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Bacterial Filtration Efficiency
Measures the ability of the fabric to filter out bacteria (staphylococcus aureus) from a controlled aerosol challenge. (ASTM F2100, Military Spec MIL36954C, ASTM F2101) Go to top
Basis Weight
Reports the weight (or mass) of fabric for a given area. (ASTM D751-00) Go to top
Fiber
A generic term for the various types of matter (natural or man-made) which form the basic elements of textile fabrics and other textile structures. Go to top
Flammability
Provides an indication of the ease of ignition and speed of flame spread of textile fabrics. Garments are categorized as class 1 (normal), class 2 (intermediate), or class 3 (rapid and intense burning). (16 CFR 1610) Go to top
Frazier Porosity
Measures air flow through a standard area of fabric at a standard pressure drop giving a rough estimate of fabric “breathability”. Higher numbers indicate better breathability, but small differences are probably not noticeable to end users. (ASTM D 737-96, IST 70.1). Go to top
Hydrostatic Head (or Hydrohead)
Measures the water pressure the fabric can withstand before leakage occurs. Results are reported as a column height of water (cm). Higher numbers indicate better penetration resistance. (ASTM D751-00 AATCC 127, IST 80.6-01). Go to top
Latex Particle Challenge
Measures the ability of the fabric to filter out particles of a specified size from a controlled aerosol challenge. Higher percentages indicate higher particle barrier. (Nelson Labs tests method) . Go to top
Class 10 laundry
A place where the laundering process is undertaken in an area which conforms to the levels of humidity, temperature and pressure for the control of all forms of particulate matter and contamination, to class 10 standard. Go to top
Micron
A unit of length equal to 1/1000 of a millimeter or .000039 inches (i.e. a human hair is 100 microns). Go to top
Particle Filtration Efficiency
Measures the ability of the fabric to filter out particles from room air over a range of particle sizes. Higher percentages indicates higher particle barrier. (IEST-RP-CC003.3) . Go to top
Particle Shedding (Helmke Drum Test)
Measures particle shedding from a garment or accessory being tumbled in a small drum. Results are reported by category—(IEST-RP-CC003.3): The test is intended to be run on full garments, but some types of garments will not tumble properly in the drum due to stiffness, size or other factors. Testing on fabric swatches or cut garments may not be an accurate predictor of full garment performance due to edge effects. Go to top
Static Decay
Measures the time required for a material to dissipate 90% of a specified electrical charge (voltage). (NFPA99) Go to top
Surface Resistivity (Log R)
Measures the resistance to the flow of electrical charge across the surface of an insulating material. Calculated by multiplying the surface resistance by the width to length ratio of the area tested. DuPont reported values are the base 10 logarithm of the surface resistivity (for example, a surface resistivity of 1011 will be reported as a Log R of 11.0). (ASTM D257-99) Go to top
Thickness
Measures the separation created by the fabric between a movable plate and a parallel fixed plate at a specified pressure. (ASTM D1777-96)Go to top
Tongue Tear
Measures the force needed to propagate a tear in the fabric in a ripping action. Higher numbers indicate better tear propagation resistance. (ASTM D2261-83) Go to top
Trapezoidal Tear (or Trap Tear)
Measures the force needed to propagate a tear in the fabric in a stretching (elongational) action. Higher numbers indicate better tear propagation resistance. (ASTM D 5733-99, IST 100.2) . Go to top
Tyvek®
DuPont's registered trademark for a spun bonded olefin fabric. Go to top
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