid down as a web or to be further separated and fed to an airlaid process. The fibers in the web are aligned with each other predominantly in the same direction. The machine consists of a series of rolls or a drum that are covered with many projecting wires or metal teeth. These wire-clothed rolls or drums are called cards.
CARDED NONWOVEN	Made from a variety of fibers, including rayon and polyester, with ranging fiber lengths. This is done to provide fabric integrity.
CARDING	A process for making fibrous webs in which the fibers are aligned essentially parallel to each other in the direction in which the machine produces the web (machine direction).
CARTRIDGE FILTER	Pleated filter Media wrapped around an inside core. The performance is affected by the number of pleats perinch or centimeter, the type of material used and the size of the openings of the core in order to provide specific air or liquid performance
CELLULOSIC FIBERS	Made from plants that produce fibrous products based on polymers of the cellulose molecule. Cotton plants produce separate cellulose fibers, whereas wood pulp is made by mechanically and/or chemically separating wood fibers. Other sources of cellulose are fibers such as flax manila, ramie and jute. Rayon is made by dissolving wood pulp in a solution and extruding that solution through spinnerets into a chemical bath that regenerates the fibers.
CFM	Cubic Feet per Minute. Technically, Cubic Feet per Minute per Square Foot. Unit of measure for quantifying airflow through a filter media.
CHEMICAL BONDING	A method of bonding webs of fibers by chemical agents that may include adhesives and solvents. The process may entail one or more of the following methods: impregnation, spraying, printing and foam application. NOTE: chemical bonding using chemical agents occurs only in a reactive system, e.g. a crosslinkable dispersion. Normal polymer bonding as it happens with non-reactive polymer binders (e.g. fibers, adhesives or lattices) is a physical process.
CLOUDY WEB	An uneven or irregular web that gives a cloud-like appearance. Also referred to as WINDOWS.
COATING	Application of a liquid or powder to one or both surfaces of a fabric, which is followed by drying and winding.
COFORM	Application of a liquid or powder to one or both surfaces of a fabric, which is followed by drying and winding.
COHESION	The resistance of like materials to be separated from one another. Examples are: The tendency of fibers to adhere to each other during processing, the resistance of a web to being pulled apart, and the resistance of a component of a laminate to being torn apart when the adhesive interface in the laminate is being stressed.
COMBING	In carding, the part of the process that removes neps and straightens the fibers.
COMPOSITE MATERIAL	Combination of two or more distinct materials having a recognizable interface between them.
CONFORMABILITY	The ability to meet certain quality standards.
CONTINUOUS FILAMENT	A fiber of unending length, usually made by extruding a plastic or polymer solution through a hole in a die called a spinneret.
CONVERTER	An organization that manufactures finished products from fabrics supplied in rolls; or provides intermediate processing steps such as slitting, dyeing and printing.
COPOLYMER	A polymer chain made up of monomeric units from more than one monomer, e.g. vinyl acetate / ethylene polymers.
CORONA CHARGE	An electrostatic charge applied to some filter media to increase the initial filtration properties of the filter.
COTTON FIBER	A unicellular, natural fiber composed of an almost pure cellulose. As taken from plants, the fiber is found in lengths of 8 mm – 50 mm. For marketing, the fibers are graded and classified for length, strength and color.
COVER, COVERAGE	The degree to which a fabric hides an underlying structure.
CREPE	A quality in a fabric imparted by wrinkling or embossing to give a crimped surface and greater fabric bulk.
CRIMP	The waviness of a fiber. Crimp amplitude is the height of the wave with reference to the straight uncrimped fiber.
CRIMP FREQUENCY OR LEVEL	The number of crimps per unit of length.
CROSS DIRECTION, CROSS MACHINE DIRECTION (CD, CMD, XMD)	The width direction, within the plane of the fabric, that is perpendicular to the direction in which the fabric is being produced by the machine.
CROSS-LAID, CROSS LAPPED	A web of fibers, formed by cross-laying or cross-lapping. A variable percentage of the fibers are oriented in both the MD and CD directions, providing more ISOTROPIC physical properties than a PARALLEL-LAID web.
CROSS-SECTION	The outline profile of a cut end of a fiber when it is cut perpendicular to its long axis. These profiles can be round, oval, irregular or complex shapes depending on the shape of the die used to extrude the synthetic fiber; or for a natural fiber, depending on its growth pattern.
CROSSLAPPER	A machine used to fold or layer fiber webs across their widths. The crosslapper provides webs with both machine direction and cross direction fiber orientation, can change web width, or web weight.
CRYSTALLINE	Orderly arrangement of molecules and polymer chains in a fiber or plastic.
CURING	A process by which resins, binders or plastics are set into or onto fabrics, usually by heating, to cause them to stay in place. The setting may occur by removing solvent or by crosslinking so as to make them insoluble.

term	explanation
DACRON	Weight in grams of 10,000 meters of a fiber. It is one-tenth of a tex (see Tex). Prefixes such as kilo and deci are used when the numbers become too large or too small to express fineness. It measures the coarseness of a fiber.
DECITEX (Dtex)	Weight in grams of 10,000 meters of a fiber. It is one-tenth of a tex (see Tex). Prefixes such as kilo and deci are used when the numbers become too large or too small to express fineness. It measures the coarseness of a fiber.
DELAMINATION	Tendency of a fabric to be pulled apart (layer separation) by normal surface forces or shear tensions.
DENIER	The measure of a mass per unit length of a fiber. Denier is numerically equal to the mass in grams of 9000 meters of material. Low numbers indicate fine fiber sizes and high numbers indicate coarse fibers.
DENSITY	Mass per unit volume, i.e. grams/cubic centimeter. Density is different that basis weight, which is mass per square area, not cubic volume.
DEPTH FILTER	A filter medium which is thick and captures particles within the media.
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH	A filter media made from diatoms, which are fossils that collect at the bottom of sea beds in prehistoric seas. Also known as “kieselguhr,” the material is characterized by pores and cavities capable of capturing and retaining contaminants.
DIE	A system to produce a thin filament of molten polymer in spunlaid and melt blown technology. A small annular orifice for spinning man-made fibers.
DIFFUSION	The movement of molecules or ions through a solution or material in response to differential concentrations or repulsive or attractive forces.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY	Immersion of a textile in a finishing liquid (dip) such as dye or binder softener to improve its adhesion or water repellent properties.
DOFF	1. (verb) The term used for removing a finished fabric from the machine: Doff the roll, or doffing the roll. 2. (noun) In some regions, the term also refers to the roll of finished material removed from the machine.
DOFFER	The last cylinder of a card from which the sheet of fibers that has been formed is removed by a comb (doffer comb or roll).
DOOR PANELS	Dioctylphthalate (diethyhexyphospate) is a viscous liquid that is heated into an aerosol in the critical particle range to challenge a filter. The aerosol’s presence upstream of the filter and downstream are measured to determine the media’s efficiency. DOP is used to measure HEPA and ULPA media performance.
DRAPE	The ability of a fabric to fold on itself and to conform to the shape of the article it covers.
DRAWING	A process of stretching a filament after it has been formed so as to reduce its diameter. At the same time, the molecules of the filament are oriented, thereby making it stronger. The ratio of the final length to the initial length is called the draw ratio.
DRYFORMING (DRYLAYING)	A process for making a nonwoven web from dry fiber. These terms apply to the formation of carded webs, as well as to the air laying formation of random webs.
DRYLAID	Various fibers bonded together using a liquid emulsion that are then dried
DRYLAID NONWOVEN	Carded fibers bonded together using either heat or chemicals.

term	explanation
EFFICIENCY	The ability of a filter device or media to remove particulate of a certain size from a liquid or gaseous fluid by measuring the concentration of the particles upstream and downstream of the device or media.
ELASTICITY	The ability of a strained material to recover its original size and shape immediately after removal of the stress that causes deformation.
ELASTOMERS	Polymers inducing the qualities of stretch and recovery.
ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE	The process by which a gas or liquid is taken up by the surface of a material. An adsorbent nonwoven wicks and holds the gas or liquid between the fibers.
ELONGATION	Measured by determining the percentage a material will stretch in the machine and cross directions of the fabric while under specific weight loads depending on the testing method used.
ELONGATION BREAK	The point at which the last component of the stretched material breaks.
EMBOSSING	A process whereby a pattern is pressed into a film or fabric, usually by passing the material between rolls with little clearance and where one or both rolls have a raised design. At least one of the rolls is usually heated.
EMULSION	A suspension of finely divided liquid droplets within another liquid (see DISPERSION).
ENTANGLEMENT	A method of forming a fabric by wrapping or knotting fibers in a web about each other by mechanical means, or by use of jets of pressurized air or water, so as to bond the fibers
EXTRUSION	A process by which a heated polymer is forced through an orifice to form a molten stream that is cooled to form a fiber. Examples of this process are Polypropylene and Polyester. Alternatively, a solution of polymer can be forced through an orifice into a solvent that causes the fiber to solidify. Examples are Kevlar and rayon.

term	explanation
FABRIC	A sheet structure made from fibers, filaments or yarns.
FACE FABRIC, FACING	A material that serves as the outermost layer of a composite and is exposed and visible.
FANCY	In carding, prepares the fibers for transfer from the main cylinder to the doffer.
FANCY STRIPPER	Cleans the fancy.
FEED ROLLS	Top and bottom rolls in carding that receive the fibers from the opening and blending stages of the plant.
FELT	A sheet of matted fibers, bonded together by needlepunch spunlace, and/or a chemical process, and the application of moisture, heat, and pressure (see also NEEDLEFELT). In some regions felt and nonwoven are used interchangeably, though there are many other types of nonwovens.
FIBER	The basic threadlike structure from which nonwovens, yarns and textiles are made. It differs from a particle by having a length at least 100 times its width. NATURAL FIBERS are either of animal (wool, silk), vegetable (cotton, flax, jute) or mineral (asbestos) origin. MAN-MADE FIBERS may be either polymers synthesized from chemical compounds (polyester, polypropylene, nylon, acrylic, etc.) modified natural polymers (rayon, acetate) or mineral (glass).
FIBER DISTRIBUTION	In a web, the orientation (random or parallel) of fibers and the uniformity of their arrangement.
FIBER FILL	Low density fiber constructions, used as filling and cushioning, for products like pillows, bras and quilts.
FIBERGLASS	See GLASS FIBER
FIBRID	A fiber having a lower melting point than the matrix fiber which can ultimately be melted to act as a local binder/enforcement system.
FIBRILLATE	To break up a plastic sheet into a fibrous web, or to break up fibers into smaller fibers.
FILAMENT	A fiber of indefinite length
FILLER	A non-fibrous additive used in a fiber, binder or a film, to increase weight, replace more expensive polymer, or to change luster, or opacity etc.
FILTER FABRIC	A material used to separate particles from their suspension in air or liquids
FILTER MEDIA	Material that makes up a filter element. Media can be made of a variety of materials, fabric, metal, sand, fiber, ceramics, etc.
FINISHING	Process usually carried out after a web has been formed and bonded. Examples are embossing, creping, softening, printing and dyeing.
FLAME RESISTANCE	The ability to burn slowly or to self-extinguish after the ignition source is removed.
FLAME RETARDANCY	The ability of a material to resist ignition and the propagation of a flame.
FLASH SPINNING	Modified spinlaying (spunlaid) method in which a solution of a polymer is extruded under conditions where, on emerging from the spinneret, solvent evaporation occurs so rapidly that the individual filaments are disrupted into a highly fibrillar form. These fibers are then deposited on a moving screen to form a web.
FLASHSPUN	A web of fibers produced according to the flash spinning method.
FLASHSPUN NONWOVEN	Web of fibers produced by the flash spinning method and bonded by one or more techniques to provide fabric integrity and variations in surface appearance.
FLOCKING	Short fibers, cut from natural or synthetic fibers, are spread onto a fabric surface coated with adhesive; the fabric is then cured. The flock fiber spreading may be carried out mechanically, or with electrostatic forces. In the electrostatic process, electrical field forces help to align the flock fibers perpendicularly to the fabric surface.
FMVSS302	An automotive industry fire resistance standard. It is a horizontal burn test in which the material must either not ignite or self-extinguish within a certain time/distance.
FOAM BONDING	A form of chemical bondinbg. Binding fibers in a web to form a fabric by applying adhesive in the form of a foam whose bubbles break quickly after being applied.
FOG	An aerosol of fine liquid or semi-solid droplets in a gas.
FPM	Feet per minute.
FUSING	Melting or bonding together of fibers or fabrics.
FUZZ	Untangled fibers that protrude from a fabric’s surface or yarn.

term	explanation
GARNETTING	A process, similar to a carding, used to form a web from textile waste materials and other course, rough fibers. The machine is known as a Garnet.
GAS	A fluid having extreme molecular mobility and no fixed dimensions. It diffuses and expands rapidly to occupy the space in which it is contained. It is the vapor or gaseous state of a substance.
GEOTEXTILE	A permeable fabric used in civil engineering construction projects such as paving, dams, embankments and drains for the purpose of soil reinforcement and stabilization, sedimentation control and erosion control, support and drainage.
GLASSFIBERS	Formed by extruding and attenuating molten glass. Glass fiber is brittle, which limits its use to a small number of markets. The fiber has the characteristics of withstanding relatively high temperatures of 280-300°C as well as poor heat conductivity and therefore major markets are heat insulation and high temperature filtration. Its characteristics of resistance to mildew, moisture and many oxidizing agents, solvents, alkalis and acids heightens its importance in those end-uses. The fiber also has good electrical resistance properties.
GRAB STRENGTH	A measure of the “effective strength” of a fabric; i.e., the strength of fibers in a specific width together with the additional strength contributed by adjacent fibers. Typically, grab strength is determined on a four-inch wide strip of fabric, with the tensile load applied at the midpoint of the fabric width through one-inch-wide jaw faces that are used to clamp the fabric.
GRAVURE PRINTING/BONDING	In the context of nonwoven web bonding, this refers to a method of chemical bonding a web of fibers using the gravure method of printing. The gravure system uses a solid roller that is engraved with numerous small indentations. In the bonding process, the roller is partially immersed into an adhesive resin solution. As the roller turns, the excess solution is removed by a doctor blade, which leaves only the adhesive binder solution in the roller’s indentations. An unbonded web is then squeezed against the gravure roller (generally by a rubber roller) and the resin penetrates the web by osmosis. The web is then dried to remove the water and the binder remains.
GREIGE FABRIC	Generally refers to woven or knitted fabrics off the loom prior to bleaching, dyeing or finishing treatment. The term is occasionally used to describe nonwovens before a finishing treatment.
GSM	Grams per square meter.

term	explanation
HAND	Qualities of a fabric perceived by touch, e.g. softness, firmness, stretch, resilience and drape.
HEADLINERS	The composite under the inner roof of a car or truck.
HEAT RESISTANCE	The ability to resist degradation at high temperatures.
HEAT SETTING	Process by which fibers or fabrics are heated to a final crimp or molecular configuration so as to minimize changes in shape during use.
HEAT SINK	A means of dissipating heat generated in a fabrication or coating application
HEAT STABILIZED	The ability of a fabric to resist shrinking or stretching under a mechanical or chemical stress. This property is obtained by prior heat treatment or with a chemical additive.
HEPA FILTER	The acronym for High Efficiency Particulate Air. These filters are designed for filtering gases, normally air, to an efficiency of 99.97% by trapping particles down to 0.3 microns in the DOP test.
HERACRON	A brand of ARAMID fiber produced by Kolon Industries.
HIGHLOFT	General term for low density, thick or bulky fabrics, as compared to flat, paper-like fabrics.
HOMOPOLYMER	A polymer chain made up of monomeric units from one monomer only e.g. polyethylene.
HOPPER	Structure used to contain material prior to being fed into the process i.e. polypropylene polymer chips prior to fiber spinning.
HOT-MELT ADHESIVE	A solid material that melts quickly upon heating, then sets to a firm bond upon cooling. Used for almost instantaneous bonding.
HVAC	The acronym applies to Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning systems that service air in an enclosed space, i.e., buildings, airplanes, cars, etc.
HYDROENTANGLED NONWOVEN	A web bonded by hydroentanglement. It may additionally be bonded by other techniques.
HYDROENTANGLING	Method of bonding a web of fibers or filaments by entangling them by using high-pressure water jets. A preformed web is entangled by means of high pressure, columnar water jets. As the jets penetrate the web, fiber segments are carried by the highly turbulent fluid and become entangled. In addition to bonding the web, which needs little or no additional binder, the process can also be used to impart a pattern to the web. Also referred to as SPUNLACING.
HYDROPHOBIC	Lacking the affinity for being wetted by water or for absorbing water.
HYDROPHYILIC	Having an affinity for being wetted by water or for absorbing water.
HYDROSCOPIC, HYGROSCOPIC	The ability to absorb moisture from the atmosphere, a property that fibers have in varying degrees.

term	explanation
IGNITION	The beginning of combustion.
IMPINGEMENT	The process in which particles are removed from an airstream because of the inertia. As an air containing particle flows toward a filter fiber or other collecting surface, the particle does not follow the air streamlines because of its inertia. Instead it moves in a straight line, colliding with the filter fiber or surface to which it may become attached.
INDUSTRIAL FABRICS	A permeable fabric used in civil engineering construction projects such as paving, dams, embankments and drains for the purpose of soil reinforcement and stabilization, sedimentation control and erosion control, support and drainage.
INSTRON TENSILE TESTER	High precision electronic test equipment that measures the elongation or shortening of materials while forces such as pulling or compression are applied.
INTERFACING (INTERLINING)	A nonwoven used in garments to provide weight, support and stiffness.
INTERIOR TRIM	Decorative materials used to enhance passenger compartments.
ISOTROPIC	Having the same physical properties in every direction in the plane of a fabric. It is related to the random distribution of the fibers.

term	explanation
KEVLAR	A brand of ARAMID fiber produced by DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

term	explanation
LAMINATE	A layered material containing two or more sheets bonded together with an adhesive, foam or thermoplastic resin.
LICKERIN	The name for a roller at the beginning of the fiber feed system of a card line. It is a highspeed, saw-toothed wire roll that grabs the tufts of fibers fed into the system and deposits the partially opened fibers onto the main card cylinder.
LOFT	The properties of bulk and resilience of a fabric or batt.

term	explanation
MACHINE DIRECTION	The long direction within the plane of the fabric, that is the direction in which the fabric is being produced by the machine.
MAIN CYLINDER	In carding, carries the fibers to the worker and stripper rolls.
MANMADE FIBER	A class name for various types of fibers (and filaments) produced from fiber forming processes that may be: 1) Polymers synthesized from chemical compounds, e.g. acrylic, nylon, polyester, polyethylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl fibers. 2) Modified or transformed natural polymers, e.g. alginic, and cellulose based fibers such as acetates and rayon. 3) Minerals, e.g. glass. The term manmade usually refers to all chemically produced fibers to distinguish them from the truly natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk, flax etc. Media, Medium: The materials used in filter production Melt spinning: a nonwoven manufacturing system involving direct conversion of a polymer into continuous filaments, integrated with the conversion of the filaments into a random laid nonwoven fabric.
MAT	An array of fibers. A non-glossy finish to a web.
MECHANICAL BONDING	A method of bonding a web of fibers by entangling them. This can be achieved by needling, stitching with fibers or by the use of high-pressure air or water jets.
MEDIA, MEDIUM	The process by which a gas or Synonymous with filter material. “Media” is the plural of “medium.” It is common today to use media as the singular and “medias” as the plural.
MELT SPINNING	Production of filaments by melting and extruding polymer. It is a general term that encompasses both, spunlaid(spunbond) meltblown, and flashspun nonwoven technologies, as well as filament yarns.
MELTBLOWING	A method in which a molten polymer is extruded into a high velocity hot gas stream that converts it into fibers. The molten plastic is blown with hot, high velocity gas through the extruder dies. The filaments exiting from the extruder are attenuated during their formation until they break. The fibers break into short lengths rather than being continuous as those formed in spunlaid nonwovens. The short fibers thereby created are spread with cool quench air onto a moving belt called a forming fabric or onto a drum, where they bond to each other to form a opaque, fine fiber web.
MELTBLOWN	The process by which a gas or liquid is taken up by the surface of a material. An adsorbent nonwoven wicks and holds the gas or liquid between the fibers.
MELTBLOWN NONWOVEN	A meltblown web bonded by one or more techniques to provide fabric integrity.
MEMBRANE FILTER	A permeable or semi-permeable membrane made of metal, polymer or other materials. These filters are capable of separating micron and sub-micron size particles from liquids and gases.
META-ARAMID	See Amarid
MICRON	One millionth of a meter. In the context of nonwovens, the micron unit of measure is generally used to describe the width of low denier fibers, such as melt blown filaments, and the nominal filtration efficiency of a filter media. The abbreviated form is μm
MIL	One thousandth of an inch. Used to measure the diameter of fibers and the thickness of films.
MODULUS	The amount of force it takes to stretch a material a unit distance. It is a measure of elasticity. An extensible material or fiber has a low modulus. Stiff materials have a high modulus.
MOISTURE REGAIN	Percentage of moisture in a fiber or fabric after it is equilibrated in a standard humidity.
MOLDED TRUNK LINER	A composite of materials used to form the shape of a trunk.
MONOFILAMENT	A single filament of fiber.
MONOMER	Small molecules that can be linked together to produce polymers.

term	explanation
NATURAL FIBERS	Fibers produced from plant based sources . ie cotton, cellulose,bamboo or corn.
NECKING	Narrowing in width of a fabric, fiber or film when it is stretched.
NEEDLEFELT	A sheet of fibers (generally man-made) bonded by needling.
NEEDLEPUNCHING	Made from various fibrous webs (usually carded webs) in which fibers are bonded together mechanically with the use of various needle configurations
NEEDLING	The process of using needles to entangle fibers.
NEPS	Small knots of fibers that were not separated before forming the web.
NOMEX	A brand of Aramid fiber produced by DuPont de Nemours, Inc.
NONWOVEN	A nonwoven is an engineered fibrous assembly, primarily planar, which has been given a designed level of structural integrity by physical and/or chemical means, excluding weaving, knitting or paper making. The fibers may be of natural or man-made origin. They may also be staple or continuous filaments.
NYLON FIBER	A manufactured POLYAMIDE fiber in which the fiber forming substance is any long chain synthetic polyamide having recurring amide groups (-NH-CO-) as an integral part of the polymer chain. The two principal nylons are NYLON 66, which is polyhexamethylene diamine adipamide, and NYLON 6, which is polycaprolactam. These fibers can be produced using spun bonded or carded thermally bonded processes.

term	explanation
OEM	Original Equipment Manufacturer
OLEFIN FIEBR	A manufactured fiber in which the fiber forming substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of ethylene, propylene, or other olefin units. Olefin fibers combine light weight with high strength and abrasion resistance (see also polyethylene and polypropylene)
OLEOPHILIC	Having an affinity for being wetted by oil or for absorbing oil.
OLEOPHOBIC	Having an affinity for being wetted by oil or for absorbing oil.
OPENING	A preliminary operation whereby staple fiber is separated sufficiently from its lap or baled condition so that it can be fed to the web forming part of the process.
ORIENTATION	The alignment of fibers in a nonwoven material.

term	explanation
PADDING	Applying a liquid or paste to a web by passing it between squeeze rollers or by dipping it in a bath that carries the liquid or paste.
PARA-ARAMID	See Aramid
PARALLEL LAYING	Forming a web in such a way that the fibers or filaments are laid in directions roughly parallel with the machine direction
PARALLEL-LAID	A web where the fibers or filaments are laid roughly parallel to the machine direction. Parellel-laid webs exhibit higher strength and lower elongation in the MD vs. CD. See also Cross Laid
PARTICLE	A minute piece, part or portion of matter. It may be solid, semi-solid or liquid.
PARTICLE COUNT	The quantity of particles in a given volume of fluid.
PASCAL	A metric unit of pressure used in measuring an air filter’s performance.
PEAK FORCE	A term used in tear testing. It is the force required to break the fiber bonds of a nonwoven or other samples of textile materials.
PENETRATION	The flow of a liquid through pores, pinholes or holes resulting from imperfections or degradations of a fabric. In a filtration context, a measure, in percent, of particles of a given size that pass through a filter. If no particles pass through, then 100% were trapped. If 97% of particles are trapped, then penetration is 3%(100% – 97% = 3%) and the filter is 97% efficient. Penetration is used to measure the performance of high efficiency filters.
PERMEABILITY	The ability to be penetrated by liquids or gases.
PHYSICAL BONDING	A method of bonding fibrous webs by physical means: mechanical and thermal treatments.
PICKER	A machine that separates staple fiber and forms it into a lap so that it can be fed to a card.
PIGMENT	A colored or white substance that is insoluble and finely divided. Used to color or to deluster a fiber, fabric or plastic.
PILLARS	Support structures on the sides of cars and trucks.
PILLING	The tendency of fibers to come loose from a fabric surface and form balled or matted particles of fiber.
PINSONIC BONDING	See SONIC BONDING
PLASMA	A gas of positive ions and free electrons with approximately equal positive and negative charges.
PLASTIC	A polymer with its additives. Also, the ability to be deformed and molded.
PLASTICISER	Chemical that imparts flexibility, stretch and workability to a fabric or a plastic.
PLIES	Layers of web, fabric or components of a laminate.
POINT BONDING	Using heat and pressure in a discrete predetermined pattern to bind thermoplastic fibers to form a nonwoven fabric
POLYAMIDE	Crystalline polymers typically produced by the condensation of a diacid and a diamine. The reason these fibers are so popular are because of their excellent mechanical properties, strength, fatigue resistance, and good adhesion to other materials such as rubber
POLYMER	A liquid or solid substance made by chemically linking macromolecules together in chains. High polymer denotes substances made from very long chains. Crosslinked polymer describes a substance in which there are molecular links between chains. Polymerization is the process for making these polymers.
POLYPROPYLENE FIBER	An abbreviation of “parts per million.” It may be expressed by volume as ppm (v)or by mass as ppm (m).
PRESSURE DROP	The resistance to a fluid passing through a filter media at various flowrates.
PRIMARY BACKING	The fabric into which a carpet is tufted.
PULP	Short cellulose fibers made from wood or cotton.

term	explanation
QA	Acronym for Quality Assurance
QUALITY CONTROL, QUALITY ASSURANCE	Maintenance of standards in products or services through testing and procedures.
QUENCH, QUENCHING	Cooling of filaments after extrusion by carefully controlled airflow, common in SPUNLAID/SPUNBOND manufacturing systems.

term	explanation
RANDOM LAID	A web in which the fibers are laid in essentially random directions
RANDOM LAYING	Forming a web in such a way that the fibers or filaments are laid in essentially random directions.
RANDOM-LAID NONWOVEN	A random laid web bonded by one or more techniques to provide fabric integrity. Random-Laid nonwovens generally have more isoptrophic physical properties than a parallel-laid nonwoven.
RAYON FIBER	A regenerated cellulose fiber, which, although chemically similar to cotton, differs in that its molecular weight is about one-fifth and crystallinity about one-half that of cotton. under ambient conditions, the fiber absorbs about 14% moisture, and when soaked, can swell and absorb almost 70% by weight water. The fiber, however, becomes significantly weaker when wet. One of the major applications of the fiber, therefore, has been in externally used disposable absorbent products.
RECONSTITUDED FIBER, REGENERATED FIBER	Fibers extruded from recovered and reprocessed waste polymer or blends of virgin and recovered waste polymer. Waste sources include recycled bottles, plastics, fiber, and other polymeric materials.
REINFORCEMENT	Provides stabilization or backing.
REPELLENCY	The ability to resist wetting and staining by materials and soils.
RESILIENCY	The ability of a fiber or fabric to spring back when crushed or wrinkled.
RESIN	A solid or semisolid polymeric material.
RESIN BONDING	A common method of web bonding by using chemical agents, which may include adhesive resins and solvents. Most common is resin bonding. Latex resins (adhesive) are applied to the web by a variety of methods: dipping the web into the latex and removing the excess, spraying, foaming or printing bonding. The resin is usually in a water-based solution, so this bonding process requires heat to remove the water to dry and set the binder into the fabric. See also chemical bonding.
REWORKED FIBERS	Fibers that are sourced from several areas and recycled into needle-punched materials often destined for padding or insulation. This material is often referred to as "SHODDY"
ROLL GOODS	Fabric rolled up on a core after it has been produced. It is described in terms of weight and width of the roll and the length of the material on the roll.

term	explanation
SATURATION BONDING	Binding fibers to form a fabric by saturating a web with an adhesive followed by drying and curing. A type of CHEMICAL BONDING
SCRIM	A textile with an open structure, which may be woven, knit or NONWOVEN, added to reinforce weaker materials in a COMPOSITE. Often, any nonwoven used as a backing or support fabric in COMPOSITE a is called a scrim, regardless of how it is constructed.
SCROOP	The term refers to the characteristic crunch when loose, bleached cotton or rayon is hand squeezed. The sound is described as the crunch of walking on fresh fallen snow
SECONDARY BACKING	A layer of material laminated to the underside of a carpet to lock in carpet tufts, improve abrasion resistance, dimensional stability and strength.
SECONDS, SECOND QUALITY	Imperfect materials that have various flaws, such as weight lower or higher than specified, poor bonding, inconsistent web formation, poor tensile strength, etc.
SHODDY FIBER	Shoddy generally refers to a bulky and/or lofty nonwoven made from reclaimed fibers. It is often multi-colored, and is often used for padding and sound insulation.
SHORT FIBER	Staple fibers less than 15mm long. Typically used in the wetlaid process to make a fabric or as fillers in the absorbent cores of disposable hygiene products.
SHRINKAGE	A reduction in length or width due to the effect of heat, moisture or chemical action.
SLIT	To cut lengthwise.
SLURRY	A water or solvent suspension. Examples are titanium dioxide mixed with water for addition to polymers or fibers mixed with water for wet forming.
SMOULDERING	A slow flameless, smoking burning of a fabric.
SOLUTION DYING	Adding pigments or insoluble dyes into the polymer melt or spinning solution prior to extruding a manmade fiber.
SONIC BONDING, SONIC SEWING	Also known as ultrasonic bonding and pinsonic bonding.Sonic bonding uses high frequency sound to generate localized heat through vibration and thereby cause thermoplastic fibers to bond to one another. Specially designed “horns” that vibrate at ultra-sonic frequencies adjacent to an “anvil”, often a hardened, patterned roller, with a substrate or composite passing between the horn and the anvil. The energy created by the horn imparts the anvil’s pattern onto the substrate creating bond points that alter the aesthetics and physical characteristics of the material.
SORBENT	Materials that recover oil through either absorption or adsorption. They play an important role in oil spill cleanup POLYPROPYLENE is the ideal material for marine oil-spill recovery due to its low density, low water uptake and excellent physical and chemical resistance.
SOUND ABATEMENT	Materials used in reducing exterior noise in many products.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY	Ratio of the mass of a material to the mass of an equal volume of water at 4oC. Most POLYMERS used in NONWOVENS have a specific gravity greater than 1 (they sink), however most OLEFINS, such a POLUPROPYLENE, have a specific gravity of less than 1, so they float
SPIN DRAWING	Combines spinning and drawing in one operation in melt spun fibers.
SPIN FINISH	A lubricant applied to fibers to reduce friction and static during processing into yarns and fabrics.
SPIN LAYING	Method of forming a web in which a polymeric melt or solution is extruded through spinnerets to form filaments which are laid down on a moving screen.
SPIN LINE	The system in a spunbond operation between the spinneret and the laydown belt a period.
SPINNERET	A disc or screen containing many small holes through which molten polymer is extruded to form filaments.
SPINNING	A process by which filaments or fabrics made from filaments, are generated directly from the molten polymer (see MELTSPINNING). A process by which fibers or filaments are drawn out and twisted together to produce a thread. Intrinsic angular motion.
SPRAY BONDING	Binding fibers to form a fabric by spraying with an adhesive and then calendaring, through-air bonding or otherwise drying and curing the adhesive. A type of CHEMICAL BONDING
SPUNLACE	A term initially used by DuPont, but now universally used to denote a hydroentangled fabric. (See HYDROENTANGLING.)
SPUNLAID	A method of forming a web in which a polymeric melt or solution is extruded through spinnerets to form filaments which are laid down on a moving screen. Melt spun forming processes include spunbond, flash spinning and melt blown. The most common polymers used are polypropylene, polyester and polyethylene.
SPUNLAID NONWOVEN	A spunlaid web bonded by one or more techniques to provide fabric integrity. Note: The hot filaments are still sufficiently molten to adhere to themselves and form bonds at their crossover points. The desired orientation of the filaments in the web is achieved by rotating the spinneret, by the application of electrical charges, by controlled air streams and by the speed of the forming wire. Additional bonding can be achieved by compaction or hot roll calendaring.
STAPLE FIBERS	Natural fibers or cut lengths from manmade filaments.
STICH BOND	A technique in which fibers in a web are bonded together by stitches sewn or knitted through A web to form a fabric.
STICH BOND NONWOVEN	A nonwoven produced by the stitch bonding process.
STIFFNESS	The ability of a fabric to resist bending. It is related to flexural rigidity i.e. to modulus of elasticity and thickness.
STRAIN	Elongation, deformation or change in the dimensions of a body as the result of applied stress, expressed either as a relative unit change, or as a percentage.
STRESS	An external force applied to a body or internal force per unit cross sectional area resulting from the external force.
STRESS-STRAIN CURVE	Graph showing the amount of deformation obtained as a function of the force applied and the point at which rupture or breakage occurs.
STRETCH	The ability of a fabric to grow in length when pulled.
STRIKE THROUGH TIME	The time taken for a known volume of liquid (e.g. simulated urine) applied to the surface of a test piece of nonwoven coverstock, which is in contact with an underlying standard absorbent pad, to pass through the nonwoven. The ‘strike through time’ test is only designed to compare strike through times of nonwoven coverstocks. It is not intended to simulate in-use conditions of finished products.
STRIPPERS	In carding, clothed rollers that clear the workers and return fiber to the main cylinder.
SUBSTRATE	Fabric to which coatings or other fabrics are applied.
SUPERABSORBENT POLYMER (SAP)	A material that can absorb many times the amount of liquid normally absorbed by cellulosic materials such as cellulose pulp cotton and rayon. Used mostly in granular form, but now available in fibrous form
SURFACE CHARGE	Electrical charge on a fiber or a fabric.
SURFACE ENERGY	The work necessary to increase the surface area of a liquid. Normally expressed in dynes per square centimeter. Dynes are units of work.
SURFACE FILTER	A thin filter material that retains contaminants on the surface. See also DPTH FILTER
SURFACE TENSION	Forces acting between the molecules making up the surface of a liquid, causing the surface to contract to a minimum. Since it is a measure of the attraction of a liquid for itself, it can be related to its ability to mix with other liquids or to wet other surfaces.
SURFACTANT	A chemical additive that changes the surface attraction between two liquids, or between a liquid and a solid, by changing the SURFACE ENERGYof one or both components.
SYNTHETIC FIBER	A man-made fiber, usually from a molten polymer or a polymer in solution

term	explanation
TACK, TACKIFIER, TACKY	Slightly sticky surface finish. Tacky finishes are often added to nonwovens to improve anti-slip characteristics, or to improve particle retention in filter medias.
TEAR RESISTANCE, TEAR STRENGTHTEAR RESISTANCE, TEAR STRENGTH	The force required to begin or to continue a tear in a fabric under specific conditions. The tear resistance of a nonwoven fabric is usually measured by the Trapezoidal Tear Test
TENACITY	A measure of the strength of a fiber. The force exerted per unit linear density when tensile stress is applied. Expressed as Newton per tex. Newtons are units of force. Previously expressed as grams force per denier.
TENSILE STRENGTH	1) In general, the strength shown by a specimen subjected to tension as distinct from shearing stress, bending or twisting momentum. 2) Specifically, the maximum tensile stress expressed in force per unit cross sectional area of the unstrained specimen, e.g. Newtons per square millimeter.
TEX	A metric measure of the mass per unit length of a fiber. It is numerically equal to the mass in grams of one kilometer of the material. It is also equal to the denier divided by 9
TEXTURE	A term describing the surface effect of a fabric such as dull, lustrous, woolly, stiff, soft, fine, coarse, open, or close; the structural quality of a fabric.
TEXTURING	A process for imparting crimp, crepe and bulk to fibers yarns and fabrics.
THERMAL BONDING, THERMOBONDING	A method of bonding a web of fibers in which a heat or ultrasonic treatment, with or without pressure, is used to activate a heat-sensitive material, which may be in the form of homofil fibers, bicomponent fibers, or as all or part of the web. The bonding may be applied all over (through or area bonding) or restricted to predetermined discrete sites (point bonding).
THERMOPLASTIC	Polymeric materials that have a melting temperature and can flow or be formed into desired shapes on the application of heat at or below the melting point.
THERMOSET	Polymeric materials that become intractably hardened by exposure to heat and/or catalyst action.
THICKNESS	The dimension of a sheet or lamina measured perpendicular to the plane of the sheet under a specific pressure.
THREAD	A spun-out filament. A thin structure of twisted yarns.
THROUGH-AIR BONDING	A bonding system that that uses high temperature air to fuse the web’s fibers. There are two basic systems: blowing hot air through the web in a conveyor oven or passing heated air through the web on a rotating drum. Fabrics made from bicomponent fibers or blends of bicomponent and regular fiber are often bonded by through-air bonding systems. This method is sometimes referred to as air-through bonding.
TITATNIUM DIOXIDE	A natural chemical compound (TiO2) often used to pigment polymers in the spinning process to add whiteness.
TOLERANCE	The permitted variation in the measurement of specified property, such as weight, strength, color, etc., that is being observed in a test method.
TORQUE	The moment of a system of forces tending to cause rotation.
TOUGHNESS	Ability to absorb work. Commonly measured as the area under the stress/strain curve. The opposite of brittleness.
TOW	A bundle of continuous filaments. The form of most manmade filaments before being cut into staple
TRICOMPONENT FIBER	A fiber that is made from three polymers that are physically or chemically different.
TUFTING	Make insertions of clumps of fibers into depressions in the base fabric to form a 3D structure with the tufts of fibers oriented in the vertical direction.

term	explanation
ULTRASONIC BONDING	The use of high frequency sound to generate localized heat through vibration and thereby cause thermoplastic fibers to bond to one another. See also SONIC BONDING.
UNBONDED	A fiberfill material that has not had any form of bonding treatment.
UNDER-HOOD INSULATION	A composite that prevents engine heat from escaping the hood area of an automotive
UNIDIRECTIONAL	Performing best in only one direction; generally applied to nonwovens in which the fabric strength is highly oriented in the direction of web travel through the forming process.
UNIDIRECTIONAL FABRIC	A fabric having strength mostly in one direction, generally the machine direction.
UNWIND, UNWINDER, UNWIND STAND	The name often given to the equipment from which a roll of fabric is unwound for further processing or converting.
UV ABSORBERS	Various chemicals or polymers added to the product that absorb the ultraviolet light or otherwise make the material resistant to ultraviolet degradation.
UV DEGRADABLE	The ability of a substance to be broken down by the action of the ultraviolet part of the light spectrum.
UV RESISTANCE	The ability to retain strength or other properties upon exposure to ultraviolet light.

term	explanation
VAN DER WAALS FORCES	The forces of attraction and repulsion between molecules caused by the electric fields of the electrons (negative) and the nuclei (positive). The forces of molecular attraction explain why particles adhere to a filter’s fiber.
VISCOSE FIBER	A manufactured fiber of cellulose obtained by the ‘viscose’ process using cellulose xanthate dissolved in a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide and extrusion of the viscose ‘dope’ into an acid precipitation bath. See also RAYON FIBER.

term	explanation
WATER REPELLENCY	The ability to resist wetting by water.
WEB	1) The wide film of fibers that is delivered from a card. 2) A similar product of other web forming equipment such as that formed by air or water deposition and used to make nonwoven fabrics. 3) A term loosely applied to lightweight nonwoven fabrics.
WEB CONSOLIDATION	The process by which the fibers or fibrous materials are interlocked in order to provide the integrity or strength desired in the fabric structure.
WEB FORMATION	The process by which individual fibers or fibrous materials are arranged in order to bring about the physical properties desired in the fabric structure.
WEIGHT	The force experienced by a body as a result of the earth’s gravitational force. Any similar force with which a body tends to a centre of attraction. The heaviness of a body regarded as a property of it. The force experienced by a body as a result of the earth’s gravitational force. Any similar force with which a body tends to a centre of attraction. The heaviness of a body regarded as a property of it.
WELL COVERS	The composite covering the inside wheel wells of vehicles
WET FORMING	Formation of a web by filtering an aqueous suspension of fibers onto a screen belt or on to a perforated drum.
WET STRENGTH	The resistance of a fabric to being torn when it is wet. Usually compared to its strength when dry.
WETLAID	A fiber web produced by the wetlaying technique.
WETLAID NONWOVENS	Wetlaid web bonded by one or more techniques to provide fabric integrity.
WETLAYING	Forming a web from an aqueous dispersion of fibers by applying modified paper making techniques.
WICKING	Transport of liquid within an absorbent fabric, along the thickness of the fabric and within the plane of the fabric.
WINDOW, WINDOWY	Inconsistent coverage of fibers in a nonwoven web. See also CLOUDY
WOOD PULP	Cellulosic fibers used to make viscose rayon, paper and the absorbent cores of products such as diapers, sanitary towels and adult incontinence products.
WORKERS	Rolls in the carding process that comb out and disperse the fiber bundles.

GLOSSERY OF NON WOVEN TERMS

contact us

Let’s Get In Touch