MACE SNAG TEST- A test for evaluation of
snagging performance. A fabric
sample is mounted on a revolving drum in contact with a miniature mace
that tracks randomly across the sample. The spikes of the mace effect the
snagging. The test predicts results in actual wear.
MACHINE DIRECTION- The long direction within the
place of the fabric,
i.e., the direction in which the fabric is being produced by the machine.
MACHINE TWIST- A hard-twist sewing thread,
usually of 3-ply construction
spun with S twists and plied with Z twist, especially made for use in
sewing machines.
MACROLATTICE- A repeating structure in very
small microfibrils of alternating
crystalline and amorphous regions. Yarn properties are thought to be
governed by morphology at the macrolattice scale.
MADRAS- A lightweight, plain weave
fabric with a striped, checked, or plaid pattern. True
madras
is “guaranteed to bleed.”
MALLORY FATIGUE TEST- A test to measure the endurance
properties of tire cord.
MANDRELL- The core around which the
impregnated filaments are placed to form a specified
shape
in composite manufacture.
MANILA- Fiber obtained from the leaf
stalks of the abaca plant. It is generally used for cordage.
MANUFACTURED FIBER- A class name for various genera
of fibers (including filaments)
produced
from fiber-forming substances which may be- (1) polymers synthesized from
chemical
compounds,
e.g., acrylic, nylon, polyester, polyethylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl
fibers; (2)
modified
or transformed natural polymers, e.g., alginic and cellulose-based fibers such
as acetates
and
rayons; and (3) minerals, e.g., glasses. The term manufactured usually refers
to all
chemically
produced fibers to distinguish them from the truly natural fibers such as
cotton, wool,
silk,
flax, etc.
MARKER- In the floor coverings
industry, a distinctive threadline in the back of a carpet that
enables
the installer to assemble breadths of carpet so that the pile lays in one
direction or so that
patterns
match.
.
MARL YARN- A yarn made from two rovings of
contrasting colors drafted together, then spun.
Provides
a mottled effect.
MARQUISETTE- A lightweight, open-mesh fabric
made of cotton, silk, or manufactured fibers
in a
leno, doup, or gauze weave. Marquisettes are used for curtains, dresses,
mosquito nets, and
similar
end uses.
MARRIED FIBER CLUMP- A defect that occurs in
converter top. It consists of a group of
unopened,
almost coterminous fibers with the crimp in register.
MATELASSÉ- A soft, double or compound
fancy-woven fabric with a quilted appearance.
Heavier
types are used as draperies and upholsteries. Crepe matelassé is used for
dresses, wraps,
and
other apparel. Matelassé is usually woven on a Jacquard loom.
MATERIAL BALANCE- A mathematical representation
of material flow through a reaction
system.
The input material is accounted for throughout its various transformations.
MATRIX FIBER- 1. A manufactured fiber that is
essentially a physical combination or mixture
of two
or more chemically distinct constituents or components combined at or prior to
the time of
extrusion
(i.e., produced in fiber form), which components if separately extruded would
each fall
within
different definitions of textile fiber. (FTC definition). Matrix fibril fibers
have the fibril
constituent
randomly arranged across the cross section of the matrix. When the fibril
component
is in
high concentration it may actually form a fibrillar network in the matrix. 2. In aerospace
textiles,
a thermoplastic fiber used with reinforcing fiber to form a composite after
consolidation
with
heat and pressure. 3. In nonwovens manufacture, fibers that are blended with low-melt
fibers
to form a thermally bonded fabric.
MATTED STAPLE- Fiber in the bale that is compressed
and entangled in a manner indicating
that
the fiber was either too wet at the baling operation or that excessive baling
pressure was used.
MATT EFFECT- . BASKET WEAVE.
MECHANICAL FINISHING- Changing the appearance or
physical properties of a fabric by a
mechanical
process such as calendering, embossing, bulking, compacting, or creping.
MELDED FABRIC- A nonwoven fabric of a base
fiber and a thermoplastic fiber. The web is
hot-calendered
or embossed at the softening point of the thermoplastic fiber to form the bond.
MELT- A material in the molten state.
MELT BLEND- . BICONSTITUENT
FIBER.
MELT BLOWING- The formation of a
nonwoven
by extruding molten polymer
through
a die then attenuating and
breaking
the resulting filaments with hot,
high-velocity
air or steam. This results in
short
fiber lengths. The short fibers are then collected on a moving screen where
they bond
during
cooling.
.
MELT-DYED- . DYEING, Mass-Colored.
MELT INDEX- The weight in grams of a
thermoplastic material that can be forced through a
standard
orifice within a specified time.
MELTING POINT- The temperature at which the
solid and liquid states of a substance are in
equilibrium;
generally, the temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a
liquid.
MELTON- A heavily fulled, hard, plain
coating fabric that was originally all wool but is now
also .n
in wool blends.
MELT SPINNING- . SPINNING.
MELT VISCOSITY- The resistance of molten
polymer to shear deformation. It is primarily a
factor
of intrinsic viscosity and temperature. It is an apparent polymer viscosity
measurement in
that it
is only true at a specific shear stress and shear rate combination.
MENDING- A process in woven fabric
manufacture in which weaving imperfections, tears,
broken
yarns, and similar defects are repaired after weaving; especially on woolen and
worsted
fabrics
to prepare them for dyeing, finishing, or other processing.
MERCERIZATION- A treatment of cotton yarn or
fabric to increase its luster and affinity for
dyes.
The material is immersed under tension in a cold sodium hydroxide (caustic
soda) solution
in warp
or skein form or in the piece, and is later neutralized in acid. The process
causes a
permanent
swelling of the fiber and thus increases its luster.
MERGE- A group to which fiber
production is assigned based on properties and dyeability. All
fibers
within a merge can be expected to behave uniformly, and for this reason, can be
mixed or
used
interchangeably.
MERINO- 1. Wool from purebred Merino
sheep. Merino wool usually has a mean fiber
diameter
of 24 microns or less. 2. A yarn of blended wool and cotton fibers.
MESH FABRICS- A broad term for fabric
characterized by open spaces between the yarns.
Mesh
fabrics may be woven, knit, lace, net, crochet, etc.
META- A chemical prefix, usually
abbreviated m, that denotes that two
substituents on a
benzene
ring are separated by one carbon atom.
METALLIC FIBER- A manufactured fiber composed
of metal, plastic-coated metal, metalcoated
plastic,
or a core completely covered by metal (FTC definition). They are available in
“yarn”
form as well as in staple form for spinning with other fibers. A core yarn with
a metal
surface
is produced by twisting a strip of metal around yarn of natural or manufactured
fibers.
The
most important characteristic of metallic fiber and the chief reason for its
use in textiles is
glitter.
Metallic fibers are used as a decorative accent in fabrics for apparel,
bedspreads, towels,
draperies,
and upholstery. A relatively new application for metallic fibers is in carpet
pile, where
they
are being used in small percentages for control of static electricity.
METALLIZED DYES- . DYES.
.
METAMERIC COLOR MATCH- A color match between two
materials in which the colors
are
identical under some lighting conditions but not under others. Metameric color
matches are
common
when different pigments or dyestuffs are used to color the two materials.
METAP WEAVE-KNIT PROCESS- A
technique combining weaving and knitting in one
operation
with two independent yarn systems wound on warp beams. In the fabrics produced,
woven
strips are linked together with wales of stitches. Generally, the fabrics have
75-85%
woven
and 25-15% knitted structure.
METERING PUMP- A positive displacement device
that pumps a measured amount of polymer
solution
to the spinnerets.
METHENAMINE PILL TEST- . FLAMMABILITY TESTS.
METIER- A spinning machine for
producing manufactured fibers. The bank of cells or
compartments
and associated equipment used in the dry spinning of fibers, such as cellulose
acetate
and cellulose triacetate.
METIER TWIST- The amount of twist present in
yarn wound at the metier.
METRIC COUNT- The number of kilometers per
kilogram of yarn.
MICRODENIER- Refers to fibers having less
than 1 denier per filament or 0.1 tex per filament.
MICROENCAPSULATION- Enclosing materials in capsules
of less than one micron to over
2000
microns in diameter. These can contain polymer additives that can then be
released under
certain
conditions of use or processing.
MICRONAIRE METHOD- A means of measuring fiber
fineness by determining the resistance
of a
sample to a flow of air forced through it.
MIGRATION- 1. Movement of dye from one area
of dyed fabric to another. Includes
movement
of color from the dyed area to the undyed area of cloth. 2. Movement of fibers which
go from
the center to the outside surface of yarn and back again periodically.
MIL- A unit of length, 0.001 inch,
commonly used for measuring the diameter of wires and
textile
monofilaments.
MILANESE KNITTING- . KNITTING.
MILDEW- A whitish growth caused by
spore-forming fungi that grow in a warm, moist,
confined
atmosphere. The formation of mildew may cause discoloration, tendering, or
variation
in
dyeing properties in cellulosic fiber.
MILDEW RESISTANCE- The degree to which fabrics are
unaffected by certain fungi that
cause
odor and discoloration.
MILL END- A remnant or short length of
finished fabric.
.
MILLING- 1. The process of treating fabric
in a fulling mill, i.e., fulling. 2. In silk
manufacturing
the twisting of the filaments into yarn. 3. A grinding process, i.e.,
ball-milling of
dyes
and pigments.
MILL RUN- A yarn, fabric, or other
textile product that has not been inspected or that does not
come up
to the standard quality.
MINERAL FIBERS- A generic term for all
non-metallic, inorganic fibers, which may be
natural,
such as asbestos, or manufactured from such sources as rock, ore, alloys, slag,
or glass.
MINIMUM CARE- A term describing home
laundering methods. Minimum care fabrics,
garments,
and household textile articles can be washed satisfactorily by normal home
laundering
methods
and can be used or worn after light ironing. Light ironing denotes ironing
without
starching
or dampening and with a relatively small expenditure of physical effort.
MISCLIP- . SCALLOPED SELVAGE.
MISPICK- A weaving defect in which a
pick is improperly interlaced, resulting in a break in the
weave
pattern. Mispicks can result from starting the loom on the incorrect pick after
a pick-out.
MISSING END- . END OUT.
MISS-STITCH- A knitting construction formed
when the needle holds the old loop and does not
receive
new yarn. It connects two loops of the same course that are not in adjacent
wales. Also
known
as float-stitch.
MIXED END or FILLING- Warp or filling yarn differing
from that normally used in the fabric,
e.g.,
yarn with the incorrect twist or number of plies, yarn of the wrong color, or
yarn from the
wrong
lot.
MOCK DYEING- A heat stabilization process
for yarns. The yarns are
wound onto packages and subjected to package dyeing conditions (water,
pressure, temperature) but without dye an chemicals in the
bath.
MOCK LENO- A combination of weaves having
interlacings that tend to
form the warp ends into groups (with empty spaces intervening)
in the cloth, thereby giving an imitation of the open structure
that is characteristic of leno fabrics. Mock leno fabrics are used
for summer shirts, dresses, and other apparel, and as a shading medium
in Jacquard designs.
MODACRYLIC FIBER- A manufactured fiber in which
the fiberforming substance
is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of less
that 85% but at least 35% by weight of acrylonitrile units (FTC definition).
Both wet and dry spinning are used.
MODULUS- The ratio of change in stress
to change in strain following the removal of crimp
from
the material being tested; i.e., the ratio of the stress expressed in either
force per unit linear
density
or force per unit area of the original specimen, and the strain expressed as
either a fraction
of the
original length or percentage elongation. (Also . YOUNG’S MODULUS.)
MOHAIR- . ANGORA, 1.
MOIRÉ- A wavy or watered effect on a
textile fabric, especially a corded fabric of silk, rayon, or
one of
the manufactured fibers. Moiré is produced by passing the fabric between
engraved
cylinders
which press the design into the material, causing the crushed and uncrushed
parts to
reflect
light differently.
MOISTURE-FREE WEIGHT- 1. The constant weight of a
specimen obtained by drying at a
temperature
of 105°C in a current of desiccated
air. 2. The weight of a dry substance calculated
from an
independent determination of moisture content (e.g., by distillation with an
immiscible
solvent
or by titration with Fischer reagent).
MOISTURE PROPERTIES- All fibers when exposed to the
atmosphere pick up some
moisture;
the quantity varies with the fiber type, temperature, and relative humidity.
Measurements
are generally made at standard conditions, which are fixed at 65% RH and 70°F.
Moisture
content of a fiber or yarn is usually expressed in terms of percentage regain
after partial
drying.
MOISTURE REGAIN- The percentage of moisture in a
textile material brought into
equilibrium
with a standard atmosphere after partial drying, calculated as a percentage of
the
moisture-free
weight. (Also . STANDARD MOISTURE REGAIN.)
MOLESKIN- A heavy sateen-weave fabric
made with heavy, soft-spun filling yarns. The fabric
is
sheared and napped to produce a suede effect.
MONK’S CLOTH- A rough, substantial, rather
bulky fabric made of very coarse yarn in a 4-
and-4
or similar basket-weave construction.
MONOFIL- . MONOFILAMENT.
MONOFILAMENT- Any single filament of a
manufactured fiber, usually of a denier higher
than
14. Instead of a group of filaments being extruded through a spinneret to form
a yarn,
monofilaments
generally are spun individually. Monofilaments can be used for textiles such as
hosiery
or sewing thread or for nontextile uses such as bristles, papermaker’s felts,
fishing lines,
etc.
MONOMER- The simple, unpolymerized form
of a compound from which a polymer can be
made.
MORDANT- A chemical used in some textile
fibers to provide affinity for dyes.
.
MORESQUE- A multicolored yarn formed by
twisting or plying single strands of different
colors.
MORPHOLOGY- The study of the fine structure
of a fiber or other material.
MOTE- A small piece of .d or
vegetable matter in cotton. Motes are removed by boiling the
fiber
or fabric in sodium hydroxide, then bleaching. When not removed, they can leave
a dark
spot in
the fabric.
MUFF- A loose skein of textured yarn
prepared for dyeing or bulking. In the bulking operation,
the
yarn contracts and the resulting skein resembles a muff.
MUFF DYEING- . DYEING.
MULE SPINNING FRAME- A spinning machine invented by
Samuel Crompton in 1782 and
termed
“mule” because it was a combination of the machines invented by Arkwright and
Hargreaves.
It was once widely used for spinning wool and to a lesser extent for very fine
counts
of
cotton yarn. Its action was intermittent and slower than that of the more
current ring spinning
frame.
It drew out and twisted a length of yarn and then wound it in the form of a
cop, or bobbin,
then
repeated the cycle. (Also . SPINNING FRAME.)
MULLEN BURSTING STRENGTH- An
instrumental test method that measures the ability of
a
fabric to resist rupture by pressure exerted by an inflated diaphragm.
MULTIFILAMENT- A yarn consisting of many
continuous filaments or strands, as opposed to
monofilament
which is one strand. Most textile filament yarns are multifilament.
MULTILOBAL CROSS SECTION- . CROSS
SECTION.
MURATA® SPINNING- . AIR JET SPINNING.
MUSHROOM TEST- . FLAMMABILITY TESTS, Mushroom
Apparel Flammability Test.
MUSLIN- A broad term describing a wide
variety of plain-weave cotton or polyester/cotton
fabrics
ranging from lightweight sheers to heavier shirting and sheeting.
MUSSINESS- A fabric defect on the surface
that is characterized by undesirable unevenness
caused
by many minor deformations. Mussiness is independent of the presence of soil.