OATMEAL- A heavy, soft linen fabric with
a pebbled or crepe effect.
OFF-CLIP- . SCALLOPED SELVAGE.
OFF-SQUARE- 1. A term to describe the
difference between the percentage of warp crimp and the
percentage of filling crimp. 2. A term referring to a fabric in which the number of ends and the
number of picks per inch are not equal.
OILCLOTH- Any fabric treated with lin.d-oil
varnish to make it waterproof. It comes in plain
colors and printed designs and is most commonly used for table covers or shelf
covering. It has now
been widely replaced by plastic coated fabrics.
OILPROOF- A term describing fabrics that
are impervious to oil.
OIL-REPELLENT- A term applied to fabrics that
have been treated with finishes to make them resistant
to oil stains.
OLEFIN FIBER- A manufactured fiber in which
the fiber-forming substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of ethylene, propylene, or other
olefin units.
Olefin fibers combine lightweight with high strength and abrasion resistance,
and arecurrently
being used in rope, indoor-outdoor carpets, and lawn furniture upholstery.
OLEOPHILIC- A term describing a substance
that has a strong affinity for oils.
OLEOPHOBIC- A term describing a substance
that does not have a strong affinity for oils.
OLIGOMER- A polymer molecule consisting
of only a few monomer units.
OMBRÉ- A color effect in which the
shade is changeable from light to dark, generally produced by
using warp yarns of different tones. Ombré effects may also be produced by
printing.
ONDULE- A general term for plain-weave
fabrics of silk, cotton, or manufactured fiber having a wavy
effect produced by weaving the warp or filling, but usually the filling, in a
wavy line. An ondule
reed is generally used to produce this effect, often in a leno weave to
emphasize the wave. Ondule
is used for dress fabrics.
ON-STREAM- The state of having been
brought into production. The term is usually used for chemical
and metallurgical plants or processes.
OPEN-END SPINNING- A system of spinning based on
the concept
of introducing twist into the yarn without package rotation by
simply rotating the yarn end at a gap or break in the flow of the fibers
between the delivery system and the yarn package. Because the
twisting element can be compact and the mass of material to be rotated
is small, very high twisting speeds can be attained. The process,
in a sense combines the traditional processes of roving and spinning in one
operation. Present
work is directed toward incorporating the drafting operation into the process
by using card
sliver as the feedstock. This can facilitate process linking.
OPEN FACE- A fabric defect consisting of
an open appearance of the fabric which permits the filling
to “grin” through the warp ends in the center portion of the fabric.
OPENING- 1. A preliminary operation in
the processing of staple fiber. Opening separates the compressed
masses of staple into loose tufts and removes the heavier impurities. 2. An operation in the
processing of tow that substantially increases the bulk of the tow by
separating the filaments
and deregistering the crimp.
OPTICAL BRIGHTENER- 1. A colorless compound that,
when applied to fabric, absorbs the ultraviolet
radiation in light but emits radiation in the visible spectrum. 2. Fluorescent materials added
to polymer in manufactured fiber production that emit light in the visible
spectrum, usually with a
blue cast.
OPTICAL PROPERTIES- A general term used to refer to
the relations of yarn or fibers with light.
It includes such parameters as birefringence, refractive index, reflectance,
optical density, etc.
OPTIMUM TWIST- In spun yarns, a term to
describe the amount of twist that gives the maximum
breaking strength or the maximum bulk at strength levels acceptable for weaving
or knitting.
ORGANDY- A very thin, transparent,
stiff, wiry, muslin fabric used for dresses, neckwear, trimmings,
and curtains. Swiss organdy is chemically treated and keeps its crisp,
transparent finish
through many launderings. Organdy without chemical treatment loses its
crispness in laundering
and has to be restarched. Organdy crushes or musses but is easily pressed.
Shadow organdy
has a faint printed design in self-color.
ORGANZA- A stiff, thin, plain weave
fabric made of silk, nylon, acrylic, or polyester, organza is used
primarily in evening and wedding attire for women.
ORGANIZE YARN- Two or more threads twisted in
the singles and then plied in the reverse direction.
The number of turns per inch in the singles and in the ply is usually in the
range of 10 to 20
turns. Organzine yarn is generally used in the warp.
ORIENTATION- In linear polymeric structures,
the degree of parallelism of the chain molecules.
ORIFICE- Generally, an opening. Used
specifically to refer to the small holes in spinnerets through
which the polymer flows in the manufacture of fibers.
ORTHO- A chemical prefix, usually
abbreviated o, signifying that two
substituents appear in adjacent
positions on a benzene ring.
OSNABURG- A coarse cotton or
polyester/cotton fabric, often partly of waste fiber, in a plain weave,
medium to heavy in weight, that looks like crash. Unbleached osnaburg is used
for grain and
cement sacks, and higher grades are used as apparel and household fabrics.
OTTOMAN- Heavy, large, filling rib
yarns, often of cotton, wool, or waste yarn,
covered in their entirety by silk or manufactured fiber warp yarns, characterized
this fabric used for women’s wear and coats.
OUTFLOW QUENCH- Air for cooling extruded
polymer that is directed radially
outward from a central dispersion device around which the filaments descend.
OVEN-DRY WEIGHT- The constant weight of a
specimen obtained by drying
in an oven under prescribed conditions of temperature and humidity.
OVERCUT- A staple fiber that is longer
than nominal length. Usually, the length
is a multiple of 2, 3, or more times the nominal length. An overcut is caused
by the failure of filaments to be cut to the desired length during staple manufacture.
OVERSPRAYING- A term sometimes used to
describe the application, by spraying, of a fiber lubricant
to staple fibers during opening and blending.
OVER-THE-COUNTER- A term that usually refers to
direct sales to a retail customer in a store,
as opposed to wholesale marketing.
OXFORD CLOTH- A soft but stout shirting
fabric in a modified basket weave
with a large filling yarn having no twist woven under and over two single,
twisted warp yarns. The fabric is usually made from cotton or polyester/cotton
blends and is frequently given a silk like luster finish.
OZONE FADING- The fading of a dyed textile
material, especially those in blue
shades, caused by atmospheric ozone.