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3 8 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

You searched in Glossary Terms for [A]. We found 44 matching entries.

Abaca:
a banana-like plant (Musa textilis) native to the Philippines which has broad leaves with long stalks. The fibres obtained from the stalks are used to make cordage, fabric, and paper. (Also called manila and manila hemp.)
Abrasion resistance:
the ability of the geotextile surface to resist wear by friction.
ABS:
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene—a range of tough copolymers used for making moulded products.
Absorbency:
the ability of a textile material to absorb and retain liquids within its structure.
Absorbency under load:
the weight of fluid in grams that can be absorbed by 1 gram of fibre, yarn or fabric which has been subject to a pressure of 0.25 lb/in2 before wetting.
Acetate:
a type of fibre chemically derived from cellulose.
Acquisition layer:
an absorbent layer close to the coverstock in a nonwoven hygiene product (such as a diaper) through which fluid enters. Typically, the fluid is then transmitted to a distribution layer.
Acrylonitrile:
the main raw material used for making acrylic fibres.
Additive manufacturing:
refers to technologies which build 3D objects by adding layer upon layer of material.
Adhesive bonding:
see chemical bonding.
Adsorbency:
the retention of films of liquid on the surface of a textile material.
AGOA:
African Growth and Opportunity Act. The act, implemented in October 2000, provides for duty-free and quota-free access to the US market for apparel made in Sub-Saharan Africa. To qualify for AGOA benefits, apparel must be made in an eligible Sub-Saharan African country and, normally, be produced from materials formed within the region or in the USA. For a limited period, however, the third-country fabric provision permits apparel makers in lesser developed Sub-Saharan African countries to source materials globally without losing AGOA benefits.
Air laying:
a method in which fibres are first dispersed into an air stream, and then condensed from the air stream on to a permeable cage or conveyor to form a web or batt of staple fibres.
Air permeability:
the volume of air passing through a fabric under pressure.
Air texturing:
a process in which yarns are over-fed through a turbulent air stream so that entangled loops are formed in the filaments.
Air-laid:
a web or batt of staple fibres formed using the air laying process.
Air-textured yarn:
a multi-filament yarn which has been given increased bulk through the formation of loops, achieved by passing the yarn through air jets.
Air-through bonding:
a process in which a web containing fibres with a low melting point is bonded in a carefully controlled hot air stream.
Ajouré:
an embroidery technique which creates open areas, often in figured patterns and usually on a woven fabric.
Aloe:
a plant whose extract is believed to have a beneficial effect on skin.
Alpaca:
fibre from the fleece of the alpaca or lama.
Anechoic:
having a low degree of reverberation of sound.
Angora:
the hair of the angora rabbit.
Anisotropic:
a material which has different physical properties in different directions.
Anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal:
properties given to textile materials using additives to eliminate or prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. Usually, the additives remain after initial washing but may be washed out over a period of time. Certain synthetic fibres have such agents perm
Anti-dumping duty:
an extra duty imposed on an imported product by an importing country (or group of countries, as in the case of the EU) to compensate for the dumping of goods by a foreign supplier.
Anti-static:
a property given to a textile material usually by adding small quantities of conducting fibres, such as those with a metallic coating, in order to reduce or eliminate static charge. Textile materials which are able to absorb only small quantities of water
Antibacterial:
resistance against bacteria.
AOX:
adsorbable organic halogens.
APEO:
alkylphenolethoxilate.
Apparent opening size (geotextiles):
a property of geotextiles which indicates the approximate diameter of the largest particle which would effectively pass through the geotextile.
Appliqué:
a pattern constructed by applying one fabric on top of another.
Aramid:
the generic name for a special group of synthetic fibres (aromatic polyamide) having high strength; examples are "Kevlar" and "Twaron".
Areal weight:
a term commonly used in the nonwovens and composites industries to denote the mass per unit area of a single ply of dry reinforcement fabric.
Arran:
a traditional style of fishermen's cable-knit sweaters.
Art silk:
artificial silk, usually made from cellulosic fibres such as viscose rayon.
Article XIX:
an article describing a measure available to a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which enables it to protect its market from import surges (see also product-specific safeguard, safeguard, textile safeguard).
Artificial fibres:
see cellulosic fibres.
Asean:
Association of South East Asian Nations-Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Asphalt retention (geotextiles):
a measure of the amount of asphalt cement that can be held within the pores of a paving geotextile.
Astrakhan:
a thick woven or knitted cloth with a surface of loops or curls which imitates the coat of an Astrakhan lamb.
Atactic:
a type of polymer molecule in which groups of atoms are arranged randomly above and below the backbone chain of atoms, when the latter are arranged all in one plane.
ATC:
Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, which embodied the results of the negotiations on textiles and clothing conducted under the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade talks. The ATC provided for the phasing out of MFA quotas between January 1995 and December 2004.
Avatar:
a three-dimensional digital representation of a person or object. Avatars are most commonly used in designing computer games, particularly action or sports games, whereby an individual character's movements are recorded using a system of ultraviolet light (UV) screens, UV cameras and UV receptors. The latter are placed on key parts of the body, and movement is picked up and recorded by the UV cameras.
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