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Abacá
Abacá (Musa textilis), a species of banana native to the Philippines is grown as a commercial crop in the Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica, and harvested for its fibres, also called Manila hemp, extracted from the leaf-stems. The seawater resistant fibre was originally used for making twines and ropes.
Abrasion Resistance
The ability of a fibre or fabric to withstand surface wear and rubbing.
Acetate fibre
Cellulose acetate is the acetate ester of cellulose and was invented in 1865. It is mainly used as a synthetic fibre in textiles under the names of celanese and acetate. Applications in lingerie, wedding dresses, party dresses, blouses. At present it is mostly used in blends with cotton, wool, nylon. Also used in curtains, cigarette filters, diapers and felt-tip pens.
Acrylic fibre
Acrylic, also called polyacrylic, polyacrylonitrile fibres, are synthetic fibres made from a polymer (polyacrylonitrile) by means of polymerisation.
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 efficiency of various types of air filtration media. It is also a measure of warmness or coolness of a fabric.
Air-Jet Spinning
A pneumatic spinning system in which yarn is made by wrapping fibers around a core stream of fibers with compressed air.
Airlaid nonwoven
Airlaid nonwovens are made by bringing fibres into an air flow and from there to a moving belt or perforated drum, where they shape a randomly leaning web.
Animal fibres
Animal fibres are natural fibres derived from sheep, camels, lamas, rabbits, goats, etc (wool) of from silkworms or spiders (silk).
Autoclave
An autoclave is a pressure chamber used to carry out industrial processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure different from ambient air pressure. Autoclaves are used in the textile industry to carry out certain finishing operations. In medical applications autoclaves are used to perform sterilization and in the chemical industry to cure coatings and vulcanize rubber.
Baby's garments
Garments for children during the first year of their life. STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® imposes the strictest safety requirements on clothing/articles for baby's and toddlers up to 3 years of age (underwear, rompers, clothing, bed linen, terry products etc.).
Bast fibre
Bast fibre is plant fibre collected from the phloem or bast surrounding the stem of certain plants. Examples are: flax (linen), hemp, jute, kenaf, kudzu, okra, ramie.
Big science
Big science is a term used by scientists and historians of science to describe a series of changes in science which occurred in industrial nations during and after World War II, as scientific progress increasingly came to rely on large-scale projects usually funded by national governments or groups of governments.
Bra, brassiere
A bra, short for brassiere, is a form-fitting undergarment designed to support and protect a woman's breasts.
Camel hair
Animal fibre obtained from the camel and belonging to the group called specialty hair fibres. The most satisfactory textile fibre is gathered from camels of the Bactrian type. Such camels have protective outer coats of coarse fibre that may grow as long as 40 cm. The fine, shorter fibre of the insulating undercoat, 4–13 cm long, is the product generally called camel hair, or camel hair wool. The hair is not usually gathered by shearing or plucking; it is most often collected as the animal sheds its coat. Combing, frequently by machine, separates the desirable down from the coarse outer hairs. The resultant fine fibre has a tiny diameter of 5–40 microns and is usually a reddish tan colour. Fabric made of camel hair has excellent insulating properties and is warm and comfortable. Camel hair is mainly used for high-grade overcoat fabrics and is also made into knitting yarn, knitwear, blankets, and rugs. The coarse outer fibre is strong and is used in industrial fabrics such as machine beltings.
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that disentangles, cleans and intermixes fibres to produce a continuous web or sliver suitable for subsequent processing. This is achieved by passing the fibres between differentially moving surfaces covered with card clothing. It breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres to be parallel with each other. In preparing wool fibre for spinning, carding is the step that comes after teasing.
Cashmere
Animal-hair fibre forming the downy undercoat of the Kashmir goat and belonging to the group of textile fibres called specialty hair fibres. Although the word cashmere is sometimes incorrectly applied to extremely soft wools, only the product of the Kashmir goat is true cashmere. The cashmere goat has a protective outer coat of coarse fibre that is 4 to 20 cm (1.5 to 8 inches) in length. The downy undercoat is made up of the fine, soft fibre commonly called cashmere, which ranges from 2.5 to 9 cm (1 to 3.5 inches) long. Thanks to the fineness, the lightweight cashmere fibres have a high thermal insulation.
Cashmere yarn
Cashmere yarn is spun of the cashmere goat's fine, soft, downy winter undercoat. Cashmere yarn is incredibly fine: since an average hair has a diameter of less than 12 to 19 micrometer.
Cellulose triacetate
Cellulose triacetate is a chemical compound manufactured from cellulose and a source of acetate esters, typically acetic anhydride. Cellulose triacetate is mainly used in the production of textiles and is highly heat resistant (to 200°C).
Cheviot wool
Firm, thick, little crimped wool type derived from the cheviot, an English-Scottish sheep breed from the Cheviot Mountains between Northumberland and the Scottish border.
Chlorofibre
Synthetic fibre made from the polymerization of a chlorinated monomer (especially from forms of polyvinyl chloride).
Circular economy
The circular economy is an economic system in which the reusability of products and raw materials is optimized and value destruction are minimized. In contrast to the present linear system in which raw materials are being transformed into products that are destroyed at their end of life.
Circular input
Making use of renewable energy, biobased or fully recyclable raw materials.
Clothing
Clothing (also known as clothes and attire) is fibre and textile material worn on the body. The wearing of clothing is mostly restricted to human beings and is a feature of nearly all human societies. The amount and type of clothing worn depends on body type, social, and geographic considerations. Some clothing can be gender-specific. Clothing protects the wearer and has a symbolic (social, moral, religious) value.
Clothing size
In clothing, clothing size refers to the label sizes used for garments sold off-the-shelf. There are a large number of standard sizing systems around the world for various garments, such as dresses, tops, skirts, and trousers.
Coconut fibre, coir fibre
Coir or coconut fibre, is a natural fibre extracted from the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes and mattresses. Coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. Other uses of brown coir (made from ripe coconut) are in upholstery padding, sacking and horticulture. White coir, harvested from unripe coconuts, is used for making finer brushes, string, rope and fishing nets.
Colour fastness
Colour fastness characterises a material's colour resistance to fading or running under external circumstances including colour fastness to wet and dry rubbing, washing, laundring and dry cleaning, to sweat, light and saliva
Combing wool
Long-staple strong-fibred wool found suitable for combing and used especially in the manufacture of worsteds.
Compression stockings
Compression stockings are a specialized hosiery designed to help prevent the occurrence of, and guard against further progression of, venous disorders such as edema, phlebitis and thrombosis. Compression stockings are elastic garments worn around the leg, compressing the limb. This reduces the diameter of distended veins and increases venous blood flow velocity and valve effectiveness.
Crossbred wool
Wool from a sheep breed that was obtained by crossing several sheep breeds.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is an alternative form of finance, by which a project or venture is funded by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.
Cut fibre, staple fibre
If a continuous filament is cut into discrete lengths, it becomes staple fibre.
Cutting-edge technology
Cutting-edge technology refers to current and fully developed technology features.
Damask
Damask is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibres, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave. Twill damasks include a twill-woven ground or pattern.
Elastane, Spandex, Lycra
Spandex, Lycra or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. This polyether-polyurea copolymer has been invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's.
Elastomer
An elastomer is a polymer with viscoelasticity (having both viscosity and elasticity). Elastomers are usually thermosets (requiring vulcanization) but may also be thermoplastic (see thermoplastic elastomer). The long polymer chains cross-link during curing, i.e., vulcanizing. The molecular structure of elastomers can be imagined as a 'spaghetti and meatball' structure, with the meatballs signifying cross-links. The elasticity is derived from the ability of the long chains to reconfigure themselves to distribute an applied stress.
Felt
Felt, a class of fabrics or fibrous structures obtained through the interlocking of wool, fur, or some hair fibres under conditions of heat, moisture, and friction. Other fibres will not felt alone but can be mixed with wool, which acts as a carrier. Several industries manufacture goods through the use of these properties. The goods produced include wool felt in rolls and sheets; hats, both fur and wool; and woven felts, ranging from thin billiard tablecloths to heavy industrial fabrics used for dewatering in the manufacture of paper.
First year's wool
The second shearing of a lamb, younger than 12 months, and stronger than lambswool.
Flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fibre. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed.Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, bed sheets, and sleepwear.
Flax fibre
Long flax fibres are used to produce linen. At first, the short fibres were used for ropes and the broken stems as fuel. Later on, it was discovered that the short fibres could also be used to make paper; the American dollar bills are still made from flax. Today flax fibres are increasingly used to reinforce composite materials.
Fluorescent materials
Fluorescent materials absorb light photons with short wavelengths (highly energetic) and rather quickly re-emit light with a longer wavelength. Optical brighteners are typical examples; by absorbing UV rays and re-emitting visible light it creates an optical effect of enhanced whiteness.
Glass fibre
Glass fibre is a very fine fibre made from glass and is produced by means of a melting process. Glass fibres are used as reinforcement in composites, or as insulation in the form of glass wool.
Green consumerism
The use of services and related products which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle of the service or product so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations.
Haute couture
The creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is high-end fashion that is constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high-quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques
Horsehair
Horsehair is the long, coarse hair growing on the manes and tails of horses. It is used for various purposes, including upholstery, brushes, the bows of musical instruments, a hard-wearing fabric called haircloth, and for horsehair plaster, a wallcovering material formerly used in the construction industry and now found only in older buildings. Horsehair can be very stiff or very fine and flexible; mane hair is generally softer and shorter than tail hair. The texture of horsehair can be influenced by the breed and management of the horse, including natural conditions such as diet or climate. Processing may also affect quality and feel.
Horsehair is a protein fiber that absorbs water slowly, but can be dyed or colored effectively using traditional dyes suitable for protein fibers. It can be felted, but not easily.Incapsulated products
Incapsulated products are surrounded by a polymer shell that protects them from the matrix at the other side of the polymer. The polymer shell can be broken or not.
Incremental innovations
A series of small improvements to an existing product or product line that usually helps companies to maintain or improve their competitive position over time.
Industrial design
In a legal sense, an industrial design constitutes the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article. An industrial design may consist of three dimensional features, such as the shape of an article, or two dimensional features, such as patterns, lines or colour.
Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 a.k.a. smart industry is the next phase in the digitization of the manufacturing sector, driven by four disruptions: the astonishing rise in data volumes, computational power, and connectivity, especially new low-power wide-area networks; the emergence of analytics and business-intelligence capabilities; new forms of human-machine interaction such as touch interfaces and augmented-reality systems; and improvements in transferring digital instructions to the physical world, such as advanced robotics and 3D printing.
Innovation
Innovation is the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay.
Intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the intellect for which a monopoly is assigned to designated owners by law. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) are the rights granted to the creators of IP, and include trademarks, copyright, patents, industrial design rights, and in some jurisdictions trade secrets.[2] Artistic works including music and literature, as well as discoveries, inventions, words, phrases, symbols, and designs can all be protected as intellectual property.
Jacquard fabric
The design of the jacquard fabric is incorporated into the weave, instead of being printed or dyed onto the fabric.
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus. Jute is one of the most affordable natural fibres and it is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses of vegetable fibres. Jute fibres are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose and lignin.
Knitting, knitwear
Knitted fabric consists of a number of consecutive rows of interlocking loops. There are two major varieties of knitting: weft knitting and warp knitting. In the more common weft knitting, the wales are perpendicular to the course of the yarn. In warp knitting, the wales and courses run roughly parallel. In weft knitting, the entire fabric may be produced from a single yarn, by adding stitches to each wale in turn, moving across the fabric as in a raster scan. By contrast, in warp knitting, one yarn is required for every wale. Since a typical piece of knitted fabric may have hundreds of wales, warp knitting is typically done by machine, whereas weft knitting is done by both hand and machine.
Knitwear, knitted fabric
Knitted fabric consists of a number of consecutive rows of interlocking loops. There are two major varieties of knitting: weft knitting and warp knitting. In the more common weft knitting, the wales are perpendicular to the course of the yarn. In warp knitting, the wales and courses run roughly parallel. In weft knitting, the entire fabric may be produced from a single yarn, by adding stitches to each wale in turn, moving across the fabric as in a raster scan. By contrast, in warp knitting, one yarn is required for every wale. Since a typical piece of knitted fabric may have hundreds of wales, warp knitting is typically done by machine, whereas weft knitting is done by both hand and machine.
Labelling
Textile products shall be labelled or marked to give an indication of their fibre composition whenever they are made available on the market. The labelling and marking of textile products shall be durable, easily legible, visible and accessible and, in the case of a label, securely attached.
Laundry symbol, care symbol
A laundry symbol, also called a care symbol, is a pictogram which represents a method of washing. Such symbols are written on labels, known as care labels or care tags, attached to clothing to indicate how a particular item should best be cleaned. The ISO pictograms are trademarks of GINETEX (Groupement International d'Etiquetage pour l'Entretien des Textiles), founded in 1963.
Leaf fibre
Leaf fibres are natural cellulosic fibres collected from plant leaves. Typical examples are sisal, abaca and raffia.
Lean manufacturing
Doing more with less by employing 'lean thinking.' Lean manufacturing involves never ending efforts to eliminate or reduce three enemies of Lean: Muda (waste), Muri (overburden) and Mura (unevenness) - or any activity that consumes resources without adding value - in design, manufacturing, distribution, and customer service processes. The Lean concept was developed by Toyota.
Linen
Linen is a fabric made from the fibres of the flax plant. Garments made of linen are valued for their exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather. Linen textiles appear to be some of the oldest in the world: their history goes back many thousands of years. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns, and various types of fabrics dating to about 8000 BC have been found in Swiss lake dwellings. Dyed flax fibres found in a prehistoric cave in Georgia suggest the use of woven linen fabrics from wild flax may date back even earlier to 36,000 BC.
Man-made fibre, synthetic fibre
Synthetic fibres, such as nylon, perlon, dralon, rayon, viscose … are man-made fibres. Until 1910, there were no synthetic or chemical fibers. By mixing different components, manufacturers can make basic fibres more waterproof or more absorbent, warmer or cooler, thicker or thinner, stiffer or more supple. Some, like polyester and spandex, combine well with natural fibres, making fabrics wrinkle less or more form-fitting.
Mass customization
Production of personalized or custom-tailored goods or services to meet consumers' diverse and changing needs at near massproduction prices. Enabled by technologies such as computerization, internet, product modularization, and lean production, it portends the ultimate stage in market segmentation where every customer can have exactly what he or she wants.
Mattress ticking
Ticking is a cotton or linen textile that is tightly woven for durability and to prevent down feathers from poking through the fabric, and is used to cover mattresses and bed pillows.
Memory foam
Memory foam (brand name TEMPUR®) mainly consists of polyurethane as well as additional chemicals increasing its viscosity and density. It is often referred to as "viscoelastic" polyurethane foam, or low-resilience polyurethane foam (LRPu). Higher-density memory foam softens in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold to a warm body in a few minutes. It is especially applied in mattresses and pillows/cushions to lower the pressure on protruding body parts.
Mineral fibres
Mineral fibres are inorganic fibres and can be extruded from minerals and metals: ceramic fibres, basalt fibres, glassfibres…
Modacrylic fibre
Polymer fibres containing at least 50 % and at the most 85 % acrylonitrile.
Natural fibres
Natural fibres are vegetable, animal, or mineral in origin. Natural fibres include protein fibres such as wool and silk, cellulose fibres such as cotton and linen, and mineral fibres such as asbestos (a silicate mineral).
Necktie
A necktie, or simply a tie, is a long piece of cloth, worn usually by men, for decorative purposes around the neck, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat.
The modern necktie spread by Europe traces back to the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) when Croatian mercenaries from the Croatian Military Frontier in French service, wearing their traditional small, knotted neckerchiefs, aroused the interest of the Parisians. Because of the slight difference between the Croatian word for Croats, Hrvati, and the French word, Croates, the garment gained the name "cravat" ("cravate" in French). The boy-king Louis XIV began wearing a lace cravat about 1646, when he was seven, and set the fashion for French nobility. This new article of clothing started a fashion craze in Europe; both men and women wore pieces of fabric around their necks. From its introduction by the French king, men wore lace cravats, or jabots, that took a large amount of time and effort to arrange. These cravats were often tied in place by cravat strings, arranged neatly and tied in a bow.Needle felt
A needle felt is a non-woven fabric usually composed of synthetic fibres (PES, PP). The fibres are mechanically binded by means of needle punching,
Non-woven
Nonwoven fabrics are broadly defined as sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments (and by perforating films) mechanically, thermally or chemically. They are flat or tufted porous sheets that are made directly from separate fibers, molten plastic or plastic film. They are not made by weaving or knitting and do not require converting the fibers to yarn.
Nylon
Generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers, based on aliphatic or semi-aromatic polyamides. Developed as a synthetic substitute for silk.
The strength of Nylon really revolutionized the clothing for women especially in WW II. During the war exports of silk to the western countries were stopped and women didn’t have stockings to wear. Nylons fixed this problem by providing reusable stockings. It was durable and could be manufactured without importing other natural materials. Nylon also revolutionized the consumer market by providing better materials to help with consumer convenience.One-piece swimsuit
A one-piece swimsuit is worn (usually by women, but in former times also by men) when swimming or diving, or for sun bathing.
Overcoat
An overcoat is a type of long coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment, which usually extends below the knee. Overcoats are most commonly used in winter when warmth is more important.
Historical coats:
Greatcoat, a voluminous overcoat with multiple shoulder capes, prominently featured by European militaries, most notably the former Soviet Union.
Redingote (via French from English riding coat), a long fitted coat for men or women.
Frock overcoat, a very formal daytime overcoat commonly worn with a frock coat, featuring a waist seam and heavy waist suppression.
Ulster coat, a working daytime overcoat initially with a cape top covering sleeves, but then without; it evolved to the polo coat after losing its cape.
Inverness coat, a formal evening or working day overcoat, with winged sleeves.
Paletot coat, a coat shaped with side-bodies, as a slightly less formal alternative to the frock overcoat.
Paddock coat, with even less shaping.
Chesterfield coat, a long overcoat with very little waist suppression; being the equivalent of the "sack suit" for clothes, it came to be the most important overcoat of the next half-century.Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection.
Phase change materials (PCM)
Phase change materials (PCM) are substances that absorb and release thermal energy during the process of melting and freezing. When a PCM freezes, it releases a large amount of energy in the form of latent heat at a relatively constant temperature. Conversely, when such material melts, it absorbs a large amount of heat from the environment. PCMs recharge as ambient temperatures fluctuate, making them ideal for a variety of everyday applications that require temperature control.
Phosphorescent materials
Phosphorescence substances absorb energy that is released relatively slowly in the form of light. This is in some cases the mechanism used for "glow-in-the-dark" materials which are "charged" by exposure to light. Phosphorescent materials "store" absorbed energy for a longer time, as the processes required to re-emit energy occur less often.
Photochromatic materials
Photochromatic materials are colourless materials that "emit" colour when exposed to light, such as visible light or UV rays. When exposed to light, the molecular structure changes by which the materials obtain colour. When the light source is removed, the colour disappears too.
Photovoltaic cells
Photovoltaic cells are semi-conductors capable of generating an electric tension under the influence of sun rays. To produce a substantial quantity of energy, several cells are connected.
Pile fabric
Fabric with cut fibres or uncut loops which stand up densely on the surface. Usually has a plush feel (i.e., bath towel, velvet).
Plain weave
In plain weave, the warp and weft are aligned to form a simple criss-cross pattern. Each weft thread crosses the warp threads by going over one, then under the next, and so on. The weft threads are lifted alternatingly.
Plush
Plush is a soft and hairy textile having a cut nap or pile. Originally the pile of plush consisted of mohair or worsted yarn, but now silk by itself or with a cotton backing is used for plush. The soft material is largely used for upholstery, furniture and toys. Modern plush are commonly manufactured from synthetic fibres such as polyester.
Polyacrylic (PAN)
Synthetic fibre made from polyacrylonitrile. Polyacrylic forms long linear molecules that are very suited as textile fibres.
Polyamide (PA)
Nylon is the generic name for all long-chain fibre-forming polyamides with recurring amide groups. Polyamides comprise the largest family of engineering plastics with a very wide range of applications. Polyamides are often formed into fibres and are used for monofilaments and yarns. Characteristically polyamides are very resistant to wear and abrasion, have good mechanical properties even at elevated temperatures, have low permeability to gases and have good chemical resistance.
Polyester (PET/PES)
Thermoplastic polyester is used in textile applications. The polyester granules are melted in an extruder and processed into monofilaments.
Polyethylene (PE)
Polyethylene is produced by the polymerisation of ethene. Ethene is obtained by the deconstruction of a.o. naphta, a light petrol derivate. Poly(ethene) is produced in different forms including low density (LDPE) (< 0.930 g cm³), linear low density (LLDPE) (ca 0.915-0.940 g cm³) and high density (HDPE) (ca 0.940-0.965 g cm³).
Polyurethane (PUR)
Polyurethanes are formed by reacting a polyol (an alcohol with more than two reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule) with a diisocyanate or a polymeric isocyanate in the presence of suitable catalysts and additives. Polyurethanes can be a found in mattresses, couches, insulation, liquid coatings and paints, tough elastomers such as roller blade wheels, soft flexible foam toys, some elastic fibres, and many other applications.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
Polyvinyl alcohol is a water-soluble synthetic polymer. The PVA fibre is used by the industry as a high performance fibre.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is used in diverse industrial, technical and daily applications: from window frames and blood bags to credit cards and raincoats. PVC consists of 38,41 % carbon 4,86 % hydrogen and 56,73 % chlorine and has been produced commercially since the end of the 1920s, when additives have been added to the mixture to create a plastic that was appreciated for its flexibility, durability and low cost.
Poplin
Poplin is a strong fabric produced by the rib variation of the plain weave and characterized by fine, closely spaced, crosswise ribs. Though originally made with a silk warp and a heavier wool filling, poplin is now made of a variety of fibres, including silk, cotton, wool, and synthetic types, and with combinations of such fibres. It is used for shirts, pajamas, women’s wear, and sportswear and also as a decorative fabric.
Product design
The detailed specification of a manufactured item's parts and their relationship to the whole. A product design needs to take into account how the item will perform its intended functionality in an efficient, safe and reliable manner. The product also needs to be capable of being made economically and to be attractive to targeted consumers.
Product development
The creation of products with new or different characteristics that offer new or additional benefits to the customer. Product development may involve modification of an existing product or its presentation, or formulation of an entirely new product that satisfies a newly defined customer want or market niche.
Protective clothing
Protective clothing is designed to protect the wearer against all kinds of risks, such as injuries or infections.
Protective Gloves
Protective gloves and protective clothing belong to the group of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Protective gloves can be divided into 3 categories depending on type and which risk or danger the gloves should protect against.
Category 1: Gloves of simple design, for minimal risks only, such as house-hold gloves used for cleaning and for protection against warm objects or temperatures not exceeding +50° C, light-duty gardening gloves or other work where the risk for injury is minimal.
Category 2: Gloves of intermediate design, for intermediate risks. Gloves are placed in this category when the risk is not classified as minimal or irreversible. The gloves must be subjected to independent testing and certification by a Notified Body, whom then issues a CE marking showing the gloves protective capacities: handling gloves requiring good puncture and abrasion performance.
Category 3: Gloves of complex design, for irreversible or mortal risks, such as gloves designed to protect against the highest levels of risk e.g. highly corrosive acids. Gloves in this category must also be independently tested and certified by a Notified Body (approved by the EU commission).Protein fibres
Animal fibres such as wool, hair and silk, are composed of proteins.The protein fibres are formed by natural animal sources through condensation of a-amino acids to form repeating polyamide units with a various substituent on the a-carbon atom. In general, protein fibres are fibres of moderate strength, resiliency, and elasticity. They have excellent moisture absorbency and transport characteristics. They do not build up a static charge.
Raffia
Raffia is a strong natural fibre produced from species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, and especially Madagascar. The membrane on the underside of the leaf is taken off to create a long thin fibre which can be dyed and woven as a textile into products ranging from hats to shoes to decorative mats.
Ramie
Ramie is a natural fibre produced from Boehmeria nivea or Chinese Grass, a plant belonging to the nettle family. For more than 6000 years, fibres have been harvested from the stem of the plant and used for the production of threads and ropes, fishing nets, paper and textile products such as table linen, bed linen and curtains.
Ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear or prêt-à-porter is factory-made clothing, sold in finished condition, in standardized sizes. The advantage is that the price can be kept relatively low. Off-the-peg is sometimes used for items other than clothing such as handbags.
Research & Development (R&D)
Systematic activity combining both basic and applied research, and aimed at discovering solutions to problems or creating new goods and knowledge. R&D may result in ownership of intellectual property such as patents.
Rubber
Natural rubber is a polymer that occurs as an emulsion in the juice (containing 33% latex) of certain plants, such as the Brazilian and Indian rubber tree. The latex is filtered and diluted by water and then treated with acids to solidify the rubber particles. In 1770, the chemist Joseph Priestly accidentally discovered that the material was able to remove pencil stripes. From then on it was named after the verb “to rub”. Synthetic rubber is produced by the polymerization of petroleum.
Satin
Any fabric constructed by the satin weave method, one of the three basic textile weaves. The fabric is characterized by a smooth surface and usually a lustrous face and dull back; it is made in a wide variety of weights for various uses, including dresses, particularly evening wear; linings; bedspreads; and upholstery. Though originally a silk fabric, it is now made of yarns of other fibres. An all-cotton fabric woven in the satin structure is known as sateen.
Shape memory polymers (SMP)
SMPs are polymeric smart materials that have the ability to return from a deformed state (temporary shape) to their original (permanent) shape induced by an external stimulus (trigger), such as temperature change.
Sharkskin swimsuit
Sharkskin is made up of countless overlapping scales called dermal denticles when we saw it under the electron microscope. The appearance of the denticles is they have grooves running down their length in alignment with water flow. The function of the denticles is to disrupt the formation of eddies or we called it as turbulent swirls of slow water which lead to higher speed of water. In fact, the rough shape also discourages parasitic growth such as algae and barnacles. The fabrics include features that increase the swimmer's glide through water and reduce the absorption of water by the suit as opposed to regular swimsuits.
Silk fibre
Silk is a natural protein, secreted by certain insects, such as the silkworm Bombyx mori. Also certain spiders are appropriate for silk culture. Both the textile fibre and fabric are called silk. Silk fabrics are appreciated for their lustre, suppleness and soft texture.
Sisal
Sisal is sometimes referred to as "sisal hemp", because for centuries hemp was a major source for fibre, and other fibre sources were named after it.
The sisal fibre is traditionally used for rope and twine, and has many other uses, including paper, cloth, footwear, hats, bags, carpets, and dartboards. Sisal is named after a harbour in Yucatán.Skin wool, fellmonger wool
Wool obtained from the skin of slaughtered or deceased animals, usually by fermentation or chemical treatment. A fellmonger was a dealer in hides or skins, particularly sheepskins, who might also prepare skins for tanning. The name is derived from the Old English ‘fell’ meaning skins and ‘monger’ meaning dealer.
Small science
Small Science refers (in contrast to Big Science) to science performed in a smaller scale, such as by individuals, small teams or within community projects.
Smart textiles
Commonly the expressions "smart" and "intelligent" textiles or wearables are used interchangeably.The term "smart textile" may refer to either a "smart textile material" or a "smart textile system". Only the context will determine which one of the two following definitions apply: Smart (intelligent) textile material: functional textile material actively interacting with its environment, i.e. responding or adapting to changes in the environment. Smart (intelligent) textile system: textile system exhibiting an intended and exploitable response as a reaction either to changes in its surroundings/environment or to an external signal/input.
Split fibres
Split fibres are developed by twisting polypropylene tapes. The very first artificial turf was made from split PP fibres.
Sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise and its design depends on the demands of the sport activity in question.
Spunlaid nonwoven
Spunlaid, also called spunbond, nonwovens are made in one continuous process. fibres are spun and then directly dispersed into a web by deflectors or can be directed with air streams. This technique leads to faster belt speeds, and cheaper costs.
Staple fibre
Fibre of discrete length that may be of any composition. The opposite term is filament fibre with a sheer limitless lengths for use.
Stimuli-responsive materials (SRM)
Stimuli-responsive materials (SRMs) have the particularity to change one or more of their properties under a defined stimulus. To account for the variety of underlying physico-chemical mechanisms, we call "transition phenomenon" the process by which SRMs transform an input, or stimulus, into an output, or response.
SVHC - substances of very high concern
Substances that may have serious and often irreversible effects on human health and the environment can be identified as substances of very high concern (SVHCs).
Technical fibre
Technical fibres feature special characteristics that make them appropriate for the manufacturing of textile products and composites that are highly resistant to extreme conditions (climatological, industrial use, PPE) or of multifunctional/smart textiles.
Textile
The word 'textile' is from Latin, from the adjective textilis, meaning 'woven', from textus, the past participle of the verb texere, 'to weave'. A textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial filaments (endless threads) or fibres (short pieces of thread). Textiles are formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or felting. They are mostly deformable and can be one, two or three dimensional.
Textile fibre
Depending on their source and/or processing method, textile fibres can be subdivided in natural (vegetable and animal), artifical (chemical treatment of natural materials), synthetic, and mineral (metals, basalt, ceramic…) fibres. The textile industry requires that fibre content be provided on labels.
Textile finishing
All mechanical and chemical processes employed to improve the quality or change the properties of the textile product.
Thermal clothing
Protective under or upperwear against cold. They can be made from specialty yarns (e.g. the legendary thermolactyl® by Damart) or incorporate PCM (phase change materials) to regulate the body temperature.
Thermochromic materials
Thermochromic materials change colour due to a change in temperature.
Thermoelectric materials
The thermoelectric effect of these substances refers to phenomena by which either a temperature difference creates an electric potential or an electric potential creates a temperature difference.
Utrecht Velvet
Luxurious mohair short pole woven fabric used for upholstery, wall decoration and gala costumes. Originally, the fabric was manufactured in Utrecht since the late 17th century.
Vegetable fibres
Plant-derived vegetable fibres are classified according to their source in plants as bast, leaf, or seed-hair.
Virgin Wool
Virgin wool is the wool taken from a lamb's first shearing. This is the softest and finest wool produced. There is another meaning of virgin wool - it can refer to wool that has never been used, processed, or woven before. This type of virgin wool can come from an adult sheep.
Viscose
It was in 1891 that Cross and Bevan discovered a technique to manufacture viscose, a substitute for natural silk: The viscose process dissolves pulp with aqueous sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide. This produces a viscous solution. This solution was the first thing to bear the name "viscose". The cellulose solution is used to spin the viscose rayon fibre, which may also be called viscose.
Voile
Soft, sheer fabric, usually made of 100% cotton or cotton blended with linen or polyester. Because of its light weight, the fabric is mostly used in soft furnishing. In tropical climates, voile is used for window treatments and mosquito nets. When used as curtain material, voile is similar to net curtains. Voiles are available in a range of patterns and colours. Because of their semitransparent quality, voile curtains are made using heading tape that is less easily noticeable through the fabric. Voile fabric is also used in dressmaking, either in multiple layers or laid over a second material. The term is French for veil.
Wool fibre
A wool fibre is composed of four layers (from outer to inner layer): the corneous layer of scales (cuticula), an intermediate membrane (subcutis), the cortex and the medulla.
Woven fabric
Fabrics are produced by converting yarns, and sometimes fibres, into a fabric having characteristics determined by the materials and methods employed. Most fabrics are produced by some method of interlacing, such as weaving or knitting. Other interlaced fabrics include net, lace, and braid.
Zipper
A zipper, zip, fly, or zip fastener, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding the edges of an opening of fabric or other flexible material, like on a garment or a bag. It is used in clothing (e.g., jackets and jeans), luggage and other bags, sporting goods, camping gear (e.g. tents and sleeping bags), and other items. Zippers come in all different sizes, shapes, and colours.
Whitcomb L. Judson was an American inventor from Chicago who invented and constructed a workable zipper. The method, still in use today, is based on interlocking teeth. Initially, it was called the “hookless fastener” and was later redesigned to become more reliable. The modern type zipper was designed by Gideon Sunback and patented in 1913.