C - Textile Glossary

Cable stitch

A knit fabric stitch that produces a design that looks like a heavy cord- common in sweaters and hosiery.

Cabled yarn

Two or more folded yarns twisted together in one or more operations., note 1: combinations of folded yarn(s) and single yarn(s) may be described as cabled yarns, e.g., a single yarn twisted together with two folded yarns to give softness to the resulting yarn., note 2: in the tyre-yarn and tyre-cord sections of the industry, cabled yarns are termed cabled cords or cords

Cake

The package, roughly cylindrical in shape, of continuous-filament yarn produced in the viscose spinning industry by means of a topham box.

Calendered

A flat, smooth, glossy finish applied to the fabric by passing it through heavy rollers under pressure and usually heat. Cire, chintz, moire, & glazing are examples of calendered finishes.

Calendering

The process of passing fabric through a calendar in which a highly polished, usually heated, steel bowl rotates at a higher surface speed than the softer (for example, cotton- or paper-filled) bowl against which it works, thus producing a glaze on the face of the fabric that is in contact with the steel bowl. The friction ratio is the ratio of the peripheral speed of the faster steel bowl to that of the slower bowl and is normally in the range 1.5 to 3.0.

Calico

A light weight, plain weave fabric usually cotton or cotton blend typically printed with small, all over, brightly colored designs. Used frequently in aprons, quilts & curtains.

Cambric

A plain weave, traditionally light weight cotton fabric with a luster on the surface .used for handkerchiefs underwear, shirts, aprons , tablecloths.

Camel hair

The hair of the camel ( camelus bactrianus ) or dromedary. It comprises the strong, coarse, outer hair and the undercoat.

Canton flannel

A heavy, warm, strong cotton or cotton blend fabric with a twill face and a brushed back . Used for nightwear, underwear, gloves, linings. Originally produced in Canton China.

Canvas /duck

A strong, firm, tightly woven, durable fabric usually of cotton but sometimes of linen, hemp or other fibers. It is usually plain weave but sometimes with a crosswise rib. It is produced in a variety of weights & used in a variety of products such as tents, awnings, sails, upholstery, footwear, jackets, trousers.

Carbon (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres containing at least 98% of carbon obtained by controlled pyrolosis of appropriate fibres.

Carbonizing

A chemical process for eliminating cellulosic matter from admixture with animal fibres by degrading the cellulosic material to an easily friable condition. The process involves treatment with an acid, as by the use of hydrochloric acid gas (dry process) or sulphuric acid solution (wet process), followed by heating.

Carded

A yarn in which the fibers have been partially straightened and cleaned prior to spinning. The yarn is generally coarser and more uneven than a combed yarn.

Cardigan -full

A variation of a 1x1 rib stitch with 2 sets of needles there is alternate knitting and tucking on one course then tucking and knitting on the next course. The fabric has the same look on both sides as every wale on both sides has both a held loop and a tuck loop. Also called polka rib

Cardigan- half

A variation of a 1x1 rib stitch with knitting & tucking in alternate courses on one set of needles. The construction on the back is the reverse of the face . Also called royal rib.

Carrier (coloration)

A type of accelerant, particularly used in the dyeing and printing of hydrophobic fibres with disperse dyes.

Carrier (fibre)

A fibre that is blended with the main constituent fibre to improve processing behaviour.

Carrotting

The modification of the tips of fur fibre (rabbit fur) by chemical treatment to improve their felting capacity. Reagents generally used are mercury in nitric acid and mixtures of oxidizing and hydrolysing agents.

Casein

The principal protein in milk. It serves as the raw material for some regenerated protein fibres.

Cashmere

Originally hair from the downy undercoat of the asiatic goat (capra hircus laniger). Currently similar hair from animals bred selectively from the feral goat population of Australia, New Zealand and Scotland, is also being regarded as cashmere provided the fibre diameter is similar.

Cassock, also casaque

Three-quarter length coat cut with wide, full sleeves and wide throughout the body, ending at thigh-height or below. An unbelted overcoat, open-sided and almost always covered with braid and woven ornament. It was worn from the middle of the 16th century, mainly for hunting and riding.

Cationic

A type of dye used on acrylic or on modified polyester or modified nylon yarn . Often used to achieve cross dyed effects cationic dyeable yarn is woven in a pattern with regular yarn in the same fabric. The pattern becomes visible by dyeing the fabric in 2 baths, one for each of the types of yarn.

Cationic dye

A dye that dissociates in aqueous solution to give a positively charged coloured ion.

Causticising

Brief treatment of cellulosic fabrics with caustic soda solution at room temperature without tension to improve the colour yield in printing and dyeing, particularly with reactive dyes.

Cavalier-style

The flamboyant men's fashion of the first half of the 17th century. The supporters of the english King Charles I were called cavaliers, in contrast to the plain dressed puritans.

Cavalry twill

A sturdy woven fabric with a steep pronounced double twill line . Often of cotton or wool but may be any fibre.

Centre front

It is the portion of the pattern or the garment which is suppose to come in the exact front.

Centrifugal spinning

A method of man-made fibre production in which the molten or dissolved polymer is thrown centrifugally in fibre form from the edge of a surface rotating at high speed., the term is also used to describe a method of yarn formation involving a rotating cylindrical container, in which, the yarn passes down a central guide tube and is then carried by centrifugal force to the inside of a rotating cylindrical container.

Ceremonial Fabric

Fine Wool Cloth Fabric used for military garments, livery, paradewear costumes.

Ceremonial Worsted

Worsted Cloth is made from long staple wools where the wool is combed and the threads are twisted. The cloth is smooth surfaced, tightly woven with a smooth hard surface. Types of worsted cloth include serge barathea, gabardine and panama. Ceromonial worsteds are used for Military parade uniforms.

Chafe

A damage to fibre in the fabrics often caused by the a crease in the fabric being court between two nip rollers.

Check

A small pattern of squares or rectangles. It may be printed, yarn dyed , cross dyed or woven into the fabric ( as a dobby or jacquard).

Cheese cloth

See Muslin/gauze.

Chenille

1. A yarn with fuzzy pile protruding from all sides . It has a velvety caterpillar -like appearance . ( the term chenille is derived from the french word for caterpillar) 2. A fabric made with chenille yarn.

Cheviot

1.a rough surfaced fabric of wool with a heavy nap. Used for coating. 2. A loosely woven tweed fabric with a shaggy texture . Cheviot was originally made from the wool of the cheviot sheep in the hills at the bordering England and Scotland.

Chevron

A design which incorporates herringbone elements of zigzag stripes or joined v's.

Chiffon

A lightweight , sheer, plain weave fabric with a dull surface, a soft hand , and good drape. It is made with fine high twisted yarns and has an even or close to even number of threads per inch in the warp and weft. Originally made in silk but now found in polyester and other man-made filament yarns. Used in dresses blouses, scarves, veils.

Child's pudding

Small round hats for children made of cloth or straw, forming a shock-absorber to protect them if they fell.

Chinchilla

A thick, heavy, pile fabric with surface curls or nubs, originally made to suggest chinchilla fur . It is often double faced. It may be woven or knit and is often used as coating.

Chino

A sturdy, medium weight, twill fabric usually of cotton or a cotton blend. It has often been used for summer weight military uniforms, sportswear and work clothes. It is often found in khaki and tan colors.

Chlorination

When used with reference to textile processing, a term indicating the reaction of a fibre with chlorine. The chlorine may be in the form of a gas, or its solution in water or it may be obtained from a suitable compound.

Circular knit

Refers to fabrics knit on a circular knitting machine, i.e. One which has its needles arranged in a circle thus producing the fabric in tubular form . The fabrics may be sold tubular or slit and sold open width. A circular knitting machine may be used to produce full width fabrics or narrow shaped components such as for hosiery.

Civil Wars

Wars fought between different elements in the same country. Possibly on religious or political grounds.

Civilian Tailors

Manufacturers of clothing and suits for civilians fashion costumes.

Clip (wool)

One season's yield of wool.

Cloth

A generic term embracing most textile fabrics. The term was originally applied to wool fabric suitable for clothing.

Clothing wool

Wools of short fibre, not suitable for combing, and used in the manufacture of woollens.

Cluny lace

A heavy bobbin lace using thick yarns usually of cotton or linen. Most often done in geometric patterns . Used for curtains doilies and trim for apparel.

Coarse

Having thick yarns.

Coated

Refers to the application of material such as plastic resin, wax, oil, varnish or lacquer to the surface of the fabric. Application methods include dipping, spraying, brushing, calendering or knife coating . Coating is often applied to make a fabric water repellent or waterproof but may be done simply to alter the hand or appearance of the fabric. Polyurethane, acrylic and pvc resins are common types of coating.

Coating Melton

Fine Heavy Wool Cloth. For Coats Capes and Cloaks.

Cocked hat

A hat which is styled with the brim turned up. Particularly applied to styles of the 17th and 18th century.

Cocoon (silk)

An egg-shaped casing of silk spun by the silkworm to protect itself as a chrysalis.

Cocoon strippings

The first threads secreted by the silkworm when it finds a place to form its cocoon.

Coif

Medieval to 17th century term for close-fitting head covering. Worn in the later period exclusively by women.

Coiffure en bouffons

Women's hairstyle from the end of the reign of Louis XIII, tufts of crimped hair over the temples, while the forehead was covered by a fringe known as a garcette.

Cold drawing (synthetic filaments and films)

The drawing of synthetic filaments or films without the intentional application of external heat., note: free drawing of filaments or films at a neck is also referred to as cold drawing even though this may be carried out in a heated environment., colour, (1) sensation. That characteristic of the visual sensation which enables the eye to distinguish differences in its quality, such as may be caused by differences in the spectral distribution of the light rather than by differences in the spatial distribution or fluctuations with time.(2) of an object. The particular visual sensation (as defined above) caused by the light emitted by, transmitted through, or reflected from the object., note: the colour of a non-self luminous object is dependent on the spectral composition of the incident light, the spectral reflectance or transmittance of the object and the spectral response of the observer. Colour can be described approximately in terms of hue, saturation and lightness, or specified numerically by chromaticity co-ordinates e.g., those defined by the c.i.e. Standard observer data (1964). Alternatively, colour can be specified by reference to visual standards, e.g., the munsell colour atlas.

Colour constancy

The ability of a coloured object to give the same general colour impression when viewed under different illuminants, the observer having been chromatically adapted in each case.note: the most common comparison is made between the impression under artificial light, e.g., tungsten filament, and that under daylight.

Colour quality

A specification of colour in terms of both hue and saturation, but not luminance.

Colour value; tinctorial value

The colour yield of a colorant, compared with a standard of equal cost. Note: it is usually determined by comparing the cost of coloration at equal visual strength. Comparisons are normally made between products of similar hue and properties.

Colour yield; tinctorial yield

The depth of colour obtained when a standard weight of colorant is applied to a substrate under specified conditions.

Combed

Refers to a process in the manufacture of cotton and other staple yarns. The fiber is combed to remove foreign matter and the shorter, undesirable fibers, leaving longer, more desirable fibers that become straightened & aligned in parallel before spinning into yarn. Combed yarns are finer, cleaner and more even than those that are not combed.

Combed yarn

Yarn produced from fibres that have been carded (or prepared) and combed.

Combination yarn

A yarn in which there are dissimilar component yarns especially when these are of fibre and filaments.

Combing

The straightening and parallelizing of fibres and the removal of short fibres and impurities by using a comb or combs assisted by brushes and rollers.

Compact

Refers to a tight, dense fabric with a firm hand.

Composite

A solid product consisting of two or more discrete physical phases, including a binding material (matrix) and a fibrous material.

Composite yarn

A yarn composed of both staple and continuous-filament components, e.g., core spun or wrap spun.

Compressive shrinkage

A process in which fabric is caused to shrink in length e.g., by compression. The process is often referred to as ccs (controlled compressive shrinkage).

Condensation polymerisation

See polymerisation, condensation

Condense dye

A dye which, during or after application, reacts covalently with itself or other compounds, other than the substrate, to form a molecule of greatly increased size.

Condenser (ring-doffer or tape)

The last section of a condenser card: it divides a broad thin web of fibres into narrow strips, which then consolidated by rubbing into slubbings.

Condenser card

A roller-and-clearer type of card, as distinct from a flat card, which converts fibrous raw materials slubbings, by means of a condenser.

Condenser spun

Descriptive of yarn spun from slubbing.

Condition

(1) the moisture present in textile fibres in their raw or partly or wholly manufactured form., (2) to allow textile materials (raw materials, slivers, yarns, and fabrics) to come to hygroscopic equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere or with the standard atmosphere for testing., (3) to add relatively small quantities of water to textile materials (raw materials, slivers, yarns and fabrics)., note: the object of conditioning is to prepare for testing, or to bring textiles to an agreed moisture content for sale or to facilitate later processing. Among methods used for applying water are: (a) mechanical means during gilling or winding, (b) the use of conditioning machines, and storing in an atmosphere of very high relative humidity.

Conditioner tube

A tube supplied with steam or hot air surrounding a melt-spun thread-line and located between extrusion and wind-up, whose purpose is to control the fine structure of the yarn., cone, (1) a conical support on which yarn is wound., (2) a conical package of yarn wound on a conical support.

Contemporary

Currently in vogue.

Continuous yarn felting

A process whereby slivers, rovings, slubbings, or yarns are felted on a continuous basis. This is achieved by passing wool-rich material through a unit where it is agitated an aqueous medium where felting takes place. The process is used to produce a yarn, or consolidate a spun yarn.

Continuous-filament yarn; filament yarn

A yarn composed of one or more filaments that run essentially the whole length of the yarn. Yarns of one or more filaments are usually referred to as monofilament or multifilament respectively.

Conventional allowance

The percentage that, in the calculation of commercial weight and yarn count or linear density, is added to the oven-dry weight of the textile material, which has been previously washed free of finish. For such material, the conventional allowance is arbitrarily chosen according to commercial practice, and includes the moisture regain and the normal finish that is added to impart satisfactory textile qualities.

Converter; merchant converter

An individual who or an organization which locates a supplier and purchases grey fabric, procures its finishing and then re-sells the finished fabric to customers.

Converting; conversion (tow)

The production, from a filament tow or tows, of a staple sliver in such a way that the essential parallel arrangement of the filaments is maintained. Note: the two methods of converting most commonly employed are:, (a) crush cutting, in which the filaments of the tow are severed by crushing between an anvil roller and a cutting roller with raised 'blades' helically disposed around its surface, and , (b) stretch breaking, in which the filaments of the tow are broken by progressive stretch between successive sets of rollers., if subsequently a top is required, further processes of re-breaking and/or gilling may be necessary and the whole operation is then often referred to as tow-to-top converting or conversion.

Cool

A smooth, slick, hand generally associated with synthetics.

Cool colours

Blue, violet and green are cool / light colors. They are reducing in nature, as seen by the eye they move away from the object thereby increasing it's size. Cool colors have a calm and restful effect.

Coolmax brand

A Du Pont brand of polyester with good wicking qualities allowing for better moisture evaporation . Used in activewear.

Cop

A form of yarn package spun on a mule spindle. The term can also be used to describe a ring tube.

Copolymer

polymer in which the repeating units are not all the same. Usually, but not always, copolymers are formed from two or more different starting materials. For example, chloroethene (vinyl chloride) and 1,1-dichloroethene (vinylidene chloride) form a copolymer that contains the repeating units: -ch2-chcl- and -ch2-ccl2-, the different classes of copolymer include random copolymers, alternating copolymers, block copolymers, and graft copolymers.

Copolymer, block

A copolymer in which the repeating units in the main chain occur in blocks, e.g.,-(a)m-(b)n-(a)p-(b)q- where a and b represent the repeating units.

Cord

A term applied loosely to a variety of textile strands including (a) cabled yarns (b) plied yarns and (c) in structures made by plaiting, braiding or knitting.

Corded

A fabric with a surface rib effect resulting from the use of a heavier or plied yarn together with finer yarns. 2. A yarn made from two or more finer yarns twisted together.

Cordon yarn

A two-ply union yarn made from a single cotton yarn and a single worsted or woollen yarn.

Cordura brand

A Du Pont brand of air textured nylon yarn. Used in luggage and outerwear.

Corduroy

A strong, durable, woven fabric characterized by vertical cut pile stripes or cords with a velvet- like nap. Corduroy is classified by the number of wales or cords to the inch. It is traditionally of cotton but may be cotton blends or other fibers as well. It is common in men's women's and children's apparel especially trousers.

Core sampling

A method of taking representative samples from bales or packs of textile fibres obtained by inserting a coring tube driven by hand or machine into each package., note 1: core samples can be used for the determination of yield or fineness, but not fibre length., note 2: the term mini-core sampling is applied to small-scale sampling.

Core-spun yarn ; core yarn

Yarn consisting of a central thread surrounded by staple fibres. The yarn has the strength and elongation of the central thread whilst exhibiting most of the other characteristics of the surface staple fibres., example 1: a sewing thread consisting of a central synthetic continuous-filament yarn surrounded by cotton fibres., example 2: worsted yarn with bulked-nylon core, e.g., typically 1/24s worsted count (37 tex) with approximately 33% of nylon. These yarns are normally produced to give strength and elasticity to the fabric., example 3: a spun yarn from either natural or man-made fibres incorporating an elastomeric core, these yarns are normally used in stretch fabrics.

Cornet

The cornet headdress is a simplified fontange. The cap has an upstanding frill in front and lappets at the back. The veil is wired to stand up above the forehead. A topknot of wired ribbon is pinned at the front of the cap; fourth quarter of 17th century.

Correct invoice weight

The weight of material calculated from the oven-dry weight and the recommended allowance. Different fibre have different allowances.

Cortex

The inner portion of most animal hair fibres. It consists of spindle-shaped cells.

Costume Cloth

Cloth used for making garments for re-enactors, medieval garments, fashion, Tudor and Victorian clothing, Khaki World War 1 and World War 2 Uniforms and Civil War Clothing.

Cotton

The seed hair of a wide variety of plants of the gossypium family.

Cotton dust

Dust present during the handling or processing of cotton that may contain a mixture of substances, including smaller particles of ground-up plant matter, fibre, bacteria, fungi, soil, pesticides, non-cotton plant matter and other contaminants which may have accumulated during the growing, harvesting and subsequent processing or storage periods.

Cotton-spun

A term applied to staple yarn produced on machinery originally developed for processing cotton into yarn.

Count

Methods of variously expressing the specific length or length per unit mass of a yarn. Also termed linear density; number of yarn; yarn count; yarn number; grist.

Couple

To combine a suitable organic component, usually a phenol or an arylamine, with a diazonium salt to form an azo compound as in the manufacture of azo colorants, in azoic dyeing or in after treatment of direct dyeing.

Course length (weft-knitted)

The length of yarn in a knitted course.

Course, knitted (fabric)

A row of loops across the width of a fabric.

Couvrechef

A veil or covering for the head.

Cover

(1) the degree of evenness and closeness of thread spacing. Good cover gives the effect of a plane surface and cannot be obtained with hard-twisted yarns., (2) the degree to which, in fabric finishing, the underlying structure is concealed by the finishing materials or treatments.

Cover factor (knitted fabrics)

A number that indicates the extent to which the area of a knitted fabric is covered by the yarn: an indication of the relative looseness or tightness of the knitting.

Cover factor (woven fabrics)

A number that indicates the extent to which the area of a fabric is covered by one set of threads. By introducing suitable numerical constants, its evaluation can be made in accordance with any system of counting. For any fabric there are two cover factors: warp cover factor and weft cover factor.

Covered yarn

A yarn made by feeding one yarn under a controlled degree of tension through the axis or axes of one or more revolving spindles carrying the other (wrapping) yarn(s).

Cravat

Wide cloth or piece of lace knotted or tied around the neck. The term was first used in the mid-17th century.

Crease-recovery

The measure of crease-resistance specified quantitatively in terms of crease-recovery angle.

Crease-resist finish

A finishing process, usually for cellulosic-fibre fabrics or their blends, that improves the crease recovery and smooth-drying properties. In the process used most extensively, the fabric is impregnated with a solution of a reagent that penetrates the fibres, and, after drying and curing cross-links the fibre structure under the influence of a catalyst and heat. The crease resistant effect is durable to wash and wear.

Crease-resistance

A term used to indicate resistance to, and/or recovery from, creasing of a textile material during use.

Creel

A structure for holding supply packages in textile processing., crimp, (1) (fibre). The waviness of a fibre. Note: this fibre characteristic may be expressed numerically as the crimp frequency or as the difference between the lengths of the straightened and crimped fibre, expressed as a percentage of the straightened length.(2) (yarn) (uk., take-up, regain, shrinkage) the waviness or distortion of a yarn that is due to interlacing in the fabric., note: in woven fabrics, the crimp is measured by the relation between the length of the fabric sample and the corresponding length of yarn when it is removed therefrom and straightened under suitable tension., crimp may be expressed numerically as (a) percentage crimp, which is 100 divided by the fabric length and multiplied by the difference between the yarn length and the fabric length, and (b) crimp ratio, which is the ratio of yarn length to fabric length. In both methods, the fabric length is the basis, that is to say, 100 for percentage crimp and 1 for crimp ratio. This definition could logically be applied to knitted fabrics or fabrics of pile construction, but it is preferable to employ special terms, e.g., 'stitch length', or 'terry ratio'.

Crepe

A fabric characterized by an all over crinkled, pebbly, or puckered surface. The appearance may be a result of the use of high twist yarns , embossing , chemical treatment or a crepe weave.

Crimp contraction

The contraction in length of a previously textured yarn from the fully extended state (i.e., where the filaments are substantially straightened), owing to the formation of crimp in individual filament under specified conditions of crimp development. It is expressed as a percentage of the extended length.

Crimp frequency

The number of full waves or crimps in a length of fibre divided by the straightened length.

Crimp stability

The ability of a textured yarn to resist the reduction of its crimp by mechanical and/or thermal stress., note: crimp stability is normally expressed as the ratio of values of crimp retraction measured before and after a specified mechanical and/or thermal treatment of the yarn.

Crimp, latent

A crimp that is potentially present in specially prepared fibres or filaments and that can be developed by a specific treatment such as thermal relaxation or tensioning and subsequent relaxation.

Crimped length

The distance between the ends of a fibre when substantially freed from external restraint, measured with respect to its general axis of orientation.

Crimped yarn

A continuous-filament yarn that has been processed to introduce durable crimps, coils, loops or other fine distortions along the lengths of the filaments., note 1: the main texturing procedures which are usually applied to continuous-filament yarns made from or containing thermoplastic fibres, are:, (a) the yarn is highly twisted, heat-set and untwisted either as a process of three separate stages (now obsolescent) or as a continuous process (false-twist texturing). In an infrequently used alternative method, two yarns are continuously folded together, heat-set, then separated by unfolding;, (b) the yarn is injected into a heated stuffer box either by feed rollers or through a plasticizing jet of hot fluid (invariably air or steam). The jet process is sometimes known as jet texturing, hot-air jet texturing, or steam-jet texturing;, (c) the yarn is plasticized by passage through a jet of hot fluid and is impacted on to a cooling surface (impact texturing);, (d) the heated yarn is passed over a knife-edge (edge crimping), (now obsolete);, (e) the heated yarn is passed between a pair of gear wheels or through some similar device (gear crimping);, (f) the yarn is knitted into a fabric that is heat-set and then unravelled (knit-deknit texturing);, (g) the yarn is over-fed through a turbulent air stream (air-texturing, air-jet texturing), so that entangled loops are formed in the filaments;, (h) the yarn is composed of bicomponent fibres and is subjected to a hot and/or wet process whereby differential shrinkage occurs., note 2: procedures (a) and (d) in note i above gives yarns of a generally high-stretch character. This is frequently reduced by re-heating the yarn in a state where it is only partly relaxed from the fully extended condition, thus producing a stabilized yarn with the bulkiness little reduced but with a much reduced retractive power., note 3: the procedure (g) may also be applied to fibres which are not thermoplastic.

Crockmeter

An apparatus for evaluating the colour fastness to rubbing of dyed or printed textiles.

Cross cut

Refers to a corduroy fabric which has the pile cut in a weftwise direction, forming squares or rectangles on the surface.

Cross dyed

A method of coloring fabric made with strategically placed yarns of 2 or more different fibers. A pre-planned effect becomes visible by dyeing the fabric in different dye baths, one for each of the types of yarn. For example a predominately rayon fabric may have a polyester yarn woven into it in a stripe pattern then dyed in a bath to which only the rayon is sensitive. The polyester stripe will be made to appear since it remains undyed. The stripe may then be colored by dyeing it again in a bath of a different color to which only the polyester is sensitive. Heather effects may be achieved by mixing more than one fiber in a single yarn then cross dyeing.

Cross dyed & overprinted

A cross dyed fabric which has also had a design printed on it.

Cross dyeing

The dyeing of one component of a mixture of fibres of which at least one is already coloured.

Cross lapping; cross laying

The production of a nonwoven web or batt from a fibre web by traversing it to and fro across a lattice moving at right angles to the direction of traverse.

Cross-linking

The creation of chemical bonds between polymer molecules e.g., in a fibre or in a pigment binder this generally restricts swelling and alters elastic recovery.

Cross-wound package

A package characterized by the large crossing angle of the helixes of sliver or yarn.

Crossbred

A term applied loosely to wool, tops, yarns or fabrics produced from wools of medium quality.

Crumbs

A term used to describe shredded alkali-cellulose.

Crush cutting

A process in converting in which the filaments of the tow are severed by crushing between an anvil roller and a cutting roller with raised 'blades' helically disposed around its surface.

Crushed

A finish that creates a planned irregular disturbance on the surface of the fabric, usually by mechanical means.

Crystallinity

Three-dimensional order in the arrangement of atoms and molecules within a chemical phase. Most chemical compounds of low molecular weight may be obtained in a state of virtually complete three-dimensional order. When polymers crystallize, in general the product consists of regions of high order (crystallites), regions of low order (amorphous regions), and regions of intermediate order. Different methods of measuring the degree of crystallinity (e.g., density, wide-angle x-ray scattering, enthalpy measurement) emphasize different aspects and therefore lead to quantitatively different values. In recent years the simple concept of crystalline and amorphous regions has been questioned and terms such as para-crystalline have been introduced.

Curing

A process following addition of a finish to textile fabrics in which appropriate conditions are used to effect a chemical reaction. Heat treatment for several minutes has been standard, but higher temperatures for short times (flash-curing) and long times at low temperatures and higher regain (moist curing) are also used.

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Textile Glossary

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