Textiles Intelligence || Textiles Glossary || Section [F]

Fabric:

a manufactured assembly of fibres and/or yarns which has substantial surface area in relation to its thickness and sufficient cohesion to give the assembly useful mechanical strength.

Last referenced in: Survey of the European Fabric Fairs for Spring/Summer 2011

Fabric dyeing:

dyeing which is carried out on a textile substrate in fabric form.

Fairisle:

a type of sweater knitted with a coloured pattern in a traditional design originating in Scotland.

False twist:

the twist inserted in a yarn using false twisting such that the net twist in the yarn is zero.

Last referenced in: World markets for textile machinery: part 1 -- yarn manufacture, July-August 2007

False twisting:

a twisting operation applied at an intermediate position on a yarn so that no net twist can be inserted, as distinct from twisting at the end of a yarn where real twist is inserted.

Last referenced in: Global apparel markets: product developments and innovations, 4th quarter 2011

False-twist texturing:

a process in which a single filament yarn is twisted, set and untwisted. When yarns made from thermoplastic materials are heat-set in a twisted condition, the deformation of the filaments is "memorised" and the yarn is given greater bulk.

Last referenced in: Profiles of major textile and clothing manufacturers and retailers in South Africa

Fancy yarn:

a yarn which differs from the normal construction of single and folded yarns by way of deliberately produced irregularities in its construction. These irregularities are formed by increasing the input of one or more of the yarn=s components, or including

Last referenced in: Survey of the European yarn fairs for spring/summer 2015

FDY:

fully drawn yarn.

Last referenced in: Performance apparel markets: product developments and innovations, 4th quarter 2010

Fell (of the cloth):

the edge of the fabric in a weaving loom formed by the last weft thread.

Felting:

the matting together of fibres during processing. This is achieved on animal hair or wool by the application of moisture or heat, which causes the constituent fibres to mat together.

Last referenced in: Survey of the European Fabric Fairs for Autumn/Winter 2014/15

Ferrofluid:

a fluid which becomes highly polarised in the presence of a magnetic field.

Last referenced in: Nanotechnology in Technical Textiles and Apparel

Festooning:

festooning, or plaiting, is used in the case of materials which can not be wound on to a roller prior to further processing for reasons of practicalities or economics. For instance, if the fabric is thick but narrow there is a practical limit on the amoun

Last referenced in: Editorial: Weaker Markets Spur Acquisitions in the European Technical Textile Industry

FIBCs:

flexible intermediate bulk containers. Large polypropylene woven containers used for packaging and carrying granulated bulk goods. FIBCs are suitable for containing or carrying loads between 500 and 2,000 kg.

Last referenced in: Sewing needles and threads for technical textiles

Fibre:

a material used to make textiles which is flexible, fine, and has a high ratio of length to thickness.

Last referenced in: World textile and apparel trade and production trends: the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, November 2009

Fibre reinforced composite (FRC):

a product formed by intimately combining two or more discrete physical phases—usually a solid matrix, such as a resin, and a fibrous reinforcing component.

Last referenced in: Profile of AGY: A World Leader in Glass Fibre Technology

Fibrefill:

staple fibres used for stuffing or padding quilts, upholstery and toys, etc.

Last referenced in: The world nonwovens industry: 20 medium sized producers, part 2 of 3, 2012-13

Fibreglass:

glass which has been extruded into extremely fine filaments, of the order of a few microns in diameter. Glass filaments may be treated with special binders and processed in a similar manner to textile fibres. The fibres are available in many forms, including roving, woven roving, mat and continuous strand.

Last referenced in: Product developments and innovations in the home textiles market, April 2014

Fibrillation:

the longitudinal splitting of a fibre or filament to give either micro-fine surface hairs or sub-micron fibres. In fabrics for apparel, fibrillation can be used to create a variety of surface textures and attractive aesthetics. In hydroentangled nonwoven fabrics, the fibrils make entanglement easier and can give added strength to the fabric.

Last referenced in: Leading Edge Technologies for Textile Finishing

Fibroin:

a tough, elastic protein which forms the principal component of raw silk.

Fil coupé:

extra, floating, wefts which are embodied in a fabric, particularly a jacquard, and can be cut to produce a fringe effect.

Filament:

a fibre of indefinite length.

Last referenced in: Survey of the European yarn fairs for spring/summer 2015

Filament count:

the number of filaments which make up a thread or yarn.

Last referenced in: Global technical textiles business update, 1st quarter 2009

Filament yarn:

a yarn consisting normally of a bundle of continuous filaments. The term also includes monofilaments.

Last referenced in: A strong future for carbon, glass, synthetic and natural fibre textiles in composites

Filamentation:

breakage of filaments, resulting in the creation of a fibrous or hairy appearance on the surface of a yarn package or fabric.

Last referenced in: Sewing needles and threads for technical textiles

Filigree:

fine, intricate jeweller's work in gold or silver wire or a printed or embroidered pattern of swirling motifs resembling such work.

Fill:

see weft.

Last referenced in: Statistics: fibre consumption for technical textiles in the USA, 3rd quarter 2008

Filling:

see weft.

Last referenced in: Survey of the European yarn fairs for autumn/winter 2014/15

Filter cake (geotextiles):

the graded soil structure developed upstream of the bridging particles on a geotextile acting as a filter.

Filtration (geotextiles):

the process of retaining soil particles by a geotextile while allowing the passage of water. The geotextile allows the water and finer soil particles to pass through while retaining those of a coarser nature. A filter cake builds up on the face of the geotextile and this is where the actual filtration of the soil particles occurs. In order to perform this function a geotextile must be able to convey a certain amount of water across the plane of the geotextile throughout its design life.

Last referenced in: Global technical textiles business update, 1st quarter 2014

Finish oil:

oil that is put on a yarn, either flat or textured, to reduce friction during subsequent processing stages.

Flame resistant:

a term used to describe fibres, yarns or fabrics which resist burning.

Last referenced in: Performance apparel markets: product developments and innovations, 1st quarter 2014

Flame retardant:

a substance added or a treatment applied to a material in order to suppress, significantly reduce or delay the propagation of flame.

Last referenced in: Product developments and innovations in the home textiles market, April 2014

Flammé:

a slub yarn.

Last referenced in: Survey of the European yarn fairs for autumn/winter 2014/15

Flannel:

generally, a cotton or wool fabric, which has been napped on one or both sides (usually both) followed by a bleaching, dyeing or printing process and then brushed or rerun through the napping machine to revive the nap. Flannel fabrics are perceived

Last referenced in: Survey of the European Fabric Fairs for Autumn/Winter 2012/13

Flannelette:

a woven cotton fabric with a soft, raised surface.

Flared leg:

a style of jeans which are tightly fitted around the hips and thighs of a person but become much wider from the knees downwards.

Flash spunbonding:

a major variant of spunbonding, developed by DuPont, where polypropylene is solvent-dissolved and then pumped through holes into a chamber. The solvent is then flashed off, and highly oriented filaments are produced.

Flash-spun:

a type of web made by flash spunbonding.

Flax:

the fibre used to make linen textiles.

Last referenced in: Trends in US textile and clothing imports, April 2014

Fleece (garment):

outerwear jacket made from fleece fabric.

Fleece fabric:

a fabric, usually knitted, with a heavy napped surface on one side. The fabric is produced using two types of yarn, one for the face area and the other for the reverse. After fabric formation and processing, the reverse area is brushed to produce the fleece effect. The inside surface of a sweatshirt is usually napped. Pile or napped fabric with a deep, soft, woolly-style surface.

Last referenced in: Global apparel markets: business update, 1st quarter 2013

Fleece fabrics:

a variety of knitted and brushed fabrics which were originally used as furnishing velours. Brushing raises the nap to give a "shaggy" effect. The nap is then sheared to a depth suitable for the intended end use.

Last referenced in: Fleece fabrics and garments: lightweight warmth for better performance

Floating (warp):

a length of warp yarn which passes over two or more weft threads (rather than intersecting with them) in a woven structure.

Last referenced in: Survey of the European Fabric Fairs for Autumn/Winter 2013/14

Floating (weft):

a length of weft yarn which passes over two or more warp threads (rather than intersecting with them) in a woven structure.

Floats:

warp float: a length of warp yarn on the surface of a woven fabric which passes over two or more weft threads; weft float: a length of weft yarn on the surface of a woven fabric which passes over two or more warp threads.

Flock:

a material obtained by reducing textile fibres to fragments by, for example, cutting, tearing, or grinding.

Last referenced in: Survey of the European Fabric Fairs for Autumn/Winter 2014/15

Flock printing:

a process in which a fabric is printed with an adhesive, followed by the application of finely chopped fibres over the whole surface of the fabric by means of dusting-on, an air blast, or electrostatic attraction. The fibres adhere to the printed areas, and are removed from the unprinted areas by mechanical action.

Flocking:

a process in which short chopped lengths of fibre (flock) are applied to an adhesive coated backing fabric or other substrate. The application is usually carried out electrostatically.

Flounce:

Hanging strips of material which are normally sewn to the hem of a skirt.

Fluffing:

see filamentation.

Fluorescent material:

a material which absorbs certain wavelengths of light and emits or reflects wavelengths that are longer than those which are absorbed.

Last referenced in: High visibility apparel: providing protection, comfort and style

Foam printing:

a process in which a rubber solution is turned into a foam and squeezed through a screen to make a rubber print. Also known as puff rubber printing.

Fob:

free on board: a term used in international commercial law specifying at what point the seller transfers ownership of the goods to the buyer. The point at which ownership is transferred is important as the owner of the goods is responsible for damage or loss during transport. In fob transactions, goods are delivered on board a ship or to another carrier at no cost to the buyer.

Last referenced in: Trade and trade policy: the EU clothing import market and its ten largest supplying countries, 3rd quarter 2012

Folded yarn:

a yarn made by twisting two or more single yarns together in one operation.

Four-way stretch:

the ability to stretch and recover vertically and horizontally. (See also two-way stretch.)

Last referenced in: Performance apparel markets: product developments and innovations, 4th quarter 2013

FOY:

fully oriented yarn.

FR:

see flame resistant.

Last referenced in: The world nonwovens industry: part 1 -- the leading ten producers, 3rd quarter 2008

FR (flame retardant):

fibres, yarns or fabrics which resist burning.

Last referenced in: Profile of Lenzing: A Leader in Cellulosic Fibres and a Joint Venture Partner in Carbon Fibres

Free shrinkage:

spontaneous shrinkage in the absence of outside influences such as heat or a liquid.

Free swell absorbency:

the weight of fluid in grams that can be absorbed by 1 gram of fibre, yarn or fabric.

Fretting:

the wearing away of filaments through friction.

Friction angle (geotextiles):

an angle, the tangent of which is equal to the ratio of the friction force per unit area and the normal stress between the two materials and quantifies soilgeotextile friction.

Frisé:

a fine bouclé yarn.

Last referenced in: Survey of the European Yarn Fairs for Autumn/Winter 2012/13

FRP:

fibre reinforced plastic. FRPs comprise a reinforcing fibre such as glass or carbon fibre in a polymer matrix or resin. See also composite.

Last referenced in: Editorial: innovations in composites for technical textiles

Fuji silk:

a spun-silk fabric woven in a plain weave.

Full package supplier (garments):

a supplier who carries out all steps involved in the production of a finished garment—including design, fabric purchasing, cutting, sewing, trimming, packaging, and distribution. Typically, a full package supplier will organise and coordinate: the design of the product; the approval of samples; the selection, purchasing and production of materials; the completion of production; and, in some cases, the delivery of the finished product to the final customer.

Last referenced in: Talking strategy: Mexico's clothing industry aims to move upmarket to remain competitive

Fullerene:

one of only four types of naturally occurring forms of carbon, the other three being diamond, graphite and ceraphite.

Fully oriented yarn:

see highly oriented yarn (HOY).

Last referenced in: Prospects for the textile and clothing industry in Malaysia, September 2012

Functional group:

in organic chemistry, a group of atoms within a molecule which is responsible for certain properties of the molecule and for certain reactions in which the group takes part. Organic compounds may be classified according to the functional group or groups t

Last referenced in: Survey of the European fabric fairs for spring/summer 2014