Nonwovens Glossary - INDA

Physical property
The response of a fiber to physical forces.
Picker
A machine that separates staple fiber and forms it into a lap, so it can be fed to a card.
Pigment
A colored or white substance that is insoluble and finely divided. Used to color or to deluster
a fiber, fabric or plastic.
Pilling
The tendency of fibers to come loose from a fabric surface and form balled or matted
particles of fiber.
Pinsonic thermal joining
A process which uses ultrasonic energy to bond layers of thermoplastic materials.
Plastic
A polymer with its additives. Also, the ability to be deformed and molded.
Plasticizer
Chemical that imparts flexibility, stretch and workability to a fiber or a plastic.
Pleating
The process of fan-folding materials to increase surface area. Commonly used for filter media
to increase efficiency and reduce pressure drop.
Plies
Layers of web, fabric or components of a laminate.
Point bonding
Using heat and pressure in a discrete pattern to bind thermoplastic fibers to form a nonwoven
fabric.
Polyester fiber
A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is any long chain synthetic
polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of an ester of dihydric alcohol and terephthalic
acid (FTC definition). The physical properties of polyester fiber are excellent strength, high
abrasion and resilience with good chemical resistance to acids, solvents and oxidizing agents.
Major end-uses for polyester staple fiber are fiberfill, wipes, and durable nonwovens, such as
geotextiles, automotive and carpeting. Spunlaid polyester is found in fabric softener substrate,
automotive carpeting, modified bitumen roofing and various durable end-markets.
44 Nonwovens Glossary