A movable batching unit, in which a horizontal roller is supported by two A-shaped frames. The unit is used to wind fabric in beam form for either storage or wet processing.

(e-bä¹, ä¹be) noun A fabric woven of the hair of camels or goats. A loose-fitting sleeveless garment made of this fabric, traditionally worn by Arabs.

Fibre obtained from Musa textilis, also known as 'abaca'. (See also hemp)

A continuous-filament yarn that has been subjected to abrading action, generally to provide it with the hairiness characteristic of a staple-fibre yarn.Note.. Unintentional abrading of yam is a defect.

A localized area where a fabric has been damaged by friction.

A test used to simulate and measure the wear performance of textile yarns, fabric or floorcovering in use.Note: There is little agreement between results obtained on different machines when used to test the same product, and the results obtained do not necessarily simulate effects produced during wear. One such type of machine is the 'Martindale'.

The mass of water vapour present in unit volume of moist air. A typical unit is gram per cubic metre (g.m-3).

The ratio of the number of picks inserted by a weaving machine (per unit of time, e.g., hour, shift, day or week) to the number of picks which would have been inserted if the machine had been running continuously (using actual machine speed for the calculation).

A substance, often a swelling agent, which, added to a dyebath or printing paste, accelerates the diffusion of a dye into a substrate. Accelerants may also be used to increase the rate of reaction in chemical finishing.

(Clothing) A subsidiary item of dress, such as a scarf, belt, gloves, umbrella. (Sewing machine) A supplementary part or component of a sewing machine used to diversify its function.

A weft-knitted plain-based fabric, showing a figured design in two or more colours, that is produced by knitting and missing, and in which tuck loops are introduced to eliminate long lengths of floating thread at the back.

acid washing (às¹îd wòsh¹îng) noun. A washing process in which stones soaked in chlorine acid are used to soften and bleach fabric, especially denim garments.ac¹id-washed´ (às¹îd-wòsht´, -wôsht´) adjective

acrylic fiber (e-krîl¹îk f̹ber) noun Any of numerous synthetic fibers polymerized from acrylonitrile.

Generic name for a synthetic fibre consisting of at least 85% of acrylonitrile units.

In order to achieve certain desirable fibre properties that cannot be obtained by polymers alone or to overcome certain deficiencies of polymers, various additives are mixed into polymer melts or solutions prior to the spinning of fibres. Some of the more common additives are heat and light stabilizers (especially important for nylon), flame retardants, and delustrants such as titanium dioxide to dull the natural sheen of man-made fibre. In some cases dyes or pigments may be added to the melt or solution prior to the spinning of the fibre. Ordinarily, fibres are coloured after spinning by dyes dissolved in baths of boiling water. The water serves to carry the dyes into the fibres, where acidic dyes bind to basic sites and basic dyes bind to acidic sites. However, some fibres cannot be penetrated by water after they have been dried in the spinning process. In the case of polyesters, organic compounds such as benzophenone are used to carry the dyes into the fibres under pressure. In the case of acrylic fibres high in polyacrylonitrile, dyes are applied during the spinning process. At this time the freshly precipitated fibres, prior to the drying and collapse of their gel structure, still contain some water and solvent and are therefore open to the entry of basic dyes that bind to acidic sites on the polymers. Pigments, which are insoluble colorants, can also be added to polymer solutions or melts prior to spinning. Pigments are often added to modacrylics (acrylics low in polyacrylonitrile and modified by other monomers) because the fibres, which are very sensitive to light, fade or yellow even after dyeing. The addition of pigments to the spinning solution prevents fading and yellowing of the fibres to some degree. The fibres are especially useful for outdoor fabrics such as awnings and boat coverings.Polypropylene is another material that is very hydrophobic (water-repelling); moreover, the polymer has no acidic or basic sites for the binding of dyestuffs. Consequently, pigments are added to polypropylene melts prior to spinning