Industry Links Professional Organizations •Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) Trade Organization Publications •Nonwovens Industry Kimberly-Clark Web Sites •Kimberly-Clark Corporation •Air and Liquid Filtration Media •Car Cover Fabric Glossary for Nonwoven Terminology A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Absorbency How much liquid a fabric will hold. Abrasion Resistance How durable the surface of the fabric is. Basis Weight How heavy the fabric is. Kimberly-Clark nonwoven fabrics are typically measured in terms of ounces per square yard. Most Kimberly-Clark nonwovens range from under one-half ounce to three ounces. Some laminates, car covers for example, are heavier than this. Bicomponent Fibers ("bico" for short) Two polymers, such as polyethylene and nylon, are contained in each fiber to deliver special properties such as extra softness. Bonding The process of applying just the right amount of heat to the fibers to lightly melt them to one another. Usually, bonding occurs between two large steel rolls (a calender stack), similar to the wringer on an old fashioned washing machine, which also put a pattern on the surface of the fabric. Contaminant An unwanted airborne constituent that may reduce acceptability of the air. Extrusion The process of putting polymer under pressure and heat to form a fiber. A pasta maker does the same thing with dough. Fiber The individual strands of material which form a nonwoven fabric. GSM Grams per square meter. Hydrophobic (as in phobia) Water Hating. Most synthetic fibers, including polypropylene, repel rather than absorb water. A treatment can be added to polypropylene fibers to enable them to be just the opposite, or water loving (hydrophilic). Meltblown Manufacturing process to produce fabric by melting and drawing polymeric fibers into fine strands with high velocity air and forming a continuous web of the fibers. OSY Ounces per square yard, a measure of the material weight. Polyolefin A strong, stable, hydrophobic polymer, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which can be used to make fibers. Polymer The type of plastic (actually a polyolefin) used to produce fibers. Polypropylene An economical polymer with melting characteristics which enable efficient production. Polypropylene is used in most K-C nonwoven fabrics. Pulp Cellulose fibers from trees, commonly used in tissue and other paper, which are very absorbent. Spunbond Manufacturing process to produce a fabric by spinning and forming fibers from a variety of polymers. Tensile Strength A scientific measure of the strength of a fabric, analogous to grasping something in both hands and pulling to see if it breaks. Tensile strength is often measured in MD and CD. MD is "machine direction" meaning lengthwise. CD is "cross direction" and is the width of the fabric. Thermal Bonding A process to bind a structure by heat softening one or more components comprising the structure. Web Former A screen (as on a window screen) that moves as if it was a conveyor belt and onto which the extruded fibers are placed to begin forming a fabric.

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