GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR THE CHEMICAL FABRICS & FILM INDUSTRY
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facts & information
Aging – The effect on materials of exposure to an environment
for an interval of time. The process of exposing materials to an
environment for an interval of time. (ASTM D883-91a – Standard
Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Antimicrobial (Biocide) – A compound commonly added to
a polymeric compound or coating to inhibit the growth of
bacteria, fungi and algae on the surface of a finished product.
Artificial Aging – The accelerated testing of materials to
determine the changes of properties (dimension stability,
chemical/solvent resistance, low temperature cracking, etc.).
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Artificial Weathering – Exposure to laboratory conditions, which
may be cyclic, involving changes in temperature, relative humidity,
radiant energy, and any other elements found in the atmosphere
in various geographical areas. Discussion: the laboratory condi-
tions are usually intensified beyond those encountered in actual
outdoor exposure in an attempt to achieve an accelerated effect.
(ASTM D883-91a – Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Biodegradable Plastic – A degradable plastic in which the
degradation results from the action of naturally occurring
microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. (ASTM
D883-91a – Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Blocking – Unintentional adhesion between plastic films
or between a film and another surface. (ASTM D883-91a –
Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Calendered Film – A polymeric material formed into a sheet
of uniform gauge by passing through a series of precision rolls.
Calendering – Process of forming materials to make a film/sheet
by passing them through a series of heated rolls with designated
speeds and gaps to determine the product thickness. Calender
coated fabrics have a selected textile material adhered to the
plastic film/sheet. (Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd
R. Whittington)
Cast Coating – A process where a liquid coating is spread on
a reusable release paper, fused or dried in an oven, and then
removed from the release paper as a solid film.
Cast Film – A film made by depositing a layer of plastic, either
molten, in solution, or in a dispersion, onto a surface, solidifying
and removing the film from the surface. (ASTM D883-91a –
Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Casting – Liquid plastic poured continuously on a preformed
shape or texture for a mirror effect when dried and separated.
Cellular Plastics (Expanded, Foamed) – All names for materials
with a composition of cells dispersed throughout its mass. The
cells can be open or closed structures, and the product’s density
can be varied depending upon the formulation and/or process.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Chemical Fabric – A polymeric material in a sheet form
attached to a fabric.
Chemical Film – A polymeric material that is formed in a sheet
using either naturally occurring or synthetic chemicals.
Coated Fabrics – Fabrics coated/impregnated with a plastic
solution, dispersion, hot melt, or powder. The material is usually
spread over the surface in a uniform manner. Also, fabrics with
the formed film applied from a calender or extruder are called
Laminated Coated Fabrics. (Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics
by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Coated Film – A film to which a liquid polymeric coating has
been applied to the surface to affect the surface properties
of the product.
Coating – A material that is applied to the surface of a product
with the gravure or some other process in order to change the
color or surface properties of the product.
Coating Operation – A process where a coating is applied to
a substrate and is subsequently air dried, cured in an oven,
or cured by radiation.
Coextrusion – Process of extruding multiple films from different
extruders that pass through a single die with multiple orifices
that form the exudates into a single merged film/sheet consisting
of individual welded layers. (Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics
by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Colorants – Pigments or dyes used to impart the color to a
material. They can be from natural or synthetic sources and
can be organic or inorganic in composition. (Whittington’s
Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
CHEMICAL FABRICS & FILM ASSOCIATION, INC.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR THE CHEMICAL FABRICS & FILM INDUSTRY continued
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CHEMICAL FABRICS & FILM ASSOCIATION, INC.
Composite – A construction consisting of two or more polymeric
films (usually PVC, PVC-ABS, or TPO) laminated together
or laminated to a non-polymeric substrate such as a fabric.
Compound/Compounding – A mixture of resin(s) and additives
needed to modify the resin into a suitable form to make the
finished article and the process of doing that operation.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Conditioning – Placing a material into a set of standard envi-
ronmental or stress conditions prior to testing the product.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Degradable Plastic – A plastic designed to undergo a significant
change in its chemical structure under specific environmental
conditions resulting in a loss of some properties that may vary
as measured by standard test methods appropriate to the
plastic and the application in a period of time that determines
its classification. (ASTM D883-91a – Standard Terminology
Relating to Plastics)
Delamination – The separation of the layers of material in
a laminate or composite. (ASTM D883-91a – Standard
Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Drape – A term to describe the way a fabric, coated fabric
and/or film falls while it hangs; the suppleness and ability
of a fabric to form graceful configurations.
Embossing – The process of imparting a specific pattern or
graining to the surface of the material. This can be done during
the film formation process or at a later operation. It generally
requires the material to be at an elevated temperature during
the process and then cooled to set in the embossing pattern.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Extruder/Extrusion – A process in which heated or unheated
plastic is forced through a shaping orifice (a die) in one contin-
uously formed shape, as in film, sheet, rod, or tubing. (ASTM
D883-91a – Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Fabric – In the coated fabrics industry, this term refers to the
textile material used to enhance the physicals of the composite
formed by the coating/lamination of the plastic to the textile.
The fabric usually is in a woven, knitted, or nonwoven construction.
Woven Fabrics consist of materials formed on a loom with two
separate yarns (warp and filling) that are at right angles to each
other. The two yarns go over and under each other in a desig-
nated pattern. Knitted Fabrics are formed by a single or multiple
yarns making interlocking loops. Non-Woven Fabrics are formed
by laying a continuous web of random spaced fibers to form
a uniform batting. The fibers are then bonded to form a fabric
by chemical adhesion, thermal or mechanical processes.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Fabricating – The manufacture of plastic products from molded
parts, rods, tubes, sheeting, extrusions, or other forms by
appropriate operations such as punching, cutting, drilling
and tapping including fastening plastic parts together or
to other parts by mechanical devices, adhesives, heat sealing,
or other means. (ASTM D883-91a – Standard Terminology
Relating to Plastics)
Film – In plastics, an optional term for sheeting having a nominal
thickness not greater than 0.25 mm (0.01 in.). (ASTM D883-91a –
Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics) A thin sheet of uniform
gauge without any underlying support fabric.
Gravure Coating – A process by which a design or full coating is
applied to the surface of a product using an engraved cylinder.
Gravure Printing (Rotogravure) – A roll printing process where
the amount and areas of application are determined by the
location and depth of depressions engraved on the roll surface.
The excess print vehicle is wiped off the surface of the roll with
a doctoring blade prior to application. The metered print is
applied to the plastic material as it passes between the gravure
roll and a resilient surface backing roll. (Whittington’s Dictionary
of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
HAP (Hazardous Air Pollutant) – A material identified by the
EPA which has been identified as toxic when released to the
environment.
Hand – The tactile qualities of a fabric, coated fabric and/or film,
e.g., softness, firmness, elasticity, fineness, resilience, and other
qualities perceived by touch. (Man-Made Fiber and Textile
Dictionary – Celanese Corporation)
Intumescence – The condition where a plastic material expands
when exposed to very high heats and/or flames. It aides in
reducing the flamespread of a material. (Whittington’s
Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Knitted Fabrics – See “Fabric.”
GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR THE CHEMICAL FABRICS & FILM INDUSTRY continued
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CHEMICAL FABRICS & FILM ASSOCIATION, INC.
Lacquer – A solution of a resin(s) in a volatile solvent that when
applied to the surface of a material forms an adherent film when
the solvents have evaporated. The film has similar properties to
the resins used to make the original lacquer. (Whittington’s
Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Laminated Coated Fabrics – See “Coated Fabrics.”
Laminate – Product(s) consisting of two or more layers which
are bonded together by an adhesive, heat, and/or pressure.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Laminating – The process of combining two or more natural
or synthetic layers together.
Laminator – A machine used to combine multiple layers of poly-
mer film or a polymeric film with a fabric. This process can use
various adhesives or simply heat and pressure to combine the
multiple layers.
Latex/Latices – A resinous polymer dispersion of material in
a mainly aqueous vehicle. (Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics
by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Machine Direction and Cross Machine Direction – Machine
direction is parallel to the orientation through the equipment
by which a film is manufactured (MD). Cross machine is per-
pendicular to machine direction.
Metamerism – A term used to note the condition where a mate-
rial matches the color of another item in one type of light and
does not in another type of light. Example: two pieces match
in sunlight (daylight) but one looks too red when looked at
under incandescent light. (Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics
by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Nonrigid Plastic – For purposes of general classification, a plastic
that has a modulus of elasticity either in flexure or in tension of
not over 70 Mpa (10,000 psi) at 23°C and 50% relative humidity
when tested in accordance with ASTM Test Methods D790,
D747, D638, or D882. (ASTM D883-91a – Standard Terminology
Relating to Plastics)
Non-Woven Fabrics – See “Fabric.”
Offset Printing – Process of applying a print coat to a material
where the printing material is first applied to an intermediate
roll/plate surface. It is then transferred to the surface to be printed.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Organasol – A suspension of resin and plasticizer mixture with
a volatile organic liquid (at >5% level). Used mainly to lower
viscosity of liquid material. (Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics
by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Pigments – Colorants that are insoluble in the medium in which
they are used. They can be organic (contain carbon in molecule
basic component) or inorganic (contain a metal in molecule basic
component) and derived from both natural or synthetic sources.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Plastic – A material of one or several organic polymers of
large molecular weight that is solid in its finished application.
It should flow in some state of its manufacturing operation.
This definition excludes certain materials that meet some or
all of the criteria such as rubber, paint, adhesives, etc.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Plasticizer – A substance incorporated in a material to increase
its workability, flexibility, or distensibility. (ASTM D883-91a –
Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Plastisol – A vinyl homopolymer or copolymer suspension
containing plasticizer(s) and other needed additives. The liquid
suspension is relatively stable at lower temperatures, but will
solvate the resin to form a flexible solid material at elevated
temperatures. The plastisol can be used in varied manufacturing
processes including coating or casting a film. (Whittington’s
Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Polymer – A product made by the reaction of simple molecular
material(s) (monomer(s)) that are linked together to form much
larger molecular structure(s) that are multiples of the monomer(s).
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Poly(Vinyl Chloride) – A polymer prepared by the polymerization
of vinyl chloride as the sole monomer. (ASTM D883-91a –
Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Primer – A coating applied to the surface of a film to improve
the receptivity of the surface for further coating application
or improve bonds to an adhesive.
Recycled Plastic – Those plastics composed of post-consumer
material or recovered material only, or both, that may or may
not have been subject to additional processing steps of the
types used to make products such as recycled-regrind or
reprocessed or reconstituted plastics. (ASTM D883-91a –
Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR THE CHEMICAL FABRICS & FILM INDUSTRY continued
facts & information
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facts & information
CHEMICAL FABRICS & FILM ASSOCIATION, INC.
Rigid Plastic – For purposes of general classification, a plastic
that has a modulus of elasticity, either in flexure or in tension,
greater than 700 Mpa (100,000 psi) at 23°C and 50% relative
humidity when tested in accordance with ASTM Test Methods
D747, D790, D638, or D882. (ASTM D883-91a – Standard
Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Rotogravure – See “Gravure Printing.” (Whittington’s Dictionary
of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Sheet – An individual piece of sheeting. (ASTM D883-91a –
Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics) Also, see “Film.”
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Sheeting – A form of plastic in which the thickness is very small
in proportion to length and width and in which the plastic is
present as a continuous phase throughout, with or without filter.
(ASTM D883-91a – Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
Skin Layer – The relatively solid layer on the top surface of an
expanded layer of coated material. This is usually applied for
improved physical properties. (Whittington’s Dictionary of
Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Spanishing – A printing process where the print solution is
deposited in the bottoms and sides of the grain depressions
of an embossed material. Usually, the top of the grain surface is
wiped clean of the print vehicle. Also referred to as shadowing,
wash coating, and flood coating. (Whittington’s Dictionary of
Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Stabilizer – Additive being used in polymers to prevent
degradation during processing and product life against heat,
mechanical and ultraviolet stress.
Substrate – Unexposed layer or layers in a composite used
to impart physical properties rather than appearance.
Supported Product – A polymeric film laminated to a fabric
for support and strength.
Surface Tension – A measure of the surface energy of a film
or liquid. For liquid, the surface tensions are those forces
which hold the liquid together as a drop and prevent it from
wetting a surface.
Thermoplastics – Resins or plastic compounds that can be
softened by heating and reharden at cooler temperatures.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Thermosets – Resins or plastic compounds that once they have
been cured (by heat, catalyst, or some chemical means) will not
resoften when heated. Note: some thermoplastic materials
can be made thermoset by cross linking with some materials.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Top Coat – A term used to signify the coating applied to the
surface of the plastic material. (Whittington’s Dictionary of
Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
Transfer Coating – A process of making the coated fabrics.
The plastisol coatings are applied directly to a treated release
paper or continuous belt. After one or several layers are applied
and partially cured, a thin layer of adhesive plastisol is applied
and the textile substrate is laid onto the material. The final curing
process is completed. Then, the coated material is stripped
from the treated paper. The paper can either be flat or have
an embossed grain. It can normally be reused several times.
(Whittington’s Dictionary of Plastics by Lloyd R. Whittington)
UEV – An unsupported expandable vacuum formable product
usually produced by the cast coating process.
Vinyl Chloride Plastics – Plastics based on polymers of vinyl
chloride or copolymers of vinyl chloride with other monomers,
the vinyl chloride being the greatest amount by mass. (ASTM
D883-91a – Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics)
VOC – Volatile organic compounds that flash off from a coating
when it dries.
Waterborne Coating or Ink – A coating or ink containing solids
that is dispersed or dissolved in a vehicle that is primarily water.
Whitening – Marking of the surface of a film, coated fabric,
or composite when it is either bent or flexed.
Woven Fabrics – See “Fabric.”
1300 Sumner Avenue ? Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2851 ? 216.241.7333 ? fax: 216.241.0105 ? www.chemicalfabricsandfilm.com
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